I don't find hardening off to be particularly challenging...it just requires my attention. It's true that it's easiest if you're around all day, since an ideal first step is to put your seedlings out for just a couple of hours. If you don't work outside the house, or if the good weather coincides with your days off, then that's easy. I'm often lucky enough to find a weekend day that cooperates. Failing that, or after that, I'll look for a nice, warm day, and put them out in the morning, near the house and on the north side. This will protect them from wind and offer only indirect light. As others have said, you can make good use of the path of the sun, so at some point I put the seedlings a bit farther from the house, where the sweep of the house's shadow will give them just a short amount of sun, and the wind will be a little stronger. Then I move them some more. I spend a lot of time reading weather reports during hardening-off time, and spend a fair bit of time planning my next steps, and trying to be flexible enough to act right away when the weather dictates...but in the early days (which are also the most fragile days), I'm also bringing things indoors every evening, so for me the greater risk is that I don't use every possible bit of outdoor time as effectively as possible, and the hardening off process takes a bit longer. I look for good days really early, too. Even my cool-weather crops won't be outdoors for good until the end of the month, but the weather reports are predicting days in the mid-50s and mid-60s this week (which conveniently coincide with my "work from home" days), so I'll probably be sending the cool-weather things out for a couple of days in the fresh air then. Even the peppers may take a little field trip on the 60+ degree day. Even if they spend the couple of weeks after that indoors, I figure that a couple of days of (even indirect) sunshine and fresh air has got to be good for them, and turning off the grow lights will be good for my electric bill.

nhitgrad I have attached to the end of this the FAQ for the seed starting forum on hardening off (easy method). But I'm going to go over what I do. I don't have the option of getting home to move plants, and wife and kids are reluctant draftees to move things. I have a porch/deck (it's like a deck, but with the roof line of the house extending half way over it) that is open to the north and west. The majority of the deck is in shade most of the day. I place the plants out in the morning in the full shade the first day. Since there is some retained heat from the house and deck, I generally leave them out from that point on -- unless there's a frost warning (note that frost can occur above 32 degrees F if atmospheric conditions are right - (clear skies and still air)). [The link I'm posting says to bring them in if it's below 45 degrees] I gradually move the plants way from the house (northward) so they will start getting some afternoon sun (I'd move them every 2-3 days). Check the soil every day for dryness (If we get an early heat wave, check twice a day). I would start this about May 1st - after two weeks I consider them hardened off and ready to plant. If I have to move them inside because of frost, I try to put them out before I leave for work -- unless it's a hard freeze, the residual head in the plants and flats will allow them to be ok until the air warms up. If it's just too cold, I'll put them out in the evening when I get home. I don't 'stop' the count. unless they have to stay in for more than 1 day. As to planting -- it apears that you in NE Jersey are either in zone 6b or 7A (check out the clickable USDA zone map at (http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/#)) I'm going to assume you're in the same zone 6b as I am. I'd usually plant out on the 15th as you mentioned. I would mentioned that Rohrer's seed catalog has an excellent home garden planting chart but it's only located in their print catalog as I couldn't find it on their site. For zone 6, for tomatoes and peppers they recommend planting on the 20th (after the soil is thoroughly warmed [cukes are fine for the 15th]). Hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Hardening-Off Method FAQ

It depends on the plants - things that can stand a bit of cold can easily start going out now. I am in zone 4 and have started hardening off cole crop stuff and petunias. In my 10 day forecast there are only two nights when it will drop below 40 degrees - I assume it is warmer where you are. I often have planted out peas, broccoli, cabbage etc before now, but the snow just kept coming this year. I'll be waiting on peppers eggplant and tomatoes for a few weeks.

That's the best thing about wintersown tomato seedlings, or any other wintersown seedlings as well: they're pretty tough to weather changes and already hardened off. My first tom attempt got blown and destroyed in a windstorm, and I had a brick in the bin I re-sowed after that but now they're tiny. Re: hardening off; Usually wintersown ones are tough and survive frost by throwing a sheet over the jugs. I have lost other wintersown seedlings to frost though, so they do have their limits. When in doubt, I cover with a sheet or stick them in the garage overnight. I think the actual low temp they can take probably is a product of length of time, wind speed, moisture in the air, and God knows what other factors. In my book, better safe than sorry. It's not hard to throw a sheet on them overnight. Karen