Extending the growing season for cold-weather crops

[katylaide]

It's coming into the colder months in Australia, but it's still fairly warm. I've started some alpine strawberries, cold weather leeks and lettuce, as well as other things, but these are the ones I'm having trouble with. They were planted 2 weeks ago and so far I have one leek seedling and nothing else, apart from a volunteer radish which shrivelled up (don't know why, either it was too hot or I watered it too much) and a couple of seedlings which died early on in my lettuce pots, but I don't think they were lettuce. I watered the growing medium with very weak chamomile tea and have been misting with chamomile tea or water when the surface seems dry. They're on my windowsill facing North (the sunny side in Australia) in plastic pots of mixed compost and soil, and they get quite a bit of sun there. I think they may be too hot there, but I'm a bit apprehensive about taking them out of the sun. I've considered putting them on the other side of the house where they'll get light but no direct sun, to try and keep them cooler. Any thoughts on this?

[applestar]

They're on my windowsill facing North (the sunny side in Australia)

I'm finally getting used to thinking the seasons are opposite times of the year in Australia, but am still having trouble with this concept.

So, are you saying you're starting some seeds so you can transplant them in the ground for fall/winter crop, and that the temperature in your North window ()) might still be too hot for them?

Out of the plants you listed, I'm most familiar with starting lettuce seedlings, which I start early for spring (and in fact am hardening off and planting out right now -- but because it's early spring ). Lettuce likes to germinate and grow at around 50~65ºF. I had them growing in the unheated garage with a little extra warmth from lights at 45ºF~55ºF. You don't want it to be any hotter than 75ºF or so. I just started leeks at room temperature of 68ºF~70ºF and they germinated well. I have them downstairs now where room temp is 65ºF~68ºF. It's probably near 70ºF under the CFL lights but night temp is likely to be down around 65ºF.

Are you growing them inside because it's too cold already outside or because it's still too hot outside? It's easier if I knew your situation better, but briefly -- if it's too hot by the window in the sunshine, you could keep them further inside, out of the direct sun but use supplemental light with fluorescent lights. Outside, it might be cooler than you think in dappled shade, especially where the ground is kept evenly moist. Get a thermometer and do some detective work

During the summer, I keep my orchids and fuchsias that don't do well above 75~78ºF in my "Shade Garden" which is in the dappled shade of the plum trees all day and is regularly watered to keep moist. If you don't have a shady location, you could set up a semi-shady area for your plants with a Shade Cloth -- a material that is sold for the purpose for gardening, dog kennel and horse shelter, etc. -- or some burlap or even old curtain.

Finally, I was struck by the way you said you "have been misting with chamomile tea or water when the surface seems dry." It's possible you're not watering sufficiently. Misting is deceptive because the soil turns dark right away and fools you into thinking you've watered enough. Try watering from the bottom (put water in a tray and set your container in it). Water will be drawn up. If no more water is drawn up but the top surface remains dry, *then* mist from the top if your seedlings have not sprouted yet. If the seedlings have sprouted, then they should already have long enough roots to reach towards the water in the bottom. Lift the well watered container and remember the feel of its weight. Next time, all you have to do is heft the container to know if it needs to be watered.

[garden5]

Well, you can grow cold weather crops longer into the heat by using floating row covers. They are like a fabric that lets only a partial amount of light through, thus shading the cold-preferring plats. You keep them on hoops or suspended above the plants however you can.

During the colder times, and I'm talking really cold, to the point where even cool weather crops don't like it, you can replace the floating row covers with clear plastic. The concept is called a "low tunnel" and works by blocking the winds and capturing the, by now, weak sunlight; kind of like a greenhouse.

I hope this helps .

[katylaide]

Thanks guys for the help. Yes, apple, that's what I meant. I water from the bottom from time to time but I've tried that before with no success. The most success I've had is watering with a drink bottle, which I may just do. I'm mostly starting inside because I have limited time to check my plants. I might try dappled shade, it should be fine, but I'm worried about two things. The first is that I worry they'll dry out outside. I can only really get outside in the latter half of the day, and there's a drought on, which I've complained about many times before. If I leave an inch of water constantly in the container they're standing in would that be bad? The second thing is that I have pets who think eating my hobbies is hilarious.

I think 75 degrees Farenheit is around 28 degrees Celcius, and it is still regularly well above that.