Not going to fall victim this year, starting to harden off now...

12 years ago

So. Every year it seems like I fall victim to not hardening off properly or with enough time. NOT THIS YEAR!

I am a criminal. One of the roadside fruit stands left a very nice 4x8 foot 2 level cart unguarded one Friday. I was at the feed store getting corn gluten, snatcherooo! Did I mention it also has wheels?

All my plants have been growing since mid-February and are now in cowpots. The cold weather stuff has been in the garage the last week.

Now everyone is in the garage on the cart, got watered today and spent anywhere from 5-20 minutes in the sun. Hurriedly, I then wheeled everything back into the garage and closed the door. (it faces west)

My last frost date is 5-15, so I'm starting early!

The moral of the story is 2-fold....

Harden off slowly and take a lot of time, and the Lord provides what you need!

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Comments (11)

gjcore
12 years ago
I guess the Lord provides what you need or you can steal it.
bob_in_colorado
Original Author
12 years ago
Just to clarify, the cart was sitting on the side of te road.

Can you stop saying I'm going to hell now? :-)
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If you're not growing for market, a delay in getting fruit isn't necessarily a big deal. If you are growing for market, then obviously the calculations change a lot, and getting the earliest fruit is key. Last year, I didn't get plants in the ground until the second week of June or so, and half of them were tiny and under 4". I still got enough tomatoes that I was starting to get tired of dealing with them, and the progress of the plants did not differ between plants of the same exact variety that were started weeks earlier vs. weeks later. If bragging rights to ripe 4th of July fruit is important, then it's true that those plants definitely won't do. But I don't grow in a high tunnel or season extending setup, so I find that even planted early, I don't get 4th of July tomatoes. The plants tend to sit around and not do all that much in the cooler temps if I plant out earlier. The growing season is plenty long enough where I am personally to get plenty of tomatoes for personal enjoyment, even from late varieties, from plants the size of yours right now. Things may be different where you are, yffermwrhoosier. But the folks at Sandhill Preservation, who are, I believe, in a similar area climate-wise (they're in Calamus, IA 5b) and they report: "Ideally, we start our tomatoes in mid-April to set out in late May. Lately, our tomatoes have been started in early May and set out in mid-June. I've noticed we have virtually no early blight problems and, if properly cared for, have lots of tomatoes."
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gjcore
12 years ago
Sitting aside the road and unguarded. hmm, I think you should return it to it's proper owner.
bob_in_colorado
Original Author
12 years ago
All kidding aside....

Sitting on the side of the road since last fall, in a pile, abandoned.
david52 Zone 6
12 years ago
I wish I had something like that. I'm busy shifting 18 nursery trays in and out. Some of the stuff I'm now leaving outdoors over-night, we're in the 40's.

Its difficult this year, the temps are so warm now that you'd think it was June.
highalttransplant
12 years ago
Yeah, I'm with you David, I could really use something like that too! I've been hauling half a dozen overwintering pepper plants in and out for over a month now, but it's almost time to start taking this year's sprouts out for some sunshine. I only have 5 trays, but still a pain in the behind if you ask me. I've been putting off doing it partly because everything is bug free at the moment, and not looking forward to battling any passengers they might pick up on their field trips.
bob_in_colorado
Original Author
12 years ago
If You'd like I can snap some pics. It actually look pretty easy to build.

Or....

Perhaps some entrepreneur will fashion them for a fair price and they'll be in every catalog except gjcores. :-)
treebarb Z5 Denver
12 years ago
Bob,

I've been threatening to dig up part of either a Harrison's or Persian yellow rose at an abandoned house for a couple of years now. The thing is I'm just too chicken to do it. I'm glad the cart was abandoned, lol!

I've got my tomatoes up to an hour in full sun now, but think I'm going to skip tomorrow. The peppers just made their first trip out for 15 minutes this evening. I feel for you, David, that's a lot of plants!

I can't believe it's going to be 88 degrees! I've been watering the new tree plantings like a mad woman this evening. This is going to be quite tough on them. At least the heat will be short lived so I can get back to planting!

Barb
bob_in_colorado
Original Author
12 years ago
88 degrees?!?! Where are you Barb?
treebarb Z5 Denver
12 years ago
Sorry it took a while for me to get back to this. I'm near Fort Lupton, about a half hour north of Denver. It did get hot, but the cloud cover helped and now this lovely rain!

Going to be doing some planting and a lot of weeding this weekend! I'm glad we're getting a bit of cooling off for a few days. Spring has sprung!
digit
12 years ago
I'm not really encouraged my next week's weather predictions. It looks okay for the central & southern Rockies but too cool and rainy up here:

Those are predicted rainfall amounts during the early part of the week. We have snow melt flooding of the rivers right now but, that isn't my gardening concern. The amount of cloud cover and cool temperatures may make hardening-off of plants from the greenhouse difficult. High temperatures on thru the week show that we will just break 60F for highs. The biggest problem for me is that the greenhouse is overflowing!!

Overflow means - overflow. I need to get things outdoors or they are left in the shade under benches or in the garage. Having the older tomatoes in the unheated tunnel last night has me on pins & needles this morning. It was colder than predicted & windier than predicted: with 35F & gusts above 25mph . . . I'm still scared to open the door even with the sunrise!

Om Mani Padme Hung. May all beings remain free from suffering and the causes of suffering . . .

Steve

Not going to fall victim this year, starting to harden off now...

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gjcore

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Not going to fall victim this year, starting to harden off now...

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