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Hardening off

mmcdermott1

mmcdermott1

Hi all,
Im sure this is already in the forum but im running out of daylight hours so don't have time to search it out. As you know, my plants have all been in the basement in the indoor greenhouses. I have taken them out to the outdoor greenhouse a few times for a few hours. Its actually been nice today and I have had all my plants in the outdoor greenhouse since about 3..its now 7:30pm. My question is, it's only supposed to get down to around 59 tonight and inside the greenhouse would be a few degrees higher. At night in my basement it gets down to that so they are use to that. Would it hurt to let them stay in the greenhouse all night tonight or is that to much?

My thoughts are, its not really "outside" so didn't think it would really be considered hardening off. Just don't want to stun my plants.

Any quick and accurate thoughts would be very much appreciated!

Thanks
 
Like you said it's going to be a few degrees warmer in there so I think they'll be just fine. I'm still getting temps at night down to the 20s. Do you want to trade?
 
mmcdermott1 said:
Hi all,
Im sure this is already in the forum but im running out of daylight hours so don't have time to search it out. As you know, my plants have all been in the basement in the indoor greenhouses. I have taken them out to the outdoor greenhouse a few times for a few hours. Its actually been nice today and I have had all my plants in the outdoor greenhouse since about 3..its now 7:30pm. My question is, it's only supposed to get down to around 59 tonight and inside the greenhouse would be a few degrees higher. At night in my basement it gets down to that so they are use to that. Would it hurt to let them stay in the greenhouse all night tonight or is that to much?

My thoughts are, its not really "outside" so didn't think it would really be considered hardening off. Just don't want to stun my plants.

Any quick and accurate thoughts would be very much appreciated!

Thanks
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Quick? -yes Accurate? No- using my first greenhouse this year.


'Tis the same question that is on my mind. I just put my 'greenhouse' together today.

I'm just going to test a few of my less valuable plants in there for the next 4-5 days and see what happens. Night time temps could reach as low as 47F here in a couple of days.

I wouldn't worry at all about 59 deg.
 
Dude, sounds like greenhouse prime time to me! Let the teenagers do an overnighter!

FWIW, I've subjected my test C. Annuums in my soft greenhouse to a whole lot colder than that (around 40F) and they barely blink. Bounce back real fast with the warmth of the gh next day.

My over-winter plants have been in there with temps down to 35F. Bigger pots help them, I think, as it is the soil temp more important than air temp.
 
SuperHot said:
Like you said it's going to be a few degrees warmer in there so I think they'll be just fine. I'm still getting temps at night down to the 20s. Do you want to trade?
Click to expand...

quick answer.....HELL NO... :)
been waiting for a night thats warmer than 20 for 6 months :)
 
Let them outside.If they are still hardening remember when the sun comes up. Sleeping in may end up too much for them if they aren't hardened enough.
 
I think you will be alright letting them camp out in the greenhouse. If they are right around 60* F or so, you should be fine. Tough love brother, tough love...
 
yea..in the morning...if sun is out..it gets to around 100 degrees in there QUICK :)
luckily i have little kids that seem to not understand the thing about sleeping in..i'll be up by 7am :)
 
put them in your outside greenhouse and tell them sink of swim, it's their choice...tough love makes tough plants...

my seedlings have been outside for about a month now with temps dipping to 34 and they seem no worse for the wear...

pepper plants are hard to kill...the easiest way to kill a pepper plant is to love them to death...
 
I wouldn't think twice about putting them out, they should be fine even down to the mid 40's with out any real damage as long as it stays frost free. The direct sunlight is more of a factor than the heat or cold. I've just placed some of my plants out for the last few days under a few layers of lace cloth and it keeps them from burnning with temps from the low 50's to high 70's.
 
OK, that settles it for me. 15 plants going outside tomorrow!


I've re-purposed my 4'x8'x6' dog kennel into a greenhouse using clear poly and lots of duct tape.

Last year it was a woodshed. But, I think I've been bitten by the pepper bug.

Would you agree?

Greenhouse - check.

85 seedlings - check.

ProMix - check.

4 types of ferts/nutirients - check.
Purchased dried bhut jolokias for a taste test. Scraped out the seeds to see if they were viable. They were! :dance:

Obsession with internet pepper porn. - check.
 
mmcdermott1 said:
yea..in the morning...if sun is out..it gets to around 100 degrees in there QUICK :)
luckily i have little kids that seem to not understand the thing about sleeping in..i'll be up by 7am :)
Click to expand...


I hear ya brother!!

We can't seem to make it past 7:00 AM over here either!! :violin:
 
MisterBigglesworth said:
OK, that settles it for me. 15 plants going outside tomorrow!


I've re-purposed my 4'x8'x6' dog kennel into a greenhouse using clear poly and lots of duct tape.

Last year it was a woodshed. But, I think I've been bitten by the pepper bug.

Would you agree?

Greenhouse - check.

85 seedlings - check.

ProMix - check.

4 types of ferts/nutirients - check.
Purchased dried bhut jolokias for a taste test. Scraped out the seeds to see if they were viable. They were! :dance:

Obsession with internet pepper porn. - check.
Click to expand...



O – ya, you got the pepper fever real bad!!
 
All of my plants including the 4ft tall 7 Pod Brain Strain plants are spending their very first night out in the new greenhouse I finished assembling today. Lots of clouds tomorrow, so hardening off should not be a issue. Low 40s tonight, daytime highs around mid to low 50s for the next week. Shock them good now, make hotter peppers later........... :fire:
 
I try to keep my greenhouse around 10C+(50F) at night but it often gets much lower even with the woodstove cranked.
Remember to also harden off your plants outdoors for wind
 
POTAWIE said:
I try to keep my greenhouse around 10C+(50F) at night but it often gets much lower even with the woodstove cranked.
Remember to also harden off your plants outdoors for wind
Click to expand...

been blowing the hell out of them with fans for about a month so hopefully the wind isn't as big of a shock when they go into the ground :)
 
I don't think a fan can really replicate the coolness, dryness, and strength of the wind. I like to slowly introduce plants to any new environment
 
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