Florist News

alreeeeeeeeeet everyone, i'm growing veggies and stuff for the first time this year and know I'm meant to be hardening off my tomato & chilli plants before putting them outside.

The prob is I feither orget to do it every day, or if it's raining or a bit cold when I leave for work I decide my poor ickle plants might not want to go outside so in the last two weeks they've been out once.

Do I just need to get over it and shove them out anyway in the day and bring them in during the evening. Also - should they be in the shade because the leaves on a few of my plants are now a bit scorched from the sun.

Advice muchly appreciated, fanks.

Get a coldframe. They're brill. Then you can put them in it and just open the lid in the day, close it at night to keep them toasty.

oooh excellent - thank you Alba.

got mine a 'wee little' greenhouse, south facing, and the top just stays on and if its too sunny they get a shading-mesh-thingy (like fabric but with holes in it) over the top. Tomatoes are staying in there all summer tho, they don't like rain from above.

of course if that is what rosa meant with her 'coldframe'--ignore this post
((sorry, don't know what a cold frame is!))

here's hoping your tomatoes and chilis don't become flacid!
(gawd, been waiting to use that word for EVER!!!!!!

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~success is a lousy teacher...it seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose~

oooh thats a good idea Maple, I have a little greenhouse, might shove my toms in there

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Sarah Creating Bespoke Wedding Flowers Cheshire

I did what Maple said last year puss and just opened the door on the mini greenhouse during the day, never thought of leaving them in there to grow all summer though

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Sarah Creating Bespoke Wedding Flowers Cheshire

oooh excellent cold frame is the way forward - yep maple, that's what rozza was talking about too.

my oriental mix lettuces have gone nuts with their growing since this rain AND i've had ripe strawberries already

Hi, I would wait for a while till you put out your chilli plants, they do love it hot.. they will like staying in the greenhouse all summer as long as they are fed and watered. just make sure you keep an eye on the bugs as they will love to feed on the toms and chilli plants in the warm green house.
We are growing about 25 chilli varieties this year, along with the hotest chili in the world!!!!

i agree keep them in the cold frame/greenhouse for the summer and ventilate it when its hot and sunny we grow toms,peppers,chillies,cucumber and wotever we can find. once you start you will get hooked ,good luck

A friend of mine got a prtable coldframe thingy on wheels...like one of those plant trolleys with shelves and a plastic 'curtain' that can be opened and closed...B&Q or HOMEBASE have them I think Puss...

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FAUN TO BE WILD...!!!