[rainie]

Have sown seeds in my greenhouse and would like to keep it a stable temperature. Seeds are in trays under plastic lids.
I have a parraffin heater in there on low.

It is now 5.5c/42f in there, (dog kennel is unheated but lined and is 6.6c/44f), met office say tonight/tomorow will be 7c/45f in my area.

What is a sensible 'safe' temperature for it? When are good times to check the temp?

[DD.]

Depends what seeds you've got in there as far as a safe temperature.

You may even need to open windows if the sun comes out, so it's difficult to give hard & fast times to check on it.

[rainie]

Oh blimey, they are listed in my diary, shall i do a cut n paste from there to here, or ask the same question in my diary?

mta greenhouse has two self opening windows, will check the setting on them tomorrow.

[Kristen]

I reckon that Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Melons need a minimum temperature of 10C - possibly a lower air temperature if their soil is heated (in a propagator for example)

Most "outdoor" veg will be happy with lower temperatures

A link, here, to your diary would do

[DD.]

Looked at your list, rainie, Kristen has commented re the tomatoes, they're good to need to be a little higher for germination, I reckon. Can they go in the house?

In my book you are very early with the beans and sweetcorn. It will be 2 months before I sow mine. Remember they cannot go outside until all threats of frost have past, at least 3 months before that.

I think also you are a tad early with the cues. Another month at least for me.

[Kristen]

Unless rainie is going to grow the beans and sweetcorn in the greenhouse perhaps?  I reckon on 3 weeks for Sweetcorn from sowing to planting out - beyond that the plants are getting too big too quickly (although they will grow more slowly now than at the end of March - which is when I normally start them off for a greenhouse crop, and 3 weeks before last frost for an outdoor crop)

[rainie]

(No idea how do do a link, will leave that for a rainy day)

Yes, i can put tomatoes in the house, not a problem.

Beans n sweetcorn are early i know - just got carried away with the sowing and wondered how much difference there would be. Will keep you posted in the diary.

If cucumbers are early wont they just grow fruit early? If they are kept in the greenhouse? Or is that a really really silly question

(i have a plan, i've just made it. Plan b...if things grow and get too big for my GH, i could put them in mums polytunnel and see how long it would be before she notices) 

[DD.]

It's not just heat - it's light and there's less of it early in  the season. Also we could yet get some very cold snaps, is your paraffin heater up to that?

[solway cropper]

Temperature in my greenhouse was 16C when the sun came out today but it will drop to 4 or 5 tonight. That's why everything except broad beans is in the house at the moment. Still too early for me for most things but I have got leeks, onions and lettuce coming along on the window sill.