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How long to harden off?

N

newbiepepperguy

I started some extra seeds so I could give some plants to my parents, who have a pretty big garden. I'm going down this weekend, and am planning on bringing the plants with me (their plant out date is right around the corner/maybe already here). I started hardening off the plants yesterday (it just got warm enough here to start putting them outside). Will they be ready to go into the ground by this weekend (5 or so days of gradually increased hardening off)? Or do they need more time than that? I'll likely be leaving them out for an hour tonight (did 30 minutes yesterday), then 2 or so hours tomorrow, and 3-4 Thursday, etc. Does that sound right?
 
From everything I have seen in the different topics on here, that seems like a good start. as far as them being ready by the weekend, its a possibility. Keep an eye on them and see how they do on the day to day routine.
 
How far away are the parents ? - If the weather/ humidity there is different from where you are the hardening process should start over once you are there again anyway !!
 
They're 6 hours south. They're zone 6, I'm zone 5. The weather is typically about 5-10 degrees warmer there on average, but they live in the same general high-humidity area that I do. 
 
juanitos said:
a few days is fine, 5 is plenty.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the info!
 
I've seen some places saying "at least a week to 10 days" or even "2 or more weeks". My question came about because I started thinking about a conversation I had with a guy at the local garden store last year where he mentioned that they started opening up the greenhouse to let in airflow and direct sunshine the Wednesday before they started selling them on a Monday. So I had planned my hardening off around that figure (5 days), thinking what's good enough for a well-respected professional establishment is probably good enough for my dinky little garden. So I was confused by the people claiming anything less than a week would basically be plant murder.
 
Is my plan of adding an hour or 2 every day, and also gradually increasing the direct sun/wind exposure also ok? For instance, yesterday, they sat on edge of the floor of the lower level of the the deck, which gave them some sunlight as the sun was setting, but shielded the wind a little too. Tonight I'm planning on putting them out a little further and an hour earlier, so the both the time and sun/wind exposure get increased by a little each day.
 
newbiepepperguy said:
 
Thanks for the info!
 
I've seen some places saying "at least a week to 10 days" or even "2 or more weeks". My question came about because I started thinking about a conversation I had with a guy at the local garden store last year where he mentioned that they started opening up the greenhouse to let in airflow and direct sunshine the Wednesday before they started selling them on a Monday. So I had planned my hardening off around that figure (5 days), thinking what's good enough for a well-respected professional establishment is probably good enough for my dinky little garden. So I was confused by the people claiming anything less than a week would basically be plant murder.
 
Is my plan of adding an hour or 2 every day, and also gradually increasing the direct sun/wind exposure also ok? For instance, yesterday, they sat on edge of the floor of the lower level of the the deck, which gave them some sunlight as the sun was setting, but shielded the wind a little too. Tonight I'm planning on putting them out a little further and an hour earlier, so the both the time and sun/wind exposure get increased by a little each day.
Click to expand...
 
That is basically what i do.  Start in the evening in the shade then work it into evening sun the next day and so on and so forth. I usually take a little longer than 5 days, but i think it can be done in that amount of time. 
 
yeah evening sun is where it's at. not too hot / intense. lets the plants get used to temps / wind as well.
Also cloudy days are good if you put your plants out first day on a cloudy day. or first day in full light on a cloudy day, like a natural shade cloth.
 
I usually do a 2 week stint under a shade cloth. Probably overkill but it would suck to lose plants this far into the process. Once they get outside, I am not in that much of a hurry anyway.nonce hardened off, they get there final transplant as well.
 
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