Starting off courgettes
 

Hi,

just planted up this year's batch of seeds - tomatoes, cucumbers,
courgettes.

I noted that the courgettes should be kept warm (20-25C) until they are
growing.

I think this is warmer than anywhere in the house apart from the airing
cupboard.

So how do you start off your courgettes?

Bottom heat in a propogator?
Airing cupboard?
Or will they start OK on a cooler spot such as a window sill?

I was originally planning to grow them in our sun lounge, which easily
achieves the 25-25C during the day, however it drops back to 13-15C
overnight which is outside the spec. on the seed packet.

Cheers
Dave R

--

Starting off courgettes
 

In article ,
David W.E. Roberts wrote:

just planted up this year's batch of seeds - tomatoes, cucumbers,
courgettes.

I noted that the courgettes should be kept warm (20-25C) until they are
growing.

I think this is warmer than anywhere in the house apart from the airing
cupboard.

So how do you start off your courgettes?

This year ours just got put in the conservatory, which gets very warm
on sunny days, but is distinctly chilly at night. I don't know what
the temperature range is for definite because we still have lots of
things in storage for when we move in six weeks, but I'd say the range
could easily be from 25C during the day to 10C at night.

We had no problems with germination at all. In fact, using the room
as a large propagation house seems to have given excellent results for
all the vegetables we've planted this year -- we seem to have had far
more peppers and chiles germinate than previous years and we've always
found them to be fussy about temperatures.

I can't imagine there are too many natural environments where the
extremes of temperature each day are within 20C to 25C, so as long
as you're within that range for a significant proportion of the day
and never get too extreme a high or low, I wouldn't have thought
you'd have too many problems.

James

Starting off courgettes
 

David W.E. Roberts wrote:
: Hi,
:
: just planted up this year's batch of seeds - tomatoes, cucumbers,
: courgettes.
:
: I noted that the courgettes should be kept warm (20-25C) until they
: are growing.
:
: I think this is warmer than anywhere in the house apart from the
: airing cupboard.
:
: So how do you start off your courgettes?
:
: Bottom heat in a propogator?
: Airing cupboard?
: Or will they start OK on a cooler spot such as a window sill?
:
: I was originally planning to grow them in our sun lounge, which easily
: achieves the 25-25C during the day, however it drops back to 13-15C
: overnight which is outside the spec. on the seed packet.
:
: Cheers
: Dave R

20 c? I keep them in aay window but it doesn't need that heat surely, mine
don't get it anyway

Starting off courgettes
 

"Robert" wrote in message
...
David W.E. Roberts wrote:
: Hi,
:
: just planted up this year's batch of seeds - tomatoes, cucumbers,
: courgettes.
:
: I noted that the courgettes should be kept warm (20-25C) until they
: are growing.
:
: I think this is warmer than anywhere in the house apart from the
: airing cupboard.
:
: So how do you start off your courgettes?
:
: Bottom heat in a propogator?
: Airing cupboard?
: Or will they start OK on a cooler spot such as a window sill?
:
: I was originally planning to grow them in our sun lounge, which easily
: achieves the 25-25C during the day, however it drops back to 13-15C
: overnight which is outside the spec. on the seed packet.
:
: Cheers
: Dave R

20 c? I keep them in aay window but it doesn't need that heat surely, mine
don't get it anyway


I planted two in an unheated greenhouse: one came up, one didn't ( not yet
anyway ), so they appear not to be fussy.

Andy

Starting off courgettes
 

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

just planted up this year's batch of seeds - tomatoes, cucumbers,
courgettes.

I noted that the courgettes should be kept warm (20-25C) until they are
growing.

I think this is warmer than anywhere in the house apart from the airing
cupboard.

So how do you start off your courgettes?

Bottom heat in a propogator?
Airing cupboard?
Or will they start OK on a cooler spot such as a window sill?

I was originally planning to grow them in our sun lounge, which easily
achieves the 25-25C during the day, however it drops back to 13-15C
overnight which is outside the spec. on the seed packet.

Thanks for the responses - the seed tray has now migrated from the kitchen
to the bathroom but it looks as though it would have been fine in the sun
lounge after all :-)

Nice to know that others don't RTFSP (read the friendly seed packet) or at
least ignore it.

It did seem a bit extreme to ask for such high temperatures - certainly
higher than anything found outside in the UK even in summer.

Off now to plant up some sunflowers - I've always meant to grow some but
never got round to it - and some Nicotiana which I think are the original
tall nicely scented ones instead of the stumpy odourless F1 hybrid things
you get in trays from the sheds.

Cheers
Dave R

Starting off courgettes
 

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message ...
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

just planted up this year's batch of seeds - tomatoes, cucumbers,
courgettes.

I noted that the courgettes should be kept warm (20-25C) until they are
growing.

I think this is warmer than anywhere in the house apart from the airing
cupboard.

[...]
I was originally planning to grow them in our sun lounge, which easily
achieves the 25-25C during the day, however it drops back to 13-15C
overnight which is outside the spec. on the seed packet.

Thanks for the responses - the seed tray has now migrated from the kitchen
to the bathroom but it looks as though it would have been fine in the sun
lounge after all :-)

Nice to know that others don't RTFSP (read the friendly seed packet) or at
least ignore it.

It did seem a bit extreme to ask for such high temperatures - certainly
higher than anything found outside in the UK even in summer.

Off now to plant up some sunflowers - I've always meant to grow some but
never got round to it - and some Nicotiana which I think are the original
tall nicely scented ones instead of the stumpy odourless F1 hybrid things
you get in trays from the sheds.

A couple of layers of paper over the sowing containers will even out
the temperature a bit, though you probably need to allow air-flow
during the day. I sometimes put paper bags over pots of pelargonium
cuttings, too.

Mike.

Starting off courgettes
 

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

just planted up this year's batch of seeds - tomatoes, cucumbers,
courgettes.

I noted that the courgettes should be kept warm (20-25C) until they are
growing.

I think this is warmer than anywhere in the house apart from the airing
cupboard.

So how do you start off your courgettes?

Bottom heat in a propogator?
Airing cupboard?
Or will they start OK on a cooler spot such as a window sill?

I was originally planning to grow them in our sun lounge, which easily
achieves the 25-25C during the day, however it drops back to 13-15C
overnight which is outside the spec. on the seed packet.

In my usual dyslexic disorganised way I got it wrong again.

It is the cucumbers and gherkins which require 20-25c

They have germinated pretty well, and are thriving.

The courgettes - normal and yellow - have done very badly, and seem to have
rotted in the compost.

I must have overwatered them at a crucial time, or delayed them by moving
them around.

I have one courgette - now in a large pot and going great guns - from 16
seeds.

I have two yellow courgettes - much smaller but growing - from 11 seeds.

Still, I don't need more plants.

Gawd knows what I am going to do with all the tomatoes.

Cheers

Dave R

P.S. if there was a little red courgette would that be the prince of
vegetables?