[Mum2mj]

Hello, me again!   

At the moment all my veg is in an unheated greenhouse - tomatoes, pumpkin, squash, cucumbers etc, just sowed french & runners & some more courgettes.  Last few days I've had the window & door open during the day & last night accidentally left the window open. Is this enough to harden them off, leaving them open all day/night?   I can't leave my veg outside most of the time as I have very greedy chickens (on this subject what can I do to keep them out of my raised beds?!)

Last couple of days have been 23 deg, tomorrow 24 deg but end of next week it's supposed to cool down again to around 10 deg during the day!

Many thanks 

[arugula]

I can't leave my veg outside most of the time as I have very greedy chickens (on this subject what can I do to keep them out of my raised beds?

You could fence them off entirely to make a fenced and gated veg plot, as we did, but if this isn't feasible, you could make some sort of string fence with bamboo canes at a height they won't find comfortable flapping over but not so high they can duck under it. They won't land and sit on something like that.

[Willow_Warren]

I use Omlet chicken netting to keep the chickens off of my veg patch!  Otherwise I harden off in the front garden, where they are not permitted but do occassionally find themselves 

H

[mumofstig]

I don't know which weather forecast you looked at but there are some overnight temperatures of 10/11s but I can't see any daytime forecasts as low as that.

For hardening off they really need to be outside, tucked in a greenhouse even with the windows open is still very sheltered and not like getting used to the wind and rain.

[Mum2mj]

Thanks for the replies, I've netted one bed with canes & pea netting which seems to work so far, although it isn't hugely practical it'll do for now, I may upgrade to stakes & chicken wire for durability.

mumofstig - I have decided to forego Metcheck from now on! & the chickens are having to stay in their run until I put the veg back in the greenhouse in the early evening, although i think they're almost ready to go out now.  Does anyone have a (reliable) long term forecast they recommend?  thanks

[gremlin]

I use the Met Office 5 day forecast. It seems to be pretty good for temperatures, but hopeless at forecasting rain, or the amount of rain.

Three rain drops lasting all day plus a severe weather warning, means a light drizzle for an hour, a day later than it was predicted.

2 rain drops means "a bit misty"

1 rain drop means, literally, 1 rain drop.