French marigolds, petunias & begonias

[redser]

Hi, I've grown these from seed and they are all flowering. I've been doing the indoor/outdoor shuffle at home but would like to move them to the tunnel if possible. Just wondering how cold tolerant they are. I know frost would kill them but with proper frosts being few and far between now I wonder would they be ok in a tunnel if we only got low temps, even 2 degrees. If there was a frost forecast I could make the effort and go up to fleece them.
Thanks!

[Two_Sheds]

I googled "begonia temperature" and got this: Most will grow successfully from 50 to 85 degrees (10-29c).

14c (58F) is the ideal temp for Frenchies source

I CBA to look up petunias as well

[redser]

Thanks twosheds.
Would be interested to hear what other flower growers are doing at the moment too.
Cheers

[Bigmallly]

I bought 24 petunias yesterday for £2.50, they looked healthy so planted them out. That's not to say that I have done the right thing.

[Poolcue]

I was always told never to purchase bedding plants on the first May Bank holiday and plant out since they will die off and you will be buying again on the second one.

[Bigmallly]

I was always told never to purchase bedding plants on the first May Bank holiday and plant out since they will die off and you will be buying again on the second one.

Maybe that's why they were on at half price.

[Florence Fennel]

I edged my veg beds a couple of weeks ago with french marigolds grown from seed in the stayput. They were eaten along with the veg plants The bizzie lizzie plugs I bought as a bargain from T & M were so compacted they haven't moved and I composted them yesterday. Although I have more french marigold plants coming on, I will buy some plants for my hanging baskets at the end of this month.

[Bigmallly]

I was always told never to purchase bedding plants on the first May Bank holiday and plant out since they will die off and you will be buying again on the second one.

I have put 20 in my square foot bed so when I post a pic later on and you see 20 gaps, you'll know why.......

[Florence Fennel]

Oh ye of little faith Mally They might be just fine, fingers crossed

[redser]

Righto, the shuffle for a while more it is so

[Florence Fennel]

Probably a good decision Redser, there's plenty of time yet.

[redser]

But no room and I'm exhausted

[Florence Fennel]

Then why not move them anyway? Wrap a bit of fleece or bubble wrap round them, I'm sure they'll be fine and take a well earned rest

[Florence Fennel]

I've risked it this evening putting the last of my toms from the windowsill into the stayput to take their chance. I've only chillies left on a windowsill in the bedroom, basil, poached egg plant and VVG borage in the spare room. The borage is looking large and healthy inside, the seeds I sowed outside are only just breaking the surface.

[redser]

You've got more guts than I do Florence! You're right, I'll plant up one basket and put it up in the tunnel and see. Have to learn for next year somehow.
Just on the paoched egg plant, I didn't know this before but apparently it is completely hardy. According to the seed packets they always say plant out after the last frost, but I have a few self-seeded plants from lst years batch that just started to pop their first flowers. The plants are huge. So I googled and read some advise where sombody recommended sowing in January to have flowers early in the tunnel to attract hoverflies.
Unless there are different types of limnanthes?