Once the seedlings are through, does temperature matter?

[BarcelonaTerrace]

As the title says, I am wondering how much temperature directly affect growth.

Of course I'm not talking about moving new seedlings into freezing temperatures but I'm looking at going from 64 degrees indoors to around 48 degrees outdoors.

I'm asking because I have some air circulation problems indoors which has killed off some of my seedlings and I'd like to get them out into the greenhouse asap for some natural light.

Here's what I have potted up as of course the veggie will make a difference here.

2 types of Onions
3 types of lettuce
Cauliflower
Basil
Tomatoes
Leek

Interestingly, I had a test cauliflower germinate (a winter experiment) over the past few days in that very greenhouse, so thats why I'm leaning to stick the seedlings in too.

Thanks as always!

[hendi_alex]

Tomatoes and basil keep inside until the day time highs are in the mid to upper sixties or higher and the night time lows are 45 degrees or higher. The other items are cool weather crops and will do well as long as frost doesn't hit them. The cauliflower should even tolerate frost o.k., probably as low as mid to upper twenties, but am not sure the exact temperature where they get hurt.

[stella1751]

Temperature definitely delays the growth of peppers, so the tomatoes will likely grow more slowly in the greenhouse. I've been experimenting with starting peppers way too early this year. My growing set-up is in a drafty part of the house, not a problem in spring, but the temperatures are definitely cold and variable in the winter. I have two peppers that just began putting on true leaves, three or four weeks after germinating.

What I find interesting is that all of a chilly (pun intended) pepper seedling's growth goes to its root system. The first two came up sometime in December. Their growth was really, really slow. By the middle of January, they only had five or six sets of leaves. Then their bottom leaves started to turn yellow and drop off. I thought I was over-watering or under-fertilizing, but nothing I did helped. When they reached the point where all they had left were leafy crowns, I decided to up-pot them, just in case something was going on down beneath that I couldn't see.

Both of 'em were root-bound. I had to tear them out of the pots; they were that bad. And the roots were a lovely white. Apparently, the little guys saw no benefit in producing in those conditions, so they decided to plan ahead, building a strong root system for the warmer days ahead.

So, I don't think it will hurt your tomatoes if you put them out, as long as it doesn't drop below freezing out there.

[rainbowgardener]

2 types of Onions
3 types of lettuce
Cauliflower
Basil
Tomatoes
Leek

The onions, lettuce, cauliflower, leek are cold weather crops and will be fine.

Basil and tomatoes do not like cold and would be definitely slowed down by going from 64 to 48, though not killed. But depending on what stage your tomatoes are at, if they are ready to set fruit, being chilly is one of the conditions that can cause blossom end rot in the fruit that are set at that time (it will not affect the later fruits that are set once it has warmed up).

[stella1751]

Oh. I should have mentioned that the tomatoes will not set fruit in the cold. Up here in Wyoming, the tomatoes don't start to set fruit until mid- to late June. I eat my first tomatoes at the beginning of August.

[BarcelonaTerrace]

Thanks for the advice.

Believe it or not, I put them out yesterday and last night we had some light snow! Temps fell to around 36-38 degrees. Anyway, I suppose the onions, lettuce, leek and cauliflowers will be ok. I've started some new basil seeds to counter the dead older plants.

Some pics to prove we also get snow in Spain (although not too much)

I've also stuck a photo on of our windowsill temperature from yesterday, around 93 degrees farenheit - which makes for a good germination place, if only I can get the soil right!

[img]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-97wpbW4_jKw/Tzes8lkdrhI/AAAAAAAABEc/mLB3I8mPJy0/s1600/P1010107.JPG[/img]

[img]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEw7ISLnueA/Tzes8wGgGKI/AAAAAAAABEs/qmtmzr0-h6M/s1600/P1010108.JPG[/img]

[img]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NV5pfesCwFA/Tzes-V4WLPI/AAAAAAAABFA/5MDgFPQvbhA/s1600/P1010105.JPG[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

yes.. all the cool weather stuff will be just fine...

[vebyrd36]

We have snow here as well. Nice plants there.