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Hardening plants

HotPeppersFlyFishing

HotPeppersFlyFishing

Ok I have a dumb/stupid question.You all know I am a newb at growing so here goes... Today was bright and sunny 68 degrees so I took my plants outside for a few hours(I have done this every warm sunny day). Each time I have the plants looked wilty and not as green but after I bring them back in about an hour later back to normal.Is this common and part of the "Hardening off" process. All tips and info would be great
Thanks again
Tom
 
My Trinidad Scorpion and Tobago Seasoning flopped afer 15 minutes in the sun last weekend so I did everything a little more gradual and they are OK in a full day of sun now.
 
Call me paranoid but I take at least two weeks to harden of my plants. The first week I start of with only morning sun with the first day they get one hour of sun then by the 7th day they are in the sun till noon. Then the second week I slowly introduce them to the hotter afternoon sun and then I let them stay out for the full day only after two weeks. I also monitor them and any sign of distress I will take it slower. I only do it that way because I lost 300 plants 3 years ago now I go nice and slow and have not lost a one in two years. Now of course this only works because I work at home there for I can be that strict with the plants. So I guess I am really no help sorry.
 
I start bringing plants out on cloudy days to get them used to the wind and being outdoors then slowly expose them to sun. An area with filtered light(not just shade) is usually perfect
 
I put mine out for the first 3 or 4 days behind a shadow box fence so the sun only hits them for 5 mins. at a time as the sun moves overhead the pattern of sun hits all the plants at different times. I would have to agree with POTAWIE though just bringing them outside is starting the hardening off process they don't have to get any sun right away.

Dale
 
i think the gradual process is a good idea and mine are all out of the greenhouse now getting to discover the dif weather conditions in the u.k and it seems to be doing them no harm :)
 
Crossing my fingers but all 27 I have transplanted so far went straight from upstairs to staying outside 24 hours a day. The ones on the back porch get morning sun, the ones on the front porch get some mid-day sun. However, there has not been much of either the last week - mostly rain and clouds. It has also been unseasonably cool with temps mostly in the 50s and 60s. By Thursday it is suppose to reach 80 but by then they will have a good week outdoors.

Mike
 
I took mine out a couple of days and blew a fan on them for about three weeks. Like everyone else has said gradually is the ticket. I know my peppers on the front porch is doing so much better than the ones in the garden. Which they are coming along but the ones on the porch was exposed to the elements gradually and so much better. Just take your time, don't rush it
 
its nice to no theres lots more beginners on here to,its intresting to see from day to day how where all coping :)
 
talas said:
its nice to no theres lots more beginners on here to,its intresting to see from day to day how where all coping :)
Click to expand...

well I would probably have all dead plants if it wasnt for the tips and advice from all the great people on this forum!!:)
 
I am just starting my second week of hardening my backups...they have been outside now for 3 weeks under the patio (north side of house that gets a "sliver" of sun for about an hour each day and is open to the environment)...8 days ago I really started hardening in earnest..., I put them out in the sun for 2 hours for 2 days, 3 the next 2 days, 4 the next two, half day saturday, left them out all day sunday (couldn't move them in) and 6 hours yesterday...They will stay out 6 hours today and increase until I plant them out this coming weekend...our heat indices are going to be above 104F (40C) for the coming week with no relief in sight...summer is here....
 
Not summer here yet. We're getting close to freezing tonight so I'll be busy cramming plants into the greenhouse and firing up the wood-stove again:(
 
My plants did well this weekend. The weather was nice and they handled the sun very well but boy was it windy here yesterday. I was worried that some of my plants would snap in half.

I think the time they previously spent outside really paid off though because they did very well. My plants are still kind of small but seemed to "weather" the weather quite well.

Except for this one floppy tomato plant I have the peppers are all still standing.

So what is the minimum temperature I should expose my plants to? I am wondering when I can leave them outside for good.
 
The first 12 of my plants went out this weekend full time.Only 15 more to go.I spent about 3 weeks putting them out/in depending on the weather.The wind has been fight so far.As for the minimum temp
for them from everything i`ve heard or read is 55.Granted it`s gotten down to 48 here once but no problems found yet.
my pics http://www.fliker.com/photos/hixs0311/
 
I had very easy time hardening my plants. In the morning and evening sun, when the sun is not very harsh...I place them outside. During the hot day, I placed them in the shade. After repeating this process for 3 days, I left them out in the sun full time. However, I did keep close eye on them, check every two hours or, so for the status and kept very close eye on the moisture content. If a plant went limp, I brought them in immediatetly.
One other thing that may have contributed to my success is - when the plants were very young, I use to expose them to indoor sunlight. That may have conditioned them to manage sunlight better. Also, plant grown in high nitrogen fertilizer indoor, will take longer time to adjust to Sunlight.
 
This is good info. I actually lost one of my seedlings yesterday because of the cold. I was transplanting them to my mother-in-laws because I was hanging out there for a few days. I left them in the sun room and it got COLD that night. I went to check on my plants and EVERYONE was wilted and laying flat on the dirt. I just about had a heart attack. I carefully made something to prop them back up and put them in some warm light. They actually snapped back. One didn't make it, but the others are going STRONG! I'm going to start breaking them in everyday now that I read this. The fan plan sounds good too.:)
 
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