12 degrees...What Do You Think..?

[braders]

Evening Grapes
What a great day for getting stuff done...one question, I am thinking of keeping my Tom plants and other seedlings in the Greenhouse tonight for the first time, its currently 12 degrees at 8:20 this evening...just interested to know if other Grapes have already done this..?..im in the Northwest and I know there are a few Grapes in my area.

Cheers
braders...

[coreopsis]

Check the forecast-the night temperatures are still tricky at this time of year

[zazen999]

Mine have been in the greenhouse for over a month now. Night and day with no extra protection. In fact, the greenhouse is totally full of seedlings and I've kicked all the alliums outside as I need the space. Some will be kicked out into coldframes tomorrow so that I can sow more.

I'm only a little further south....

[Bigmallly]

Like Zaz, mine have been in GH for about a month. Put some of them into coldframe today & sowed another 2 trays of brassicas, beetroot & nasurtiums.

[kittykat8]

the temp in the polytunnel is reaching 46 at the moment,

[womble]

Zazen and Bigmally, how low temps has it been while the tomatoes survived in your greenhouse then?
Because mine is still going down to 2 or 3 degrees at night and I'm sure will go lower soonish.

[zazen999]

Zazen and Bigmally, how low temps has it been while the tomatoes survived in your greenhouse then?
Because mine is still going down to 2 or 3 degrees at night and I'm sure will go lower soonish.

No idea. I grow mine pretty hard. I was hardening them off in the day as soon as the snow had melted and was brushing and blowing them to toughen them up as soon as they emerged. It was 38 in there yesterday about 11am and it is wooden so I think it holds the heat better than a metal one. Onions don't even get hardened off, they go out as soon as the first half are showing and that's that!

I usually put one or two out and if they survive a week, the rest go out. My greenhouse is quite sheltered from winds, being in our courtyard so perhaps that helps keep the temps up.

Yes, they grow slower than other peoples, but my overwintered one has flowers on it even though it has been out there for a month now.

[womble]

Thanks for the info, I know I am colder here than most people it seems, but I always come back to the point at this time of year, that experts say tomatoes shouldn't go below 12 degrees I think and some of you have them outside down to almost zero.

Apparently it can upset their growing, if they have too low temps. Yet I know myself that mine have been down to 1 or 3 degrees for a night or two and they were fine.

A puzzle.

[Tomatoking]

Thanks for the info, I know I am colder here than most people it seems, but I always come back to the point at this time of year, that experts say tomatoes shouldn't go below 12 degrees I think and some of you have them outside down to almost zero.

Apparently it can upset their growing, if they have too low temps. Yet I know myself that mine have been down to 1 or 3 degrees for a night or two and they were fine.

A puzzle.

Hi Womble

Just a few points that I added on a similar thread, low temperatures will affect the setting on the first trusses, which is why the experts say to keep them above 12 degrees.
Your plants should be ok if it doesn't go below freezing. Mine have been in the polytunnel for a few weeks now, and the only problem at this time of the year is that it can get too hot in the day with the sun out, and the variation in temperatures is the worst thing for toms. I tend to open both doors in the day to keep it below 25, you might not have that problem though.

Keep an eye on the forecast, and if it looks like a really cold night then try to keep some extra protection around the plants, but unless it gets well below freezing then your plants should be fine.

I had the same dilemma last year, but the plants were fine, however, I did have a little poor setting on the first trusses.

Mr TK