Germinated too soon? (panicking in England)

16 years ago

First time winter sower here - planted 10 containers 2nd week in January and by the 22nd the cosmos (purity) had germinated. They are in a 2.2 litre milk jug . The tallest is maybe 1/2" - they are very pale with two yellow leaves. Our temp today is 44F, supposed to go up to low 50s tomorrow,down again to low 40s by Friday. I THINK this area (Surrey,SE of London)corresponds to USDA zone 8 or 9. I have searched both here and the wintersown site and studied the FAQs and although the tone is very reassuring, I can't help panicking that this is far too early and the seelings won't survive. I understand that I am supposed to widen the vents after sprouting so the seedlings get more light/air - the only ventilation at the moment is the open top of the milk bottle. I have taped up the sides - do I open those? Won't it be far too cold? I welcome any advice! Thank you.

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Comments (7)

drippy
16 years ago
Hi, Keble - I had the pleasure of visiting the gorgeous UK gardens last summer - I think I drooled all the way home. Your growing season is longer than mine (I'm a zone 6b), moderated by the water/island geography. I'm not sure what to tell you about cosmos - they're one of the more frost-sensitive ones, but if it is not going to go below 32F, you shouldn't lose them. If the seedlings are very small, you might not want to open the vents just yet, as long as they have some ventilation. On the other hand, you want to watch your daytime highs - the temps will probably be about 10 degrees higher inside your containers. Fried seedlings are usually more of a problem for most people than frozen ones. Wish I were more knowledgeable, but I think if I were in your situation I would leave them exactly as they are, not adding extra ventilation, but not bringing them in at night (unless you are going to get a hard freeze).
mid_tn_mama
16 years ago
Don't panic. Weather and temperatures fluctuate. Close the lid for a couple days if you are really concerned. One thing that should allay your fears is that WS makes seedlings hardier. I find that they are hardier to temperature and disease/pests!

I move my containers next to the foundation of the house--that way, even if it gets below freezing temperatures (which yours are not apparently) the heat reflected from my home keeps the containers a few degrees warmer.

OT: What I was most impressed with were the gardens of the NOT well-to-do in Britain. Of course one expects beautiful gardens belonging to a manor house. But I was most impressed with the abundance of window boxes (esp. second story window boxes)with beautiful flowers on even the most modest townhouse (forgot your term for those)!

I still have plans to put window boxes on my home (haven't figured out how to affix to the second story yet) because of that trip.

Good luck!
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tiffy_z5_6_can
16 years ago
I would leave them be. Keep the covers on for now, but if you start heading beyond 65F, then it's time to start taking them off.

I can't remember if my cosmos have taken a freeze in the last few years. They seem to only germinate when things start warming up into the 60s for me.
carrie630
16 years ago
Many of us try to sow our warm weather annuals more towards the warmer weather - - also, I remember one of our sowers had the container covered during the cold spell and the top of the cosmo hit the lid, was stuck there and died.

I think most annuals will be okay if the temps are not below 40ish...(my opinion, only). But if you keep an eye on the overnight temps and they will fall towards frost, I would bring them in for the night. I've done that with early germinating zinnias and while it is a pain, it was worth saving them.

Now, I only sow the zinnias in March and still have to watch the night temps but feel less worried then.

Carrie
keble
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you everybody. I feel calmer now...that was enormously helpful - I hadn't thought about 'fried' seedlings! I'll watch daytime highs and only open vents if temp climbs steeply. I think I'll bring the milk jug in should a hard frost be forecast. And I'll do a second sowing of the cosmos a little closer to the warmer weather. I've taken all your advice to heart. Our winters here have gotten so mild, daffodils, snowdrops and crocus are already blooming in my neighbourhood! Thanks again.
drippy
16 years ago
Oh, the zone envy, Keble! I just dug through a foot of new snow that drifted into 3-4' drifts overnight. Nope, no daffs here for at least another 2 months or so.

MT Mama, I agree - I was totally blown away with all the British gardens - everyone takes serious pride in them there. I had some great conversations with the B&B owners whose places I stayed at. It seems like everything grows there, too, so even the public containers, like out in front of churches or near statues and such - have an amazing array of plants.
keble
Original Author
16 years ago
Ok, going OT now but wanted to respond to the comments re British gardens. I agree: of course the Capability Brown landscaped gardens of stately homes, maintained by teams of gardeners, are mind blowing but it is the ordinary gardens which impress me most. These can be visited through the NGS (national garden scheme), listed in the 'yellow book' every year - all over the country, admission is generally a couple of pounds, all of which goes to charity. There is an NGS website but I find it difficult to navigate - just an idea for anyone planning a trip to this side of the Atlantic. There are also B&Bs catering specifically to garden lovers. I find these small gardens much more inspiring than the big ones (although if I had a team of gardeners to boss around things might be different...).

Germinated too soon? (panicking in England)

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Germinated too soon? (panicking in England)

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