[farmers wife]

I bought a few sungolds and Aubergines (grafted) organic so cost a bit.  Have lost 4 plugs - what have I done wrong?  I planted them directed in the soil in the polytunnel.  Should have I grown them on in pots before putting into the soil so that they were stronger?


I am now going to have to replace these now at more expense and I did buy conventional ones at the garden centre which is what we dont really want to do as we try to live on an organic diet.


Any help with what I did wrong?

[Greenerlife]

4 out of how many?  I always expect to lose some for whatever reason, and usually I find the vegs that I don't want most of survive better and the ones I really want die! But I would also have potted them on for quite a while as you have no idea what conditions they had been in before and they are probably "hardening off"?  I personally wouldn't put aubergines in for another couple of weeks.

[farmers wife]

In a poly tunnel  -I only bought 1 aubergine and 3 sungolds of which all 3 have perished.  Husband not happy with me!  I will plant on in future.  Thanks

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I sow all mine from seed, as plug plants dont tend to work with my gardens. I would agree though with [member=2203]Greenerlife[/member] potting them on, it is so that they can get used to your enviroment. Also depending where you are in the country it might be a little cold to put them into the polytunnel. I would keep them in pots just for now until the weather gets a little warmer. All the best with it all and I am sorry that the plants didnt make it.

[pgkevet]

I grow mostly for seed too for economy.. but as in my 'currant' thread it's been very cold here and the soft fruit additions all got potted and greenhoused instead of going out. I had some sweetcorn hardening off but after a cold night last week brought them back in.. got a few nipped leaves but saved most.
A lot of plug and pot plants get grown in minimum sized modules and have horribly crowded roots when sold..often need TLC in bigger pots before planting out even in a polytunnel.

Also from seed one can grow lots of spares....

[DavidandCollette]

What greenerlife said. Unless you are darn sarf it's a bit early to plant out

[PK]

I'm darn sarf and we have had frosts virtually every night this week. April has been cold and I have resisted planting out into the greenhouse until today (higher temperatures forecast for the next few days at least). Aubergines in particular don't like cold.

[Lesley Silvester]

It's darn cold here in Shropshire. I sowed tomatoes in a heated propagator then transferred them to the window sill so I could use the propagator for something else. When I needed the window sill I moved the tomatoes to my plastic greenhouse and they are nearly all dead. It's just too cold for them under plastic.

[Fleecewife]

My chillies, tomatoes and cucumbers still have a little bottom heat.  They won't go out into the tunnel until after June 1st - even then it can be bloomin' cold here, so we will cover them with heavy duty fleece at night.
I'm just about to sow courgettes and squashes, which mean they are ready to go out on June 1st before they outgrow their pots    It would be too late to try sowing tomatoes and aubergines now, as they need an early start, so you'll need to buy more young plants.  It's a nuisance, but you'll know next year.

I think your plants will also have had some heat before they were sent, so needed to be potted on and very carefully hardened off to conditions in the tunnel.  A tunnel only raises the lowest temps by about 1deg C, although it does keep the wind off.  To test the soil temp, scrape the top off a bit and place the inside of your wrist onto the soil.  If it feels cold, then it's too cold for delicate plants (you can also use your bare backside, but the wrist is fine  ).  To test air temp, get a max-min thermometer - it's worth the money to know min night time and max day time temps.

[pgkevet]

Postage and petrol costs are silly.. but if there's anyone near llanfyllin that needs some replacement toms then i can spare some spares..got 3 or 4 bursting out of 3" pots and a bunch getting bound in 40-seedling modules. Possibly some spare peppers and jalapenos at the 4-6 leaf stage. Also a few geraniums and a whole lot of stored onions that are just starting to get green centres and need eating or they'll be chucked in 2 weeks. PM me if you want some freebies.
I put down a loose-layed slab walkway in my bigger greenhouse and it does keep daytime warmth in overnight. My courgettes are starting to get potbound in 2 pots so hopefully can start to harden them off for going out. They all have flower buds.
I'll try and remember to take some pics.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Postage and petrol costs are silly.. but if there's anyone near llanfyllin that needs some replacement toms then i can spare some spares..got 3 or 4 bursting out of 3" pots and a bunch getting bound in 40-seedling modules. Possibly some spare peppers and jalapenos at the 4-6 leaf stage. Also a few geraniums and a whole lot of stored onions that are just starting to get green centres and need eating or they'll be chucked in 2 weeks. PM me if you want some freebies.
I put down a loose-layed slab walkway in my bigger greenhouse and it does keep daytime warmth in overnight. My courgettes are starting to get potbound in 2 pots so hopefully can start to harden them off for going out. They all have flower buds.
I'll try and remember to take some pics.

Wherabouts are you [member=16228]pgkevet[/member]?

[pgkevet]

2miles from Llanfyllin

[pgkevet]

here ya go:


















The citrus can take a mild frost and with those outside..blossoms and fruit..the citrus house could take some extra growbags and the new soft fruit additions potted to accelerate growth.
You can see my spare geraniums,toms and some peppers. the courgettes for the field and how one is in a corner for early eating..then gets ripped out when the field ones take over.
The veggie patch all rotorvated.. spuds still underground although the onion sets are starting to sprout. the only thing visible in the pic is early sown B beans and the pea net tunnel.. not that they are sprouting either..may well have to resow those.
I had my first greenhouse radish today..lots of lettuce there..used as cut and come. spring onions coming on too and further sowings of those and radish

[waterbuffalofarmer]

They are a real credit to you [member=16228]pgkevet[/member]. Am afraid you're a bit far from me, so I wouldn't be able to have any spare plants I think I have grown far too many veg plants as it is, i always seem to oversow, but what is left over I will put in big pots in the conservatory.

[farmers wife]

Bit far for me also as near Newport SE Wales.  Yes, next year I plan to grow from seed but my tunnel was not ready until 4 weeks ago.  I was trying to get a head start this year but typical its been very cold.  The plugs came from a top class supplier and nothing in the leaflet mentioned potting on so I was blind.


Can only live and learn!