The Greenhouse Thread

[S6PNJ]

48k said:

The only niggle I have with it is that I can't seem to change the display on the unit to C from F

Just looking at the info on it, there's a button on the front - it says press it twice to change from C to F or vice versa.
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2018/08/13/minger-govee-...

[PositronicRay]

48k said:

Jambo85 said:

48k said:

Is the next stage to take individual green shoots and put them in to their own pots? Is that called "potting on"? How do I know when they are ready for that?

Pretty much yes. I think there are some rules of thumb for when is the right time but I can't remember them, and most things tend to survive no matter when you do it... I just do it when it suits me, and ideally before too much in the way of roots are established otherwise you cause a lot of damage and set them back.

Something you can do when potting on is to bury anything which has gotten leggy down deeper. Limits the leggyness and should improve its roots as well so win/win.

Handle seedlings by the leaves not the stem - it's counter intuitive at first but they can grow new leaves, they can't grow new stems.

Thanks. Do I pot on in to the same type of compost or am I supposed to use a different type / add fertilizer etc.

Sorry for the daft questions but I really do have no idea what I'm doing.

I'm in a similar situation, unheated Green House.

I've some leek seeds, planted in a seed tray, about 3cm of seed compost. They've germinated and now around 1cm tall. Do I "pot them on" into some multipurpose compost before transplanting them into the ground? They look too delicate to move.

[Jambo85]

PositronicRay said:

I'm in a similar situation, unheated Green House.

I've some leek seeds, planted in a seed tray, about 3cm of seed compost. They've germinated and now around 1cm tall. Do I "pot them on" into some multipurpose compost before transplanting them into the ground? They look too delicate to move.

I do, but my leeks don't get planted out til much later in the year once I've harvested something else (eg. early potatoes or even overwintered onions). Even if you have dedicated space for them now, you're still probably quite a way from planting them outside (seasonal weather reality check coming tomorrow!) and leeks need a depth of soil to get going. Individual pots are a bit of a fkabout for leeks so I tend to put them all in a deep container.

[PositronicRay]

Jambo85 said:

PositronicRay said:

I'm in a similar situation, unheated Green House.

I've some leek seeds, planted in a seed tray, about 3cm of seed compost. They've germinated and now around 1cm tall. Do I "pot them on" into some multipurpose compost before transplanting them into the ground? They look too delicate to move.

I do, but my leeks don't get planted out til much later in the year once I've harvested something else (eg. early potatoes or even overwintered onions). Even if you have dedicated space for them now, you're still probably quite a way from planting them outside (seasonal weather reality check coming tomorrow!) and leeks need a depth of soil to get going. Individual pots are a bit of a fkabout for leeks so I tend to put them all in a deep container.

Hmm, I don't really see the point of seed trays. Next time I'll put some compost in the bottom of a pot, a little seed compost on top then sew them in that, the whole lot can then be transfered into the beds as and when. Or am I missing something?

[Jambo85]

PositronicRay said:

Hmm, I don't really see the point of seed trays. Next time I'll put some compost in the bottom of a pot, a little seed compost on top then sew them in that, the whole lot can then be transfered into the beds as and when. Or am I missing something?

Seed trays are easier to put into a propagator or other warm space to help with germination. Also germination is rarely 100% and it can be a bit uneven depending on warmth and moisture, when you pot on you can even things out a bit. What you propose will probably work fine though, especially for leeks!

[48k]

Day 12 in the "my first greenhouse" experience. Spring onions are sprouting manically - these are actually in the lounge by the south facing window not in the greenhouse. How do I know when it's time to pot them on?

Cucumbers and tomatoes poked leaves out but are all lying down on the compost - is that called leggy? Have they got too wet? There is a lot of condensation on the inside of the popagator even with the vents open.

No sign of the peppers at all. They were in the lounge next to the spring onions but have swapped them with the toms in the greenhouse so they spend some time in the propagator.

This is supposed to be fun but I'm finding it hugely frustrating and I'm barely two weeks in .

[Pheo]

48k said:

Thanks. Do I pot on in to the same type of compost or am I supposed to use a different type / add fertilizer etc.

Sorry for the daft questions but I really do have no idea what I'm doing.

If you are broadcast sowing (ie one big container / more than one seed per cell) you generally:

Let germinate and allow to grow until one true set of leaves has developed

Prick out at that point into individual cells / pots (small ones!)

Once the plants have developed a good root structure and / or the compost is being exhausted you pot on one size of pot up.

Normally you’ll know when it’s time to pot on because the growth will start to get checked and slow down.

[Harpoon]

Spring onions I sow directly into pots where they stay rather than start and pot-on.

Once seeds have germinated and are a few centimetres tall, they come out of the heater propagator and move to bright but warm windowsill.

[48k]

OK here's what I'm dealing with.

Propagator in the greenhouse:


- toms have been there since the start (10 days ago) and almost all the little shoots are limp and lying on the compost. Have they got too wet? Is it game over?
- Peppers on the right have been in the lounge for 7 days and done nothing, so have moved to the propagator. One of the four things I am growing said on the packet 7-21 days to germinate so I'm guessing (hoping!) it's these. Not panicing yet.

Lounge ("sunny" south facing window)


Spring onions have been there since the start (10 days ago) and are going well (too well?). Is it time to do something with them?
Cucumbers started out in the propagator in the greenhouse but all the shoots were lying on the compost - again I'm worried I've got them too wet so I've moved them to here to try and rescue them.

