Seedlings in winter

Hi Everyone

My first post! Gentle please, I am a very much a beginner as I'm sure you will see..

I got myself one of those little greenhouses in spring, one of the ones with just 4 shelves in, zips straight up shut, 5 foot tall. All was well, mixture of seedlings I put in were happy, then I went away and they got over watered while I was gone and I failed at rescuing them :( Anyway... I put some hot poker seeds out in the late summer, not many as I wasn't expecting much it being so late on. They've grown though and are shooting up a good few inches!

I don't know what to do now the weather is getting cold though. I don't think I can bring them in as I put them widely spaced out in a big tray in the greenhouse which I'm going to struggle to put some where in doors - and I think the cat would have a munch on them too. (She is currently sampling cacti, nothing is beyond her!)

What can/should I do if I have to leave them in the greenhouse?

Thank you
Shell

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

Our red hot poker expert Armandii will be along in a bit to answer that

 

Cheers!

I'll add some more thoughts that I've been mulling over...

There aren't that many shoots and they aren't crowded, at the moment at least there is plenty of space between them, in this one big tray. Should I be leaving them in there for winter or move to little pots? Also, sorry, complete newbie question I've not been sure about, should I be just carefully removing just the shoot (most are a couple of inches now!) or taking soil with it? Can the first damage it and the 2nd protect it.. or?

 

Hello and welcome. Sorry, I have no worthy advice on this, but I'm sure others will

 

I hate doing this (bumping threads) but any advice at all, would very much be appreciated please!

 

Dunno about Red Hot Poker specifically, but I take the view that small seedlings / plants are best mollycoddled over their first winter. For me that means just putting them in the (unheated) conservatory; that has a minimum winter temperature of no less than 0C and rarely that low, plus it keeps the rain off them; I only water very infrequently.

I would not subject them to indoor temperatures though.

Failing that cart them into the garage if there is prolonged cold - if the nigh temperatures is below -5C or if the day temperature will not rise above 0C. Biggest risk with plants in pots is that the soil freezes (cold air all around a pot of course), and then the plant can't drink. Flower beds can freeze too, but usually only the top couple of inches, and (established) plants will have their roots down deeper. They won't suffer some several days of no light (no worse than being covered with snow for a week in that regard), so better that than being frozen solid. Put them back outside if the day looks like being mild-ish.

But it could be that Red Hot Poker is hard enough not to need any of that TLC.

 

I'm also of the same view; any young plants even if hardy I usually overwinter in a coldframe or cold greenhouse just to give them that bit of protection through their first winter; also lets them get growing quicker and stronger in the spring I believe, then when you plant them out they establish better...

Welcome to Gardener's Corner by the way