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Easier to harden off come springtime with some UV chips on my LED?

BSH

BSH

I'm just wondering if it will make any difference hardening my plants off this year after making the switch from T5HO lights last year?  The LED I bought has one or two UV chips on it and the plants look visibly heartier than they did last year.  When I bought it, it was for sure a selling point for me as were the IR chips.  Going from T5s was very laborious and the really shady spot I chose for them turned out to be terrible as there was a giant hole in the tree's canopy that let in pure sunlight for a few hrs a day (unbeknownst to me) until I came back to my parents' farm to find nearly every plant roasted with no leaves left on it.  It was a huge setback and one I am not going to repeat now that I have all my plants at my new house this year and I can watch them every day.
 
Any help on the topic would be greatly appreciated and obviously the UV from my light is low but I figure it's better than nothing! :pray:
 
nothing can match the sun and the wind ,  buy you a 30 % sun block net , i hang some cheap white sheets in my greenhouse ,     :party:
 
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moruga welder said:
nothing can match the sun and the wind ,  buy you a 30 % sun block net , i hang some cheap white sheets in my greenhouse ,     :party:
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A white sheet eh?  I might just try that.  Thanks bro!
 
@BSH,
 
Sorry to hear about your plants dieing, but I wonder if it was purely the sunlight? 
 
My plants get direct full sun from sunrise until around between 4:30 - 6:00 P.M., depending on where they are located. So, some get nearly 12 hours a day. I have not had any get damaged by the sun. I do, however, make sure they are watered nearly every day, unless it rains.
 
Zone 6, by the way.
 
alkhall said:
@BSH,
 
Sorry to hear about your plants dieing, but I wonder if it was purely the sunlight? 
 
My plants get direct full sun from sunrise until around between 4:30 - 6:00 P.M., depending on where they are located. So, some get nearly 12 hours a day. I have not had any get damaged by the sun. I do, however, make sure they are watered nearly every day, unless it rains.
 
Zone 6, by the way.
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This was when I first brought them outside last year...I put them in what I thought was full shade to harden them off slowly but sun got through and they were brand new, fresh from under the lights so they got absolutely fried.  I am not the best at that stage of the process and am looking for people's best tips!   :party:  
 
I'm in zone 10b and I had to google what hardening off was
I've always just moved them outside into a big pot when they get the first set of leaves. Never had any problems, even when it gets to +100F
 
They are on my balcony which is west facing and get sun from 2pm - 9pm
 
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Powelly said:
I'm in zone 10b and I had to google what hardening off was
I've always just moved them outside into a big pot when they get the first set of leaves. Never had any problems, even when it gets to +100F
 
They are on my balcony which is west facing and get sun from 2pm - 9pm
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Lucky!
 
UV LED's don't have the UV-A or UV-B wavelengths that burns plants. So they may or may not benefit the plants but wouldn't aid in hardening off.
 
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Your plan of starting them off with dappled light and shade is sound.  But, yea, you really do have to plan the spot where you'll put them out.  On a weekend day, when you'll be around, make a point to go inspect the potential site at least once an hour.  If your shade tree, building, whatever has 'holes,' you'll find out before catastrophe can strike!
 
I don't think a few UV LEDs can simulate the scorching sun and horribly hot, dry wind that a new plant faces on it's first day out of the grow-box.
 
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I use a 180w UV LED. It doesn't help with hardening them off. I've burned the bejesus out of my plants more times than I care to admit. If you catch it early it doesn't hurt the plant, but it sure bruises my growers pride.

Neil
 
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BSH said:
This was when I first brought them outside last year...I put them in what I thought was full shade to harden them off slowly but sun got through and they were brand new, fresh from under the lights so they got absolutely fried.  I am not the best at that stage of the process and am looking for people's best tips!   :party:  
Click to expand...
 
I misunderstood, I now realize you were asking about hardening off.
 
My method (and I have not lost a single seedling over the last four years):
 
I wait until afternoon temperatures are consistently mid-60°F or higher, usually first or second week of May, and it is not storming (a very light rain or mist is OK).
 
At this point, the plants typically are 4 - 6 inches, with five to seven sets of true leaves, in three inch pots.
 
The first day, in the afternoon, I place the trays with pots on a patio table, out of direct sunlight for about three hours, then bring them back inside under the lights.
 
Day two, I repeat.
 
Day three, I place them in direct sun for about an hour, then move them into the shade for another couple hours, and then back inside.
 
Days four through eight, I try to increase their exposure to direct sunlight a half hour per day, of course keeping them well hydrated, and watching for sunburn. They continue to brought back inside during the night.
 
I have an area where I can position them to receive a maximum of six hours of direct sun each day, from around 8:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M.
 
Once I see they are tolerating direct sun for six hours, and if nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F, they stay outside until plant-out, usually the last week of May, unless storms with heavy rain and strong winds occur.
 
So, careful attention for two or three weeks should prevent any damage.
 
Of course, this is all dependent on the weather. and I will not put them out/leave them out if the temperatures drop below 50°F.
 
alkhall said:
 
I misunderstood, I now realize you were asking about hardening off.
 
My method (and I have not lost a single seedling over the last four years):
 
I wait until afternoon temperatures are consistently mid-60°F or higher, usually first or second week of May, and it is not storming (a very light rain or mist is OK).
 
At this point, the plants typically are 4 - 6 inches, with five to seven sets of true leaves, in three inch pots.
 
The first day, in the afternoon, I place the trays with pots on a patio table, out of direct sunlight for about three hours, then bring them back inside under the lights.
 
Day two, I repeat.
 
Day three, I place them in direct sun for about an hour, then move them into the shade for another couple hours, and then back inside.
 
Days four through eight, I try to increase their exposure to direct sunlight a half hour per day, of course keeping them well hydrated, and watching for sunburn. They continue to brought back inside during the night.
 
I have an area where I can position them to receive a maximum of six hours of direct sun each day, from around 8:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M.
 
Once I see they are tolerating direct sun for six hours, and if nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F, they stay outside until plant-out, usually the last week of May, unless storms with heavy rain and strong winds occur.
 
So, careful attention for two or three weeks should prevent any damage.
 
Of course, this is all dependent on the weather. and I will not put them out/leave them out if the temperatures drop below 50°F.
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I will give that a shot! Thanks for the advice. I'm hoping this year is smooth as last year my plants healed and started putting out pods in July (went outside in end of May). They started to ripen at the start of August so that was quite the setback. Such a crucial stage!
 
I reckon I am about 200 miles south of you.
 
I plant-out the end of May, usually sometime between the 20th and the 31st, depending on the weather forecast.
 
I see pod development starting in July, and have the best pod production in September through early October. I usually get first killing frost early November.
 
If you get good production throughout August, I would say that is about right, and not a real setback at all.
 
Good luck with your grow this season, and post lots of pics.
 
 
It seems a lot of people just refer to sunlight when hardening off their plants.  I am fairly new to growing as it is only my 2nd year but it seems there are more factors. 
 
~Sun
~Temperature
~Humidity
~Wind
~Smog?
~Type of plant
 
My first year last year, I had a terrible time trying to harden my plants off due to the funky weather.  It would be chilly one day, hot the next, humid, windy, etc...  It seems to me the more you can toughen your plants up indoors via Oscillating Fans, Strong lighting, hotter temps, etc.. the easier they will harden.  Seems the time frame on hardening them off depends on many factors.
 
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