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| My planting date is around Memorial Day. So over a month away. I started tomatoes indoors too early and they are over 12" tall now. I'd like to move them to my garden and put them in a cold frame. Should I harden them off first? Should I just stick the pots in the cold frame and then plant them in there in a couple of weeks? Should I just plant them in the cold frame right away? Not sure what would be best. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by Whosurtomato 6a Southern IN (My Page) on Sun, Apr 20, 14 at 11:33
| You will need to at least get them used to the sun, even if you are going to use the cold frame. Put them in a shady spot the first day and then move them into the sun for an hour or so in the morning or late afternoon then gradually increase that for a week or so. You will have to mind the wind as well, especially if the stems are not very stout. |
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| Be aware that cold frame, facing south can get quite HOT in a sunny day. This of course will depend partly on the height and size of the frame. So you have to monitor the temperatures and provide vent if/when it get over 90F or so. I find a cold frame a good overnight shelter from cold and light frost around this time. But as I said , you might need to vent it in a bright sunny day. |
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| You can look up WOW, wall of water, good option. My last frost date is around same time and generally my plants are going into WOW around May 1. I have hoop house so plants have been in and out of it for couple of weeks, unfortunately our night temps drop pretty low yet. You might need to play around with moving in and out of cold frame for a bit as posted above. |
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| There is no "best" way to do this and the odds are you will lose some of the plants, especially given their size and age. Make note of that for next year so you do't start so early. :) All of them will have to be hardened off first and that is a gradual process over several days. There is a BIG difference between the protected environment of in the house vs. out in a cold frame Then, assuming your cold frame is already up and running and warming the soil, I'd suggest planting a couple of them directly in the ground there and see how they do. Leave the rest in their pots. Assuming you can be there to monitor them carefully throughout the day - and it it doesn't have auto venting for heat and some source of heat for warmth you will need to be - you'll know within a couple of days which approach is tolerated best. Personally if I already had 12" tall plants and still 5-6 weeks before I could plant them out I'd root cuttings from those plants to plant in the garden at the proper time, keep them indoors, and pitch the rest of the existing plants. That way I'd have proper sized transplants without all the problems and work of the cold frame. Dave |
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