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I have about 35 potted up in the greenhouse about 9 inches high. The weather has been really lovely and although it's supposed to be cooling down later this week, wondered if it's safe to put them out? We live in Colchester, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

I've had mine out nearly 2 weeks now. They've been hardening off for about 2 weeks prior to that and they seem fine

Hi callie, I live in Maldon and my runners have been in since the beginning of May and doing really well. But I have got them against a wall so that gives them protection and extra heat.

if you concerned about any frost you could drape a fleece around the plants,just on any suspected frosty nights

I put mine out about 2 weeks ago, I heardened them off for about a week first. Like Lottie Dolly said you can cover with fleece if it is forecast to be cold.

I put mine out a few days ago

A couple of chaps on our allotment site have theirs out. I'm not growing them, but some of my Frenchies are out.

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vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated July 16th 2008

I planted out purple dwarf and borlotti just over a week ago, they're going great guns.

The cold weather coming is only relatively cold - it will still be average May temps.

i'm in west yorkshire and planted mine out last weekend. They're loving the freedom and have grown loads in the last few days!

I started mine off in the greenhouse this year and they got demolished by snails. Have another lot looking healthy on the kitchen windowsils so going to harden them off for a few days then plant them out.

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Morning Callie. I live in Essex too and I had to take a chance on mine as they has grown quite tall so put them out about 10 days ago and they are thriving and already climbing. Just have to keep our eyes on the weather forecast.

Put mine out today. Some with red flowers, some with white and some sweet peas to help atract the polenators. Have an eye on the forcast and fleece on standby.

Just typical that on the day I choose to plant them out it is getting quite breezy. Not had a breath of wind here for days.

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Most of mine are nearly ready but keep holding off planting them out. Lost loads to slugs and snails last year so trying to keep them in tact for as long as possible (probably false hope though).

I haven't put mine out yet - then again I'm a complte novice and have pretty much no idea what I'm doing! I'm in the middle of building a cold frame so I can do mass hardening off - too many pots to put them out in the day and bring them in during cold nights! They're going out soon - they're so tall it's like a little rain forest in my greenhouse!! As to slugs and Snails - a few crept into my greenhouse and ate the tops off a few - I reccomend copper tape - stick it around the cane and stem of the plant at the base and they can't climb up to eat any leaves!!


Jennifer

sowed mine outside under bottle cloches a couple of weeks ago (with some french beans too) and they're going great guns going to remove the cloches tonight probably and put over the bean netting and hope the hungry rabbits don't get em

mine went out two weekends ago and wow, what climbers they are, they are loving it, i still have fleece to hand just incase and they are protected by nets.

SS

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Mine are growing in toilet roll inner tubes in the unheated greenhouse, now being put outside during the day for a few days, and then all the time in preparation for planting on the lottie next weekend. Main thing is not to take them straight from a warm protected environment onto a cooler windswept plot - they need to acclimatise gradually. We should (hopefully) be safe from frost now.

I put mine out 2 weeks ago too, along with the climbing french beans. They only had their first leaves then, now they are climbing well and looking very happy. Even the slugs haven't found them yet

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I jus sowed mine direct into the soil today

Ours went out a few days ago or so. A couple have been nibbled but not terminally! (More slug traps went down tonight lol)

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Well thanks for all your kind messages. I shall harden them off for a few days, then plant out. This is a really busy time of year. Loads of stuff coming up in the greenhouse, but I am behind with the rotovating. We are on a slight slope and it's heavy ground. Earlier the ground had been too wet, now it's the opposite. Can't win really.
Still gardening is very satisfying, and keeps me healthy.

Mine went in yesterday (small plants), I'm on teh South East coast, so Spring has been here for a while. I planted climbing French bean seeds the day before in a raised bed. My main problem has been the neighbour;s dog burying stuff in the beds!

I like the idea of sweet peas to attract pollinators. Did you plant them with the beans?

I've planted sweet peas and beans together in the past Hamsterqueen, but I found the beans swamped the sweet peas. I now give them their own wigwam. My climbing frenchies are going in day by day as they've been fully outdoors for a week and were outdoors for daytimes for the previous week. Might as well be in the soil and away I think. Putting Climbing Borlotti, Bird's Egg and Ruth Bible in today. (and some chard and an achocha - what am I doing procrastinating here!)

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Some days you're the statue, some days you're the pigeon!

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated July 16th 2008

Yes I grow sweet peas too, I too make a separate wigwam for them. Looks like it's getting colder next few days. I'll be ready with the fleece, just in case. We were spoilt with the lovely weather we have been having, but at least the past few days the rain has made it easier for me to do more rotovating.