This post may containaffiliate links , which means that I may receive a delegation if you make a purchase using these tie-in . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualify purchases .
If you grow your own seedlings indoors under light , or if you buy transplantation from a nursery greenhouse , you will need to acclimate your seedlings before transfer them into the garden . This adjustment cognitive process is called “ Hardening Off . ” Here is how to harden off seedlings .
harden off is the appendage of accommodate flora to the outside , so they can get used to sunshine , breaking wind , rain , cool night , and less frequent lacrimation and fertilizing . The hardening off period tolerate your seedling to transition from the well-to-do growing condition under lights or in a tender greenhouse to the normal conditions they will experience in the garden .
tolerate at least a calendar week to indurate off seedlings before transplant to the garden . Depending on the weather , sometimes two week are necessary . Be patient and you will be rewarded with healthy , strong plants that will adapt quickly and start growing .
Why Should You Harden Off Seedlings?
Sunlight is stronger than grow visible light and can sting foliage if the seedlings are placed in the verbatim Lord’s Day . visible light picnic can sap your plant ’ moisture and cause weak stems to bust . Cooler nighttime temperature may stunt ontogeny or even kill a seedling that is not used to it . Gradual exposure to the extraneous element allows the plants to toughen up and adjust to being alfresco .
Steps to Harden Off Your Transplants:
The solidifying off catamenia allows your plants to aline to conditions they will have in the garden . denote to your seed starting and planting agenda , check out the weather condition , and perform these actions to indurate off your transplanting :
Step 1: Begin hardening off your plants
About a week or two before your transplant escort , place your plants outside in a protect spot for a few hr on the first day . Your seedlings require some protection from wind instrument and Sunday during their first time of day outside .
I care to post my seedlings on a terrace table under an umbrella to shade off them from the Lord’s Day . The table is settle in an area near the sign that is also protected from harsh lead . Let your plants continue outside for a few hr , then convey them back inside .
Keep an centre on the weather during the curing off flow . temperature can drop to untimely levels quickly , and high malarkey can destroy tender foliation and knock over seedling trays . Watch the weather for other - time of year Robert Lee Frost or unsettled conditions and bring graft indoors until the weather hark back to normal .
Step 2: Increase outdoor exposure each day
step by step increase the amount of clip that the seedlings spend outside to allow the plant to adjust . carry on to harden off seedling by moving the plants outdoors while temperatures are warm and then back inside at nighttime when the temperature is coolheaded .
I normally add a couple of hr each day as long as long the weather cooperates . modify the nuance or move the seedlings to a location that receive dawn or evening sun , so they are exposed to a little more sun each day . countenance the seedling to experience aristocratic piece of cake . Even filtrate sunshine and light breeze can deplete your plants ’ moisture . Check on them frequently and give them enough urine , so they do not wilt .
Step 3: Leave seedlings outside overnight
finally , grant your plants to appease in full Lord’s Day and outside overnight as long as night temperature do not drop below freezing . If it is going to get below freezing move the plant indoors . Resume the set off process once temperatures riposte to normal weather .
nerveless season crops such as broccoli , Brussels sprout , cabbage , Apium graveolens dulce , lettuce , onion , Petroselinum crispum , pea , spinach , Swiss chard , and other hardy greens can tolerate low nighttime temperatures of around 45 ° F once they have had time to adjust . clean frost wo n’t harm these seedling after these are hardened off .
Warm - season crops such as tomatoes , peppers , Solanum melongena , melons , cucumbers , and some herbs prefer warm dark , at least 60 ° F . They ca n’t put up below - freezing temperature , even after the seedlings are harden off . So continue to bring indoors if night remain cool .
Steps to Transplant Seedlings to the Garden
After your seedlings are inure off , they are quick to be transplanted into their lasting position in the garden .
take a nebulose day with no wind and transplant in the belated good afternoon or eventide to give your plants meter to adjust without the additional challenge of the Lord’s Day .
featherbed your newly planted seedlings frequently until they become established . You may see some wilting the first day , but plants should quickly perk up . And while some may adjust just ok and not require any special care , others may require auxiliary tearing .
Also supervise temperatures carefully ; unexpected temperature dips are rarified but do happen , and you may need to cover some plants to protect them .
—
Hardening off is an important footmark to shorten stress on your plants . If you indurate off seedlings properly , they will be solid and able to withstand full sun , calorie-free pushover , bounce rains , and fluctuating temperature . Once graft to the garden , the plant ’s Department of Energy will be focused on establishing roots and growing rather than surviving .
You May Also Like :
Good planning is key to a successful vegetable garden
Whether you are newfangled to grow your own food or have been acquire a vegetable garden for yr , you will benefit from some planning each class . You will see everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook , Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden .
