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Gardening

Greenhouse heat horror

(14 Posts)
singingnutty Tue 19-Jul-22 15:38:15

It’s 40 in the shade here (North Notts) and we’re inside but when I went to pick greenhouse tomatoes I discovered that my lovely Sungolds were actually cooking on the plant! We’ve thrown a tarpaulin over the roof and I’ve misted in there but I suppose only time (and a cooler tomorrow) will tell if they have survived. I am wondering if I should pick them in tonight and cook them properly. Any advice please? TIA

Esspee Tue 19-Jul-22 16:02:27

My gut reaction is to cook and freeze the fruits and drench the greenhouse floor.

Jaxjacky Tue 19-Jul-22 16:32:32

Not ventured into mine since early, but we’ve had only 33.
I do drench the floor regularly.
I’d cook them.

J52 Tue 19-Jul-22 16:34:05

It’s always a good idea to put shading over the greenhouse in summer. Ours is simple green close netting, fixed to battens.
Spraying the floor also helps. We leave full watering cans in there, ready for later.

aggie Tue 19-Jul-22 17:46:45

I’ve got green net shading on the greenhouse and it still reaches the high 30s I think the weather we had it needed external shading

NotSpaghetti Tue 19-Jul-22 17:50:33

I'd splash out on one of those thin silver survival "blankets" and cover it with that.
Pick anything cooking, obviously

RichmondPark1 Tue 19-Jul-22 17:56:32

Crikey that's hot. I'd pick them and cook them., but I'd also leave a few on the plants to see what happens to them. That way you'll know what to do for the best if it happens again. If you do that, could you please let us know the outcome.

Gin Tue 19-Jul-22 18:06:30

I have not dared venture out, it was 44 here. Heaven knows what it reached in the unshaded greenhouse. My hydrangea outside the window looks dreadful, all the petals and leaves crumpled up. My beautiful garden, will many blooms survive I wonder?

HowVeryDareYou Tue 19-Jul-22 18:15:23

My dad used to put something on the panes of his greenhouse (it was painted on and left to dry) to keep too much sun from getting through.

Aldom Tue 19-Jul-22 18:29:42

A family member has painted conservatory and Velux windows with whitewash.

aggie Tue 19-Jul-22 18:42:37

When I had a glass greenhouse I painted it with whitewash , but the one I have now is Polycarbonate so I don’t know if it would do harm

Gin Tue 19-Jul-22 20:08:42

Just been outside 34 now and done some watering. The greenhouse looks OK. I have my tomato plants and peppers in gravel trays which I filled with water last night . It seems to have worked. Flowers in tubs are somewhat frazzled. Guess what it has started to rain!

lixy Tue 19-Jul-22 20:36:53

NotSpaghetti

I'd splash out on one of those thin silver survival "blankets" and cover it with that.
Pick anything cooking, obviously

These blankets are really cheap - 2 for £1 in the pound shops here.

You could lay the tomatoes out in a single layer in the sun tomorrow - your own sun-dried delicacies.

My garden is frazzled. crispy leaves all over the lawn where they have been blown off the trees. Autumn come early?

singingnutty Tue 19-Jul-22 23:11:01

Thanks for all your advice. I picked the ripe ones which were obviously ‘cooked’ and I hope the ones which were not quite ripe will survive. I roasted the ones I picked with olive oil and herbs and will freeze them tomorrow. The lettuces in the raised beds are looking better after a watering tonight and the runner beans seem to have survived but the hydrangeas in the front garden are looking awful. What a day! Our neighbour gets up at 5 each morning to water but I don’t think we could manage that. I suppose it makes sense though.