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Hardening off question
- Thread starter Rymerpt
- Start date
Yes, you should harden them off. Right now your plants are used to the constant humidity of your home. They need to develop a cuticle on their leaves to prevent desiccation. The also need to gradually get used the the different spectrum of radiation emitted by the sun. UV will burn them if you just throw them out under it.
There is a lot for a weak, wimpy indoor-coddled plant to get used to in the great outdoors. It's just too much to take in all at once. If you just put them outside permanently right away, their growth will stall and maybe make them more susceptible to disease/pests, among other ailments. Good luck!
There is a lot for a weak, wimpy indoor-coddled plant to get used to in the great outdoors. It's just too much to take in all at once. If you just put them outside permanently right away, their growth will stall and maybe make them more susceptible to disease/pests, among other ailments. Good luck!
Well said dash2+1^^
Rypert as far as a harding off plan, here is one that has worked for me in the past
Place them in indirect sunlight outside where they will get some wind but not alot (right next to your house foundation is a good place). Then bring them inside to a place that gets indirect sunlight most of the day like a counter or table. Continue placing them outside in in-direct sunlight every day for 7 days. Each day add 1-1.5 hrs. After a week they will be ready for the real sunlight.
Im trying something new this year since I have alot of plants, and so far its working pretty good. I brought my plants up out of the basement and put them in my garage. There they get indirect sun all day long, (some get real sunlight for about a half hour or so from the window) but they get no wind, so I will open the garage door about half way for a few hours each day. No problems yet but the real test will be once i plant out.
Good luck!
Rypert as far as a harding off plan, here is one that has worked for me in the past
Place them in indirect sunlight outside where they will get some wind but not alot (right next to your house foundation is a good place). Then bring them inside to a place that gets indirect sunlight most of the day like a counter or table. Continue placing them outside in in-direct sunlight every day for 7 days. Each day add 1-1.5 hrs. After a week they will be ready for the real sunlight.
Im trying something new this year since I have alot of plants, and so far its working pretty good. I brought my plants up out of the basement and put them in my garage. There they get indirect sun all day long, (some get real sunlight for about a half hour or so from the window) but they get no wind, so I will open the garage door about half way for a few hours each day. No problems yet but the real test will be once i plant out.
Good luck!
beerbreath81 said:
That's kind of how I do it, too. I let the sun's movement through the sky limit how much exposure my plants get. At first they go out on our (east-facing) porch . This way they only get sun for a short time before they're in the shadow of the roof over the porch. Later, I put them on the steps up to the porch on the east side of the house so they get a little more exposure before the sun disappears over the roof. Over the course of a week or so, every day I place the plants a little further into the yard away from the house so they get more and more afternoon sun each day.
I have had really good results with this method for years. Now if it would just warm up enough so I could start hardening. I don't think it's even going to break 50 today.
That's a misconception about our state. We have lots of cold and snow in Northern CA but southern, CA can be warm most of the year.miguelovic said:What, ideal growing all year round ain't special enough for ya?