Any advice / help gratefully received!

[Jambo85]

Have those trays got lids on them ordinarily to keep the moisture in? It's hard to say but if anything I think the tomatoes and cucumbers look a bit dry??

Peppers and chillis are slow to germinate, and need quite consistent warmth. Definitely don't panic after a week.

Onions looking good!

Is that a general purpose compost? It isn't critical but results will be better if you can pick up some seed compost for next year.

[48k]

No lids on the trays in the lounge. Should I get some? There's a lid on the propagator in the greenhouse I just took it off for the photo. Have given those two a drop of water tonight.

The compost is "Miracle Grow All Purpose Enriched". I'll keep an eye out for seeding compost for my next adventure, thanks.

[Jambo85]

Seeds and seedlings do need to be kept moist (but too wet is possible) so lids are a good idea especially in a centrally heated room. Clingfilm works well until things germinate.

Based on the photos I think the Toms and Cucumbers have dried out but I’m not there - if you touch the soil and it feels moist and has been that way throughout then I’m seeing it wrong.

[Pumpkinz]

48k said:

OK here's what I'm dealing with.

Propagator in the greenhouse:


- toms have been there since the start (10 days ago) and almost all the little shoots are limp and lying on the compost. Have they got too wet? Is it game over?
- Peppers on the right have been in the lounge for 7 days and done nothing, so have moved to the propagator. One of the four things I am growing said on the packet 7-21 days to germinate so I'm guessing (hoping!) it's these. Not panicing yet.

Lounge ("sunny" south facing window)


Spring onions have been there since the start (10 days ago) and are going well (too well?). Is it time to do something with them?
Cucumbers started out in the propagator in the greenhouse but all the shoots were lying on the compost - again I'm worried I've got them too wet so I've moved them to here to try and rescue them.

Any advice / help gratefully received!

Too wet, too dry, too hot are all killers for small seedlings. My guess is one of the first two is affecting your toms and cucumbers. Keep compost moist but don't let it dry. To be honest, greenhouses are a pain in the bum for all bar the very alert, very difficult to get conditions correct unless you are on the ball, especially at this time of year. Hot days, cold nights. Arg.

A more significant question is why are cucumbers starting now? Don't start sowing mine until end of April. They hate the cold, much more so than tomatoes, so forget it for a month or two. I'll start tomatoes next week for outside growing, so not too far off with those.

[RichB]

48k said:

OK here's what I'm dealing with. <clip> Any advice / help gratefully received!

Okay sorry to sound harsh but that "compost" looks horrible, certainly not seed compost! If you want to stop them damping off dress the top of the seed tray with vermiculite. Is the greenhouse heated, if not it will be far too cold at night, we've had some nights that have dropped down to 1 degC recently. Ours is heated so it remains between 5-8 degsC.. It's not too late to start again, get some proper, sterile seed compost and plant a half tray after all how many tomato plants do you want?

[227bhp]

Toms should be covered with something clear until they sprout and kept very moist.

There are some varieties of self multiplying perrenial spring onions, I have no idea what they're called, but I have a couple of clumps of them in the garden!

[Pheo]

You are probably picking the more complicated stuff, and you are indeed starting very early.

That being said, don't get stressed about it, seeds are cheap, you can always have another go!

I'd look up a sowing calendar online, or grab yourself a copy of gardeners world mag there is one in the back per month for you.

[227bhp]

Pheo said:

You are probably picking the more complicated stuff, and you are indeed starting very early.

That being said, don't get stressed about it, seeds are cheap, you can always have another go!

I'd look up a sowing calendar online, or grab yourself a copy of gardeners world mag there is one in the back per month for you.

My toms are about 2" tall! I'm experimenting with some inside and outside ones, plus staggering planting times to get a more even crop.

[48k]

Thanks for the tips chaps. Regarding starting early - of all the seed packets I got for Christmas I started with the ones that had "sow in February under glass" on the calendar on the back. Might need to get a beefier heater for the GH, the one in there was to keep the frost off , lowest temp in there has been 8 degrees. Will look up vermiculite and seed compost. What worried me about the toms and cucumbers were that they have sprouted but are "lying down" on the compost and look limp and wet so I was wondering if they'd got too humid in the propagator.
Thanks for the advice all good learning experience.

[RichB]

48k said:

... lowest temp in there has been 8 degrees...

That should be fine, ours varies between 5.2 > 8.0

[227bhp]

48k said:

Thanks for the tips chaps. Regarding starting early - of all the seed packets I got for Christmas I started with the ones that had "sow in February under glass" on the calendar on the back. Might need to get a beefier heater for the GH, the one in there was to keep the frost off , lowest temp in there has been 8 degrees. Will look up vermiculite and seed compost. What worried me about the toms and cucumbers were that they have sprouted but are "lying down" on the compost and look limp and wet so I was wondering if they'd got too humid in the propagator.
Thanks for the advice all good learning experience.

The other thing I would advise is sowing then in a bit more of an orderly fashion, this makes lifting them out to replant much easier with less chance of them being entangled and then dying as you tear them apart. Lay in your potting compost too low and flatten it out lightly, you can make a tool from a block of wood to do this. Space out the seeds individually about 50mm apart then crumble some more compost through your fingers to crush any big bits and cover them to the correct depth. Use your block to compress it very lightly.
Always water very carefully and ideally by letting it wick up from below (your tray should have holes in it otherwise its no good as it can't drain the excess) because it's easy to disturb your previous good work by flooding it with water from above.