Hardening off - Sudden temp. drop

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Have never seen the temperature turn the way it did the other day.  Put some trays out to start hardening off.  Went to store.  Cold front came in with light rain.  More of a mist really.  Came home, everything in the trays was drooped, next day I have a couple trays of green sticks.  They look like they experienced a light frost even though the temp never dropped below the 50s.

Temps in my grow room are 80s, so I am going with sudden temperature changes are as dangerous to young plants as low temperatures.
 
ajdrew said:
Have never seen the temperature turn the way it did the other day.  Put some trays out to start hardening off.  Went to store.  Cold front came in with light rain.  More of a mist really.  Came home, everything in the trays was drooped, next day I have a couple trays of green sticks.  They look like they experienced a light frost even though the temp never dropped below the 50s.

Temps in my grow room are 80s, so I am going with sudden temperature changes are as dangerous to young plants as low temperatures.
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same here , weather is very unstable , ready to plant , but can't harden them off much , with no sun .
 
Mine came back in under lights cause the sun hasn't shown itself in a week with mid 40's and rain. Next week dont look good either. Warmer temps but thunderstorms all week.
 
The thing that was really screwed was that they were on their way to a poly tunnel where I hang shade when I need it and remove it when it is overcast and raining.  I set them down, got distracted and went to store.  After I left, I thought naw.... a couple hours cant hurt them.  Wrong.  There are other plants, some the same variety, already in the ground.  After hardening off, they didnt mind the sudden temperature change at all.

I have to figure that going from day temperature to night temperature is slow enough that dont mind, but grow room to lower temperatures bad.  They will come back, but they will be way late.
 
Know what you mean. Hail storms and flooding knocked me down. A lot of rebuild for next year and late starting on peppers and tomatoes. As much as I hate to I'll be overwintering just to get a head start on next year. It's not a total bust (been there) but it's not what I had intended the season to be.
 
With all these crazy weather fluctuations I have still not planted anything out yet. Getting cramped in the grow tent but just don't want to chance it for another week or two hopefully!!!

I do take them out in the evening for the remnants of sunlight to get a little shot of weakened sunshine but I don't leave them alone yet ;)
 
Most of mine went outdoors on 5-5-16. They are sheltered from sum and hail by the shade cloth. will harden off in about a week to a week and a half.
 
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Capcom, that is about what I do.  Last year, I used the car port.  This year, I hung black plastic in the poly tunnel to make one side perpetually shaded.  Problem was, I was on my way there, got distracted and left a couple trays out.  Figured back in a couple hours, what is the harm on a cloudy day.  Woops.
 
RobbyJoe, if you are seed saving or have a low dollar source for seed, do what I do.  I plant what I plant to grow, let them get up and out the ground, then put in back up plants.  If I screw up the first wave, the next comes along in the nick of time.
 
ajdrew said:
Capcom, that is about what I do.  Last year, I used the car port.  This year, I hung black plastic in the poly tunnel to make one side perpetually shaded.  Problem was, I was on my way there, got distracted and left a couple trays out.  Figured back in a couple hours, what is the harm on a cloudy day.  Woops.
 
RobbyJoe, if you are seed saving or have a low dollar source for seed, do what I do.  I plant what I plant to grow, let them get up and out the ground, then put in back up plants.  If I screw up the first wave, the next comes along in the nick of time.
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OK, I understand.
In my situation, I have to hand carry 2 plants at a time upstairs and outside to the containment area. virtually no chance of getting sidetracked with plants in harms way.
 
CAPCOM said:
I love hardening them off with out direct sun. they still get all the UV intensity just seems to be less harsh.
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your right there ,  i have mine hardened off in the greenhouse , with white sheets ,  last year was much warmer at this time ,  just crappy weather on the cool side ,  
 
Had my plants out for the first time today....about 9 hours in shaded light....17-20 degrees Celsius today.....getting cold tonight so they are back in the house till tomorrow afternoon.
 
Fingers crossed and hoping that next year I start in an insulated green house.  Hardening off is always a pain in the rear.  That and climbing stairs from the grow room in the basement is not something I am very good at anymore.
 
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