I was headed out of town for a few days, and I knew the indoor seedlings were going to be starved for light with grey days in the forecast and no grow lights. I also knew that my cold frames may be no match for the forecast temperatures, 20-something nights and 30-something days. So I split a batch. Six of Fedco's winter mix lettuce plants went out in the cold frame and the other 6 stayed in the house in the sunniest window I have.
After 5 days, here's how they look in the house:
And here's how they look in the cold frame:
Cold frame looks to have less growth overall. No leggy stems, but no second leaves either. And the color of the leaves is changing - that could be fine, this one might be a red-leaf lettuce, or it might mean it got too cold or something.
But either way, neither croaked. I put the leggy ones in the ground in the larger cold frame today... Not sure they will recover, but I have some certainty they won't freeze. Last night the large cold frame reported a low of 23 degrees!!! But I'm not sure that was what the plants experienced. All the carrots, green onions, kale, and collard were upright and waiting for the sun this morning.
I've moved the thermometer to lay on the soil instead of hanging on the wooden wall of the cold frame, that should give me a better idea what the plants are "feeling".
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