doesnt that mean you will soon be running out of room in the cold frame???? once i started my impatiens .. indoors ... about 3 months too early .. go figure on that.. lol ... live and learn ... when they got too big.. i got some 8 by 8 dollar store alum disposable cake pans.. and with a razor and some rootone ... i just sliced about 2 inch pieces.. and stuck them in some damp perlite.. and covered them in plastic .... and they rooted in a week ... then i ended up throwing out the big ones .. i think i had to do that a couple times.. before it warmed enough outdoors ... make a note that you started them too early .... for next year ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Some considerations: 1) seeds that were planted in the hoophouse exhibit more hardiness to hoophouse conditions than those that were transplanted. That means resistance to both cold and heat. I assume that having roots in very warm soil is a source of hardiness for little plants. 2) I have 11 carboys (which I mostly use for winemaking) and 6 6-gallons buckets in there, full of water, 91 gallons of thermal ballast total, and I also have an inner plastic layer. Still, I only get 4F difference when the wind blows. When the wind does not blow, it is more like 10F. 3) Another 10F or so can be had by placing a milk jug, bottom removed, on the seedling, and sealing all around with mulch. That would be a third layer. A bit of mulch inside the seal will provide plenty CO2, Best done if you have drip in there. Probably it is a matter of having the seedling lying low in mulch, and a small hoophouse (the jug) with low surface, and also stopping any small draft from really touching the plant 4) some seedlings are better than others in the hoophouse. Melons are best, toms are a bit delicate. They don't really like hot. 5) if your temps are warmer than 65F, sunny, better open one side, or no seedling will make it.

Any change in their environment, especially any drastic change, requires some gradual adjusting time so basically the answer is yes. You need to "harden them off", let them gradually adjust to the GH. On sunny days even an unheated greenhouse can get quite hot inside and nights out there are bound to be cooler than what it was in your basement. So a couple of cloudy, overcast days where nights aren't especially cold would work best but you'll still have to watch them closely. Dave

Here's a perspective from Oregon's Willamette Valley. I don't know when to put them out in Seattle. You do need some decent weather and the warmer the ground, the better. If you put the plants out in March or April, you need something to protect them. Think about what would happen if you get a hard rain. It could pound the plants into the ground. A hoop house or Walls of Water would help keep them warm and protected. As for hardening off, here is a general guide. When you think it's time to put the plants out, find a sheltered shady place and put them out for an hour or two. Bring them inside. Next day, put them in the same place for a bit longer. And the day after, maybe start them in that place for a couple hours and then move them to a place that gets filtered sunlight for an hour or so. Next day, they get about the same as the day before. The next day, maybe the same schedule, but a bit more sunlight. You see what I mean? Kind of? You're going to have to get a feeling for doing this. It depends on the weather, how strong the sunlight and how much time you give the plants, wind, etc. I've read despairing posts from people on the tomato forum whose cats overturned the flats of plants. Life can get in the way. One of the things that can help you in the future is to visit the tomato forum. There is a post maintained by those of us who grow tomatoes in the Pacific Northwest. We call it, "Tomatoes Anonymous." The northernmost grower has been from Alaska. Haven't heard from her in a couple of years though. We have a regular poster from Canada, a regular poster from Seattle and we grow all the way down to Roseburg. I used to be the southernmost poster here in Eugene, Oregon. Anyway, we've all been novice tomato growers in the northwest and have an idea of what you are going through. I hope this gives you some help. You can also get useful advice from your favorite garden stores, as well as the Washington State Extension Service. I don't know exactly how it would be listed. It would be in the government section of your phone book under county. Look for Agricultural Extension Service or Extension Service or perhaps Cooperative Extension Service. They will most likely share office space with a group called the Master Gardeners. They are the folks you would most likely talk to. Some offices have better people than others. The E.S. and M.G.s here are excellent. Not everyone has this experience, but it's worth checking out. All the best. Mary