hardening off seedlings

[seedcorn]

Here is where I fail. I've got them up, look good (for me that is), now how do I harden them off so that they can take the sun? Is it the sun that gets them or the fact they aren't used ot any wind? or both?

I would never make it in horticulture with seedlings.

 

[lesa]

I always say the hardest part about growing from seed is the hardening off. Number one- it requires patience (which all gardeners seem to lack!) You have got to have a spot that is shaded and protected. The sun will bleach and kill a seedling and the wind will tear it to pieces, or break it's stem...
Carry them in and out a dozen times, when the temps are reasonable and the winds not too strong. In a week or so, you will have plants ready for the garden! Good luck!

 

[Greenthumb18]

Hardening off isn't too difficult. I myself have a few seedlings that were sunburned, but they managed to get new leaves. You have to put the seedlings outdoors little by little increasing the amount of time spent outdoors until you leave them outdoors all day and night.
In other words you have to slowly adapt them to the outdoor world.
You should spend at least one week of hardening off.


Hope this helps!

 

[digitS']

That's it, Seedcorn.

I like that "dozen times" advise. It seems about right to me.

The "spot" is just that -- I've got 1 spot in my yard. Really, it is only about 6' by 6'.

The idea is that the plants there are protected from strong sun from about 11am until 2pm and then again after 4. A deciduous tree that still has no leaves, provides the shade. The wind protection isn't 100% but not bad.

When they are approaching that proper age, I feel that I can get them out into the morning sun when the temperature is about 10F or so lower than their indoor temperature. In a week, maybe it is 15 - so, it they are at 60 overnight, they can go out when it is 45.

Now, it sounds like I'm all precise about this but that's only for the first week or so - Greenthumb's "little by little."

They've got to get tough so - they might be out in the rain after that 1st week. I also can't keep them in that "sweet spot" for long. There are other plants to move into that small area. They go into the "next best spot" where there's filtered shade only in the afternoon. During the last few days, they may be in the "full sun spot."

Make sure their soil is kept moist. Both sun and wind dries it.

Steve

 

[journey11]

I have found that I am too busy/absent-minded to leave my seedlings anywhere that requires bringing them in and back out. One time forgetting and I'll quickly undo weeks of planning and babying them.

I used to leave them on the steps on the front of my house, just outside my sunroom where I start them. There is no porch, but it only gets the mild morning sun. That was fine, even overnight, in good weather. But too many times I have forgotten about them and they've been washed out and drowned by heavy rain. I don't pass through that spot often and they tend to dry out faster than I expected them to.

I've had better luck this year putting everything out front under the porch that is in front of my garage. I'm bound to pass through there at least once a day to get the mail or get in the car. This spot faces the East, so they get a little morning sun and stay in the shade the rest of the day. They get a little breeze, but the garage gives them a windbreak from the worst winds and they also don't dry out as quickly there. I leave them out there full-time, day and night.

The only thing I monitor is for a predicted overnight freeze, but once it warms up here that seldom happens. That would be the only time I'd bring them in and then I'd just shove them into the garage. This year has been so much easier for me! I've not tortured my seedlings at all this time around.

 

[seedcorn]

thanks everyone. This is my weak link in growing plants.

 

[patandchickens]

FWIW I do things a bit differently (I am too lazy to carry lotsa plants around unless it is really unavoidable )

There are three things you are hardening them off "for" -- temperature, sun exposure and wind/air-movement. All three are important, in the sense that if you screw up on any one of them, the other two become irrelevant b/c your plant is badly damaged or dead.

During times of year when temperature is an issue, I use a coldframe, either located on well-warmed ground right against the brick-faced house, or stuffed with as many filled jugs o' water as I can get in there, or both. (Only experience will teach you how many degrees of frost this will or won't protect your plants against, in your particular setup and situation). When no freeze is going to happen -- or no temps into 30s for more sensitive things like peppers or tropicals -- I don't worry about it and have had no obvious problems over the years.

