I am hopeing that there will be someone on the greenhouse forum that may be in a similar situation as me who may understand where these questions will be coming from. I am a grow light grower of bedding plants, and all my plants get grown inside of my home and not a greenhouse. Every year when I harden off, I have had to acclimate to full sun exposure, without any kind of protection of a greenhouse/coldframe structure. This year, however, I will be building a coldframe for hardening off.

I am confused about the acclimating process while using a poly covered frame. I know for all other growers, who do grow from day one in a greenhouse, that it is necessary to use shade cloth to protect from the sunlight. I have read in other posts that those growers never have a need for removing the shade cloth. I am not quite understanding how this properly exposes plants to full sun.

Particularly for me, I need to know whether or not my grow light grown plants will still need to be exposed to full sunlight befor they are finished. Is this process different for grow light growers? My stages will be: grow lights to shade covered structure to ??????? Will there come a time that I will need to remove, or partially remove the shade cloth and then acclimate to full sun?

I know I have asked this before, but I dont know that it has been answered fully yet (or at least it isnt sinking in fully yet!)

It has been explained that grow light usage is the same as "really bright shade". Exposing my plants to full sun is a huge process for me, one that I am extrememly careful about, because I do lose leaves to burn once exposed to gradual stages of full sun. The plants always rebound with new growth (they never die on me) and then will finish "growing on" with the aid of true sunlight.

I am not understanding the connection of a shade covered structure and full sun. Perhaps I need to learn more about the light transmission through glazing materials. Though, the books that I have are either really vague on this issue, or get way too indepth in detail. For instance, I havent found answers to rather basic questions, such as shade cloth light blockage. The shade cloth I have been advised to get has percentages of 40%, 50%, and 70%. Yet, I dont know if those percentages, such as the 70%, is 70% shade or 70% light. Pretty basic stuff, though I am pulling out my hair finding answers.

Does anyone have some recommended links or books that will explain better? Like I said, my books are either too vague or too over my head on these questions.

I would love to learn more, while I am learning what I am going to need for my coldframe.

I would also like to hear some more discussion on the clear poly or white poly issue for hardening off. It was another discussion that went kinda cold. I'm not understanding why white poly will aid in full sun exposure. Is the decision of white vs. clear something of importance other than sun exposure, such as maybe a heat insulator or something? What are the benefits/needs of using white poly?

I appreciate everyone's time in helping me out with this. I have other questions, but one at a time......Ah heck, you guys know that I never ask only one at a time! :)