Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi Everyone
I have recently purchased a 4 tier g/h from Wilko - never had one before. I put some seedlings in it 3 days ago. I've begun a routine with them whereby I take them in at night and put them out again the next morning. But I'm noticing that the leaves are beginning to wilt. They are in propagators also, so I'm wondering if it's too hot for them in there. I think I've been so keen to keep them watered and warm that I might have been a bit zealous. So, here are my questions:
1. Can I salvage them and how?
2. What can I do to prevent this happening to the others?

Also, I have some potatoes in bags that I leave in the g/h all the time. Should I be protecting them in some way? They seem fine at the mo.

Any advise will be warmly received

It could be that they're being "burnt" as they'll probably be in direct sunlight. As far as I know, it's better to slightly "shade" them, maybe put some bubblewrap or something opaque inside the greenhouse to disperse the light a bit. If it's going to be a sunny day leave one of the zips open to allow air to circulate.

I think.

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It's probably too hot during the day when the sun comes out - a (glass) greenhouse easily reaches 30 degrees at this time of year - and young plants are particularly vulnerable. Try and ventilate them.

What seedlings are they?

Radish, carrot and rocket so far. I fear I might have to start again with these.
Have unzipped one side though, so will hopefully allow hot air to escape.

I am putting mine outside in a plastic greenhouse for the day light as this better for them and like you bringing them back in at night but I don't also have a propogator lid on, as I think you are saying you have. I think this is one layer too many.

Also I'm talking about Tomatoes & Peppers, carrots and radishes are normally sown direct in the ground or pots where they'll grow I think. I have both in my raised beds doing quite well and a large pot of carrots in the greenhouse.

I'm not sure carrots (and maybe radish) moves on very well if you start them in seed trays

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Hi SMS6
I think you are right about moving them. Last year I tried to grow some carrots, they did really well until I had to move them.
Do you recommend I sow a new batch straight into the pots?
Should I put the pot in the g/h?

If I was you I'd sow some more and as you're down south like me you could be okay with them outdoors, although even we've had frosts the last few days. What I've done is sow some direct in to a huge black flower pot - it's about 18" (45cm) across and I've left these in the greenhouse so far as an experiment to see if I can get some early carrots. I may put the pot outside once I'm sure the weather has improved.

As well as these I have some new raised beds so I sowed two rows direct in to one of these and covered them over with a cloche until they germinated. I've now surrounded them with a fence of environmesh to keep away the dreaded carrot fly. Neither batch seem to have been affected by the frost, unlike some other stuff in the greenhouse

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thanks. I'll give that a try.
By the way - do you think my potatoes are alright in the g/h all the time? I'm wondering if I should cover them up with something at night?

what stage are they at?

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One or two have little shoots.

Well with potatoes you need to keep covering the shoots over so you could do that, put more soil over the top. What are they in?

I had some early ones planted up and they've been sprouting like crazy, as fast as I covered them over they popped up again so much so I'd already reached maximum soil level. They were outside and got frosted good and proper - I've popped them back in the greenhouse see if they recover but I haven't fleeced them over

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I have a max/min thermometer n my glass 6 by 8 greenhouse. Last night it went down to -1, during the day it got up to 35 before I thought to check, I opened the door and vents, cooled to 20. I burnt some busy lizzie seedlings last Friday when I was at work, I left them in the propagator, and the temp went up to 40. It is so easy for greenhouses to overheat. I wouldn't have believed we could get so much variation.

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they are in compost bags that I rolled down to about a third. The shoots are so tiny, I thought I had to wait a while for them to catch some sun before I covered them over. Is that not the case? How do the potatoes grow if the leaves don't have any sun?

Well they manage to shoot from the potato in the dark soil in the first place don't they? I might have it wrong (I'm sure a more experienced grape will tell us) but with mine whenever they were showing leaves above the soil I covered them over again and made them work their way back out. Granted I do try and let them grow a little bit but if it's going to continue to be frosty at night they'd be better under soil I reckon.

My bag of swift seemed to be recovering this morning, the brown leaves were being replaced already by green ones. The others in the black bucket were still looking sick though

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Thanks SMS6. Glad to hear that some of your Potatoes are doing well - gives me hope with my batch!

I started off 14 early potatoes in Tesco carrier bags and inside black plastic buckets they went mad and now i have transplanted them down my allotment we have had a couple of nights of frost but after covering them with horse manure mixed with straw it kept them warm. At this time of year we all take a chance on the weather.

Well, it's been about two and a half weeks since my potato problem and I'm pleased to say, both bags are doing exceptionally well, in fact, I now appear to have a new problem!!
The potatoes are outgrowing the bag!
Can someone please tell me if it's okay to leave them like that (i.e. all leaves exposed to the sun). I can't plant them into the ground, as I haven't got any ground to plant them in to. I only planted them on the 1st April and they're 2nd earlies - surely they can't be ready yet!