Seedlings and cold frame question?

gettip on 3/16/2010, 5:33 am

Started SFG last year and really enjoy it. This year I decided to try my hand at starting my own plants indoors to transplant into the SFG. I have started both flowers, tomatoes, and peppers. I have also built a cold frame that I plan to use for the plants later. I live in central western Ohio, the snow just cleared a week ago and the daytime temps range from the 30s-50s with the night time temps 20s-30s. My question is when can I transfer my plants from my house to my cold frame?

Lavender Debs on 3/16/2010, 6:02 am

Do you have or can you get a high-low thermometer?

20 degrees at night is still quite chilly. But depending on how well insulated your cold-frame is it could be quite a bit warmer inside the frame. If so, you should be fine for greens and the cabbage/broccoli family. Onions like a warmer climate to sprout in but should be alright in an insulated cold frame. I have an old quilt that I put on top of my cold-frame (when I still had a cold frame) for nights when we had a hard freeze. Twenty degrees was considered a hard freeze in the Pacific Northwest mountain valley I gardened at. Once night time temps start staying in the 30’s you will have happier plants so you might want to wait until about a week before then to get started. That way you are not waking up from a sound sleep with the sick feeling that you forgot to tuck in the babies for the night and have to decide, get up and put a blanket on the cold frame or take a chance that they will be fine.

Deborah . . . .really appreciating the mild winter we have had (at least until flea season)

Seedlings and cold frame question?

Seedlings and cold frame question?

Re: Seedlings and cold frame question?