How do you haden off plants

horseflysgarden

14 years ago

How do you harden off seedlings after they have been growing inside under growlights. What is the normal situation.

Do you just take them outside for a couple hours at a time?

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Comments (10)

taz6122
14 years ago
Basically yes. Start off with no more than 2 hours of morning sun and increase daily. After 4 days they can stay in full sun if they are a full sun plant.
digdirt2
14 years ago
Check out the many previous discussions on how to harden-off linked below.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: How to harden off plants
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taz6122
14 years ago
Oh I'm sorry! I should have said MY plants are hardened off in 4 days. Maybe because I use OD lights and mylar. When weaker lights without mylar are used they should probably go at least a week. I've never put them in shade. That just sounds counter productive.
sleepy33
14 years ago
Taz, mine don't take so long as a week either, but it's probably better safe than sorry. I leave mine out in dappled shade to begin with because I'm at work during the day and can't be bringing them in and out all day long. Then I transition to a spot with morning sun, then either to full sun or planted out, according to whether they are a sun or shade plant.
keriann_lakegeneva
14 years ago
Great advice from Dave and Sleepy, I would add to protect them from the wind as well!

Your plants will tell you when they are ready, they will perk up and 'look' for the sun.

Keriann~
digdirt2
14 years ago
I've never put them in shade. That just sounds counter productive.

No sunlight in your shade Taz? Man that must be some dark shade. My shade still has lots of light in it. ;)

Dave
taz6122
14 years ago
Ha Ha Dave. Ok I worded that wrong.
cjr891
14 years ago
I'm fnding an upside-down plastic laundry basket over my seedlings, on my flat wagon just about perfect for the job.
heirloomjunkie
14 years ago
I've heard some people say it takes as long as two weeks. I have simple stuff - tomatoes, peppers, chard, onions, and morning glories. Will a week do for these? I'm so worried that I will screw up this part and all my work will go to waste.

Kim
keriann_lakegeneva
14 years ago
no, not at all 3 or 4 days....maybe 5.

You will see them stand tall and hold up against the wind and not shy away from sun.

I place them in the shade and out of the wind all day my firstday. Then they get filtered sunlight in the morning (and a bit of wind) on the second day and back in the shade from 9am till dusk. Then they get dawn till noon sun the third day and depending on how they do during the am sun and mid day sun they are ready for their first full day in the elements by their 4th or 5th day.

My hollyhocks really looked shabby from the wind on their second day because I left them out too long, but in two days they were study and looking for the sunlight again.

Keriann~

How do you haden off plants

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taz6122

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