Pepper help

[anthonyjb]

My chilli/peppers are getting to large for the probagator is it to early to put the in a unheated greenhouse

Thanks
Anthonyjb

[chilli_grower]

yes, too early, the nights are still very cold.

Need to wait at least another month I guess....

[fishpond]

My chilli/peppers are getting to large for the probagator is it to early to put the in a unheated greenhouse

Thanks
Anthonyjb

Suggestion:-
Leave the lid off, assuming the propagator is electrically heated.
Maybe put a bit of sharp sand in the base to keep the temp a bit more stable.

[Scarlet]

If you have them indoors you really need to take them out of the propagator. They will have too much warmth and not enough light and will become very leggy. Chillies are from warmer climates and really need warmth at night as well as during the day. You won't be able to leave them out in the GH for several months yet. End of May at a push, usually June.

[Valleyman]

Scarlet, I'm surprised.

Last year put them out into the Greenhouse around mid-April. That's my magic date where I am where the nights don't fall below 4C. Am I risking them putting them out this early? Didn't have any problem last year, but it was unseasonably warm I guess. If I waited until June I'd be living the day of the triffids in my house!

Last year was my first year growing peppers though. Beginners luck?

[Scarlet]

Well, every year is different and last year we were very lucky with the temperature, I didn't have one frost at all during winter. This year, my first frost was September.
4C is much too cold for chillies, they may well survive but it can hinder their growth and also delay fruiting. They say for toms ideally no lower than 10, you can get away with it but it doesn't do the plant much good and chillies need it warmer.
If you have end of May in your mind, a few weeks either way after looking at the weather forecasts you won't go far wrong. Thinking that they can go out mid April is chancing your luck (IMO - other will disagree, no two gardeners follow the same rules!) only do it if it's warm and be prepared to take them in on evenings where it's forecast lower than 12.
Actually all my toms and chillies are in the GH at the mo getting some sun and light but I'm just about to get them in.

[chilli_grower]

Personally I try to get all mine in the gh by mid April - BUT the parrafin heater goes on every night until 1st or 2nd week of May.....

[Alison]

Mine go out in mid May at the earliest.

[Scarlet]

Personally I try to get all mine in the gh by mid April - BUT the parrafin heater goes on every night until 1st or 2nd week of May.....

What are the lowest temps you get through the night? I'm not prepared to mess about with a heater.

[Penellype]

If you google "historical weather data" and add a nearby town or city, you might unearth some interesting local data. I was lucky to find this for York:
Weather Pages, Department of Electronics, University of York

This gives daily weather data for York University from 1999 to the present day, from which I can see how the temperatures have varied from year to year. It also has a fabulous current weather page which updates every minute:
Weather Pages, Department of Electronics, University of York

Well worth a search for this sort of thing, particularly if you have a local university which might do something similar.

[Kristen]

Wunderground might also be useful for that sort of info. It has weather records from airfields and the like, but also amateur weather stations. Some of those can be poorly sited, or shielded (e.g. if the temperature sores off the scale in 20 minutes after the sun hits it!! because it needs a better Stevenson screen ...) but you can see a map with the temperature of several location stations and judge from that which ones look less wonky! / consistent. Some will have records going back years, others will be last year's Xmas present!

There is also a map where you can play-back over a period of time to see historical temperature - e.g. during last night for how low if fell, and for how long.

Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground | Weather Underground

[kathyd]

Well my peppers are still really really tiny, depsite being in France with theoretically milder temps than in the UK! AND they were started in a heated prop indoors, and now live in a big trough in the porch with a heated cable... So I'm feeling a bit inadequate here! Lol . In fact, I've just sown some more seeds - is that over-optimistic do you think? I lost a few seedlings while I wasn't able to care for them for a couple of weeks, so trying to catch up!

[chilli_grower]

Hi Scarlet, when the heater is on at night, I usually keep temps around 12 degrees...

And in the daytime, just the slightest bit of sun and the gh easily reaches 20 - 23 degrees....

[Scarlet]

Yes, my GH was well over 20 yesterday. I put mine in the GH till 4pm and then carried them all back to the house

[Philthy]

I usually put overwintered plants out in the GH by mid April. They're established, and in bigger pots, so it's not a problem. As long as vents / windows remain closed at night time the plants are happy. Even 2 / 3 degrees at night is tolerable. If a heavy frost is forecast one night I guess they'd have to come back inside until the risk has passed.

First year seedlings I wouldn't put out until mid - late May.

Of course every region will be slightly different, and no one year will mirror the one that it follows, so there's no set rules.