overwintering Moving indoor overwinters outside (process questions)

[austin87]

So I cut down 4 plants into bonsai and they have been indoors under a 36w LED. The weather in NorCal is nice and I need the space under the lights for my seeds starts, so I'm getting ready to move them outside.
 
My plan is to start to harden them off BEFORE I re-pot them back into 5 or 10gal grow bags. My thinking is that after I transplant, they will go through a little shock, and root shock combined w/ sun shock could overdo them.
 
So once they have been hardened for a couple of weeks, I plan to re-pot them, move them into a spot where they get morning sun only for a few hours a day, and slowly re-acclimate them to the sun over the next few weeks.
 
Is my thinking right here? Is there a better way to move indoor plants in small pots back outside?

 

[austin87]

Also, do I need to wait a couple of weeks after re-potting before giving them their first dose of nutes for the season?

 

[solid7]

There shouldn't be any root shock, if you keep them in the same type of media.

Hardening off is the more pressing concern. Keep them mostly shaded for a week, less shaded the second week, and full sun by the third. The easiest way to ease a plant back into fertilization, in my opinion - if you're not on a stable regimen - would be to use something completely organic, and liquid. Alaska Fish, comes immediately to mind. You won't do your plant any harm with a product like that.

I don't know if any other slow release fertilizer would be a problem, because I don't use them. But I know the liquid fish emulsion or hydrolosate will do you good.

 

[austin87]

There shouldn't be any root shock, if you keep them in the same type of media.

Hardening off is the more pressing concern. Keep them mostly shaded for a week, less shaded the second week, and full sun by the third. The easiest way to ease a plant back into fertilization, in my opinion - if you're not on a stable regimen - would be to use something completely organic, and liquid. Alaska Fish, comes immediately to mind. You won't do your plant any harm with a product like that.

I don't know if any other slow release fertilizer would be a problem, because I don't use them. But I know the liquid fish emulsion or hydrolosate will do you good.

 
I've been feeding them Alaska Fish & Seaweed indoors so I plan to stick with that. I'll give them a week or so in the new medium before feeding again.
 
I'm going from a true bonsai mix (looks like small rocks but they are porous and hold moisture) to something like a ProMix or Peat Lite.
 
Any tips on what I should do fertilizer-wise with the overwinters that I don't plan to re-pot? They have stayed under the awning all winter in a dormant state and I think they are starting to perk up with the warmer weather.

 

[solid7]

 
I've been feeding them Alaska Fish & Seaweed indoors so I plan to stick with that. 
 
Any tips on what I should do fertilizer-wise with the overwinters that I don't plan to re-pot? They have stayed under the awning all winter in a dormant state and I think they are starting to perk up with the warmer weather.

 
You are already a wiser grower than you know.
 
That is one of the most spectacularly low budget, high return products that I've personally used.  If you can deal with the application, there is no need to change.  I might suggest supplementing it some seaweed, but other than that, you can grow forever on the stuff.