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So I have three totes with little rows of lettuce/Swiss chard/salad mix in each one. They're only about a week and a half old, so they're still fragile but have cotyledon and are working on the first true leaves. BUT it got colder than I was expecting and I don't really have a place to warm up the plants AND get them access to warmth. How do I heat my plants where they are by spending the least money possible?

Throsby
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  • This is outdoors? Are they frost damaged? – J. Musser Apr 05 '17 at 00:04
  • @J.Musser indoors, no – Throsby Apr 05 '17 at 00:19
  • As I recall, I used to sow all of these outdoors, early in the spring when temperatures dropped to 40 F or lower at night. They are cool season plants. I'm assuming you have a heated house/ – J. Musser Apr 05 '17 at 00:32
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    @J.Musser okay, this would suggest to me that I've just been overwatering them. The answer to this question seems to be valuable to Gardening though – Throsby Apr 05 '17 at 00:43
  • Any chance you could post a picture? – J. Musser Apr 05 '17 at 00:44
  • @throsby - why do you need to provide additional warmth when they are indoors. I am assuming the seeds have already germinated – JStorage Apr 05 '17 at 00:55
  • I should be clear and say that I'm looking for the answer to the general question that I'm asking. They have all germinated, however my house is VERY poorly insulated and the plants are on the ground, so they're a a little chilly compared to what is normally "indoor" temperatures. (They're just hardened?) I can supply a picture, however, I don't have good light in that room at night (I literally don't have money to buy lights for that room, hence the question and part of why I'm growing basic food stuffs in my apartment) – Throsby Apr 05 '17 at 03:53
  • Once they have germinated, these plants would all prefer to be quite cool, relative to normal interior household temperatures. But they do want a lot of light. – Ecnerwal Apr 05 '17 at 16:40

2 Answers2

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I think you don't need to warm up them, just protect them from cold weather:

  • you can move them near a south wall: now the sun shine most of the time, so a wall will sto heat and give it back on the shorter nights

  • you can store them in the garage at night

  • you can build a small temporary wood wall in the direction of predominant wind (if you are in a windy place).

  • Some plastic cover or hay could also help, maybe two layers: one on the ground for humidity and roots, and one on the cool days (or only on the night) on top of plant. If you use it only on night or very dark days, a non-transparent cover is better. This will help keeping the stored heat.

Giacomo Catenazzi
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Since the seeds have already germinated, I would be less worried about heat and focus on getting the plants enough light. You can move them closer to a window so they get light during the day. Alternatively, you may want to consider taking a lamp from some other location and putting it close to the plants so they get some light.

JStorage
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