Tell me what to do with my greenhouse (novice!)

[Mykittensmittens]

I have a new greenhouse. It’s a beauty! I have lovely staging. I’ve wanted one for years.

But...I’m clueless as to what I can do in it NOW. Overnight it’s still minus at times. I’ve had a thermometer in it for days (one that has an app) and although it’s not dipped below its still gone to 2c most nights for several hours.

As a result I have on my kitchen floor by the doors courgettes (doing well), 4 tomato plants (first leaves), just sprouting tomatillo, mini cucumbers and cucamelons. I also have just emerging seedlings for stocks, lupins, tithonia and the kids have sunflowers.

At what stage can I move these things to the greenhouse (courgettes will stay outside)?

Is there anything else I can/should/could be doing?

Do you have beds in it?

I've risked a few tender seedlings in there this last week, but I fear I was premature. Most of the seedlings are still inside the house, like you.

I've dug the neds over and added some manure, Cleaned it and now I wait!

No - it’s slabbed with staging down one side and pots designed for tomato’s and cucumbers down the other (I have 5 of those). No beds.

Congratulations on your greenhouse, they’re a joy! I’ve started lots of things in my greenhouse and they’re doing ok, despite low temperatures.
In the day it reaches quite high temps, mines 32 at the moment. You could transfer your seedlings and if your worried cover them with fleece or bubble wrap at night. Seedlings left in the house too long grow leggy and weak.
Enjoy the wonders of you greenhouse.

Thanks @Beebumble2.

It’s being painted today. It’s a nice sage green colour. We are in rural Staffordshire and at the moment it’s only 16c in there. However I will be brave and move the small things out there and bring them back in at dark. The temps look to be rising in the next week so I think I’ll feel more confident then - as you say it’s clear they will go leggy within another week or two.

Will my tomatoes be okay overnight? This is how big they are...

My husband bought paraffin heaters for our greenhouse, it takes the chill off at night so nothing dies. Might be worth an investment?

That said the kitchen window sills are also covered in seedlings!

Ours has been going up to 40deg during the day once the sun comes out

They look good. I’d probably keep them indoors until next week when the temps are going up next Saturday.

I'm starting seeds in mine at the moment, anything that doesn't want higher temperatures for germination. It's also still full of tender overwintering plants. And there's a comfy chair, so it's a bright refuge for sunny days when the temperature is still below reasonable human temperature (like today, when our watching of village cricket was terminated by a snow storm)

My tomatoes, cucumbers and yesterday I planted runner beans and dumpling squash which are all in the house. A lot of people start plants off this way. My greenhouse has bubble wrap fixed to the inside to provide extra insulation. I have other seeds germinating in there, more squash, courgette, sunflowers, beetroot, khol rabi and leeks.

If you are on Facebook there is a page Allotment and Vegetable Growers and any question no matter how dull it is gets answered by knowledgeable people.

A tip someone on there mentioned a while back is to get a clay/terracotta pot with a hole in it and place a tea light under there during the night as it warms up the pot to give off heat. I don't know if it works or not but last night I tried it. I think my pot was too big and my tealight too small and there was no way I was going to stand in my greenhouse in my pj's at 1am to see if it was warm in there

Thank you all I think I just need to be patient until Saturday as here the temps will go up to lows of 5 overnight which is better.

Can I just take things straight from the house to the greenhouse, without hardening off like I would do if they are going outdoors? Assumed the shock of going to lows of 5c might not be good but they are quite ‘big’ now.

@Mykittensmittens

Thank you all I think I just need to be patient until Saturday as here the temps will go up to lows of 5 overnight which is better.

Can I just take things straight from the house to the greenhouse, without hardening off like I would do if they are going outdoors? Assumed the shock of going to lows of 5c might not be good but they are quite ‘big’ now.

Probably not, if your greenhouse is unheated. Your greenhouse will warm up during the day and hold the heat into the night, but it will lose heat and by early morning won't be much different in temperature from the outside. The advantage of an unheated greenhouse over winter is 1) good light compared to a windowsill 2) warmer for most of the 24 hour period, even if it does get down almost as low as the outside for some of the night. 3) no wind chill