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john_jj

missed some hardening days

John_JJ
9 years ago

i hardened my plants for 4 days but then there were 4 days i couldnt take them outside so now they been in for 4 days im gonna plant them on sunday if i harden them till then will they be ok?

Comments (7)

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    Where are you located, zone wise?

    Plants should be hardened of at first by a few days in full shade, and then another few in partial shade before exposing them to full sun.

    How far did you get in those 4 days before you brought them inside, which does reverse what had happened to them before that, which basically started to toughen up the cuticle on the leaf surface so that they would be less susceptible to sun and windburn when put out?

    Carolyn

  • 2ajsmama
    9 years ago

    Still a little early for zone 5 (I checked your My Page). Just had a discussion about this a few threads down - have they been inside the house these past 4 days, or in an unheated garage/shed? I'd take the next week to harden them off and plant next weekend instead. Esp. if your weather is supposed to be cloudy/rainy like ours - I may even wait until after the holiday so I can make sure they're used to real sun before throwing them out in the open (they have been out the past few days, in the garage at night, and I just pulled them back in since we had a downpour about an hour ago - may put them back out today but want to check hourly forecast, last I knew we were supposed to get T storm just about now).

  • John_JJ
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    im in zone 5 and i had them out the first day 2 hours then the other days 4,6,8 hours
    the first 2 days in shade and the other 2 in partial shade
    then i couldnt get them out for 4 days so they were in the house under lights.
    the forecast shows it will be above 70 and wont go under 50 starting from the 18th
    i want to get them out by then because i started them a week early and there getting to big

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    It is relatively EASY to harden off for 50F to 70F outside condition, temperature wise. My main concern would be SUN HARDENING off.

    You have to do it gradually, 3hrs, 4hrs, ..6, ..all day. The thing is that in 50 to 70F range it will be mostly around 60F. That is not harsh even in full sun.

    JMO

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    i want to get them out by then because i started them a week early and there getting to big

    I understand that but you also don't want to kill them either and the point is you have lost all the progress that was made so you will have to start over with the hardening process.

    Planting by the 18th is really early for most in zone 5 so they might be better transplanted to larger pots now and then wait for planting out until the end of the month.

    Dave

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    The last average, I say average, frost date in my zone 5 is about May 15th, and from years of experience, ahem, I would never plant them out until the first week in June when hopefully any late frosts, yea snowstorms, both of which have occured after that May 15th date are hopefully no shows

    John, I don't know how many plants you are putting out and I don't know how big they are now, but when my plants got too big I stripped off all the foliage except for a tuft at the top, watered them sparingly when needed, kept them in the shade, all to slow down growth, and then planted them horizontally, leaving just that tuft of foliage exposed. Which would straighten up and make a nice plant

    Carolyn

  • sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
    9 years ago

    Not at all cold or extreme in our zone 5-6 NY CT right now. Tonight just tuck under a deck or garage, shed. I missed a tray of younger starts last night that i meant to slide into the garage...they got hit with this mornings hard storm and are probably much happier than those i gave cover. (they seem happier, : )
    -i have deer, turkeys, bears, and all state forest creatures. I like to bring mine onto a table in the garage to avoid a meal for critters.

    I'm getting flood advisories right now for tonights storm on my radar alert.
    I've only personally witnessed very high winds and very hard rain/hail destroying toms.
    Pid-ly storms without 'seek cover' warnings are smooth sailing for tomatoes.

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