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Do do I harden off my seedlings?

14 years ago

Hi everyone! it's getting close to the time where I should be thinking about getting my babies some outside time. How do I do it? At what temp is the right time to start? HOw long? Argh! I don't want to kill them.

Can they stay out in the garage? Too cold? It's about 40 deg here now so I'm assuming I'd wait until April 1st to start or so. I usually can plant (already grown daylilies) the first week of May.

Dani

Comments (7)

swontgirl_z5a
14 years ago
Hi Dani
I am in Canada Zone 5a which I think is zone 4 in the US and if I remember correctly I started putting my seedlings outside about the start of April last year. I have a porch on the east side with a roof and I bought one of those shelf units that is a mini greenhouse. I put it against the house wall. It worked really well. I could zip the cover up at night and unzip it in the morning. My seedlings were kind of tall and spindly and it helped them not get beat up too much from the wind. We live in the country and get huge wind so maybe that isn't a factor for you. I did have to bring them in a few nights when it was going below freezing but they handled down to just above freezing well. After a few weeks I took them off the shelf and moved them to the edge of the porch where they would get sun a bit longer. I eventually started carrying the flats over to my garden where they were going to get planted so they would get more sun and eventually left them out there. It was a very gradual process and I planted them about May 20. The tops did get beat up but they started growing from the roots immediately after planting. After they were growing well I just cut off all the tall spindly leaves that died off and they looked great. I thought it was better to start early and make it gradual and it seemed to work. Just watch for freezing temps.
Debbie
uroboros5
14 years ago
Mine are already planted in the ground. I leave them outside for a little over a week. The first three day time temperatures above 0 C, I put the pots outside, but I being them back inside at night. After those three days they can tolerate -5 C at night as long as the days are >0 C.
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Yes, just show some attention to the little critters, ProvoGirl. You aren't sending them off to the big wide world right off. That comes when they are set out in the open garden. I think of the 1st couple of days as kindergarden. They race thru life fairly quickly so kindergarden lasts only a few days. Baby, baby, baby the little guys but make them sit quietly and close together. Pay special attention to their water needs as exposure increases requirements. They seem to do just fine in filtered shade for a few hours each day. Then they are on to elementary school and actually becoming accustomed to the elements. The curricula becomes more vigorous during secondary school. Don't allow them to languish on the side lines. Keeping a close eye on them is still important but they are growing up. DW says, "Let them stay out at night!" Nope, not this Dad. It won't do them a bit of good, tender things that they are sitting around in tiny containers, pretending to live the fast life. I mean, what do they know? Undergraduate work is the ticket for admission into a field. It is time for them to prove themselves. However, there's no point in carrying them this far and losing them. Now, it is time for entering the chosen field. Groundwork with easily available nutrients and water really helps guarantee success. Companionship is important, they need to feel that they aren't alone out there. And, you MAY still need to get an umbrella over them during those first few important days. (I use newspaper gathered in half-teepees and held down with rocks ;o). Steve
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I'm in OC as well. I went against the advice of some here and actually planted outside in pots back in Jan/Feb from seed. I transplanted them into the ground around March 1. 2 plants were eaten overnight to the ground(orange/strawberry), a few died in the heavy rains in the first week, but I now have 80% of the transplants doing FABULOUS. I went on vacation for a week and left with about 4" plants. I had to stake them when i got back-they had nearly TRIPLED in size in that one week! So, by all means, harden them off NOW and next year, experiment with winter sowing them.
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silverkelt
14 years ago
Yes,

I put mine in dappled shade mid april, bring them in if we are going to have any kind of hard frost, which I can have here for awhile yet..

Mine get planted, late april early may time frame. Dont give them direct sun for a few days until they harden. Daylilies are much easier to harden off than say tomatoes, but give them a couple of days to adjust.

Silverkelt
swontgirl_z5a
14 years ago
I don't see how anyone in Zone 5 can have anything planted already. I did dig up a few chrysanthemums in the flower bed next to my house and split them and pot them up.
The garden where my seedlings go is still mostly covered in snow and what doesn't have snow on it is floating in water. Fortunately my seedlings from last year still have the snow! It has been mild for a while now and the snow is melting fast but it is still March.
We had no snow last year after Mar 1 and then it got down to - 15 C (or 5 F)later in the month. We lost quite a bit of our alfalfa after it heaved out of the ground. I can wait a while before planting my babies!
Debbie
uroboros5
14 years ago
The snow is almost all gone here, my first species opened up today, and YES, the daylilies are indeed all planted.
uroboros5
14 years ago
I should mention that my seedlings were planted in August-December, and are pretty husky. The few I planted later are going to wait inside longer, I might not plant them until fall.

The reason why I like to plant early is: SPIDER MITES find the seedlings to be a delicious salad bar when left indoors.
swontgirl_z5a
14 years ago
I agree - getting them out of the basement helps with the insect problems. That is why I started hardening mine off so early last year. But I sure couldn't plant anything- it's too wet. My seedlings from last year are starting to peak through the snow. I am hoping to look at them in the next few days if I can get in there. I have landscape fabric between the sections so hopefully it will hold me up!

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