So, with that thermal buffering if it's needed, I put the plants out initially in full shade (either on E side of house behind cedar hedge, or under big pine tree in front, or in front porch cold frame with something draped completely over it for shade) and with full wind protection (coldframe basically closed, or plants by house wall or under pine tree enclosed in high-sided wooden frame with a coupla layers of old windowscreens on top).

After a day or two, depending on the weather and how fragile the plants seem, I will open things up a little -- open up the cold frame according to weather conditions, remove some or all screens from atop boxes. If it is guaranteed to be all-cloudy weather I will remove most of the shade too; if it is sunny or partly, I am much more cautious. IMO it is better to go too slow than too fast with sun and wind exposure.

I gradually unshade and open the coldframe more and more, and according to the weather move the other plants out of the shelter of their boxes, til they are basically hardened off. The ones beside the house and under the pine may have to get moved to a part-sun location nearby if they are destined for full-sun planting, but since I usually part-shade them with pine boughs or cedar boughs when I transplant them, I don't get too obsessive about getting them into FULL sun before transplanting.

The exact steps and rate really depend hugely on the weather. I am having a "breeze" hardening off some lettuce, spinach and tomatoes this week, because it happens to be mostly cloudy and quite warm. Also windy, but they got used to some air mvmt before the wind started and are in a somewhat sheltered location so that is not really a complication. In very sunny very cold weather it requires more thought and judgement and going slowly.

I am also a big fan of not just plopping them into an open garden and saying 'fly, be free!' when they're transplanted. Most plants, I will either pile some handfuls of tall dead grass all over them (the wind usually removes it gradually over the next few days, or if not, I do) or shelter them with trimmed pine or cedar boughs, and for plants I really care a lot about or realize I'm planting into a bit iffy conditions I will also place a large rock or brick or piece of concrete rubble on the S and/or W sides of them, for thermal ballast and windbreak and to keep the roots moist.

So, there are lots of ways of doing it, but that's basically mine I think the bottom line is to not be in a hurry, not make sudden changes in nighttime low temps OR wind exposure OR sun exposure, and to play it according to the weather.

Pat

 

[ninnymary]

thanks everyone. This is my weak link in growing plants.

Seedcorn..it is my weak link also. Personally I think seed starting is overated. It just takes too much work. I don't really have a good south facing window and don't want to go the route of lights, etc. I guess I'm fortunate that my garden is small and I'm not looking for anything exotic or special. I just buy my starts.

This year I did start butternut squash and yellow zuchini from seeds. The butternut is now in a hugh pot on my deck and doing very well. It didn't look so good after I transplanted it, so I put a few more seeds in the pot.

The yellow zuchini didn't take to the transplant but then I found it for 98 cents. They also had the butternut. Next year, I think I'll just do all starts.

Mary

 

[journey11]

I used to use a cold frame for a couple of years and had to give that up too. Back to that absent-minded thing, I had more trouble with cooking them than freezing them. I'd often forget to prop the window open in the morning! I've found the temp extremes in low tunnels to be a little more forgiving.

I'm really happy with my seed-starting set up now, which has made a big difference for me, working out the "bugs". It does come down to getting the varieties you want, which has made it worth it for me. Most of the varieties I want to grow can't be found around here. For years I wanted to try Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, but I can never find them around here. Mind you, this is a WV born and raised tomato variety! For broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower--the feed stores and nurseries never get them in early enough for my liking. And I do save a lot of money, given the size of my garden. So I put up with a little craziness for a couple of months. It's gotten much better as I've gained some experience and gotten my equipment all worked out.

But yeah, bottom line is break them in easy...

 

[skeeter9]

My gosh, Journey, we must be related!!! I am way too absent minded/busy to look after my seedlings properly. I've killed more than I care to admit. I got lucky this year, though, and only sunburned my babies a little bit, so they are doing fine. I'm thinking there must be an easier way for those of us who are memory-impaired???