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Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

I have my plants in peat pots and the growth has been explosive. My problem is the nights here are still on the cold side (around 50 degrees) and the forcast has the days only being in the 60's through middle of next week. The first true leaf is developed pretty well and roots are growing out the bottom of the pots. I have taken the plants away from under the grow light to try to slow the growth. Is there anything else I can do to slow the growth until I can plant next week or should I worry about it? I'm worried about damaging the exposed roots. Whats my best bet?

5/12/2006 12:22:29 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

How fast can you build a cold frame? You could put a cheap heater with a thermostat inside.

You could consider transplanting into a bigger pot. If the plants are already in peat post, this should shock the plants less than if you had to remove them to transplant.

5/12/2006 12:40:10 AM

Farmville, Virginia ([email protected])

I am giving thought to trying to transplant into a bigger peat pot if I can find one bigger than the current one (4")

5/12/2006 12:50:19 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

50 degrees overnight is OK. I have my heater set to come on inside the hoophouse only if temps drop below 50.

Get it in the ground as soon as you can.

5/12/2006 1:24:27 AM

Those temps are "balmy" gettum in the dirt, use a something to cover at nite if a hoop isn't possible, large totes work or big boxes for that matter. You are only going to deal with these temps for a few days I would guess.

5/12/2006 5:49:23 AM

check out my diary,,you'll see why I said "balmy"

5/12/2006 6:18:02 AM

Wilmington.Ma.

Try using a 100 watt bulb in the tent!
Works for me.

5/12/2006 3:55:48 PM

Long Island,New York

I found that you can slow the growth down quite well by dropping the pots and seedlings from a hieght of about 4 foot.

5/12/2006 5:17:41 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

G...your sick!...no water no lites... put in cool spot..usually the conditions when it's time to go outdoors! why is it when ya think it will take a week they pop right up and when you have good weather outside they take a week and wait till it's pourig and cold...AG growers have to have a lot of gall thinking they can figure out mother nature and seed germination!

5/12/2006 6:45:55 PM

Syracuse, NY

my experience with AGs has been that when they are under
the (one full-spectrum, simulates sunshine and one
actual Gro-lite) flourescents at about 1-2 inches above the
highest points of the leaves, they GROW but they do so very slowly. my belief is that plants in general grow the most at night because they have been absorbing the energy from the sun all day and dealing with other factors such as
high temperatures. so when you take a way the constant source of light they begin to grow as if they were out in the wild; as quickly as possible to reach maturity as soon as possible to get the fruits (AG)rowin' as big as possible.
i think that by removing them from the constant source of light they may possibly get leggy faster.
one year i grew several AGs in my bedroom window along with some that were still under the lights. no comparison!
the ones in the window got to be EXTREMELY leggy and
a little difficult to plant whereas the ones downstairs
just crept along, as i now know they are SUPPOSED to do.
aslo, in NY here on Saturday and Sunday night we had
freezing nighttime temps but the days are like 65-70.
my dilemma is these extremes. i have the plants under
approx. 72-quart plastic clear containers, at every Wal-Mart in the nation, and a piece of plywood on top of AND
along the side facing the sun in the morning. emphasis on 'AND' lol. this keeps them from roasting all day,
and for the night i have a 40 watt MAX!!! light bulb in there that comes-on at 9 PM until 7AM, to keep them from freezing as well. oyyyy, the things we do! later---eric g

5/12/2006 7:18:26 PM