So I've been having a hell of a time hardening off. My first attempt killed 2 non-YBS that were planted same time, etc. YBS were all troopers and kept going. Then we hit more 40 and below night temps, and they just were restrained to the screened in back porch with ceiling fan running during the day. Now we've had an instant jump to low 50s in the AM and daytime temps in low 90s. I started to pot up one of my better looking plants to a 7-gal while trying to harden off, and everyone went hopelessly limp on me, I panicked, threw the YBS into the pot that I was still in the process of filling, leaving it in probably only 5gal of mix.
Â
I thought it was done for sure, and that I'd killed 3 of my best looking plants. They sprung back up, though, with the one I repotted taking what seemed like an eternity to look somewhat normal again.
Yep, incredibly under-filled. And now it's growing at a funny angle. I thought I had taken a pic of it before moving, as well as in it's totally limp state, but I apparently didn't. This was taken today.
Â
Â
These are the other YBS, with exception to the runt in the middle-left that is a mystery pepper. Top left is the runt YBS that had sat in a Jiffy pellet until that day. This pic is from about 2 weeks ago, before I nearly killed them all.
Â
This perhaps is the best looking, though, taken earlier today also, and is the biggest of them from the previous pic. The runt on the left is the evidence of me nearly killing them, with it's single leaf.
Â
Same from nearly the same angle (because I didn't think much), with my hand for some reference. Because I can't find my tape measure. Because my son took it to space his random veggie seeds.
Not that my hand is the greatest reference.
I wear a size 4 wedding band, so I have small hands. I am a giant with giant hands, everyone watch out, these things are hee-yooogge! (
I do love how huge these leaves are, though)
Â
I'm near giving up and letting them be porch peppers. I don't know how my patience or nerves will hold up to trying to harden off again, as hot as it is getting already. (I mean they are being kept in my fancy shade house. Yeah.)