Once it is time to start the process (and it is a process that will take a decent amount of time and attention on your part), you need to select a spot in your yard that gets dappled or indirect sunlight and is fairly protected from the wind. If your growing zone generally recommends that starts don't go outdoors until the last week of May, begin hardening seedlings a little more than a week before. In general, begin the hardening process 7-10 days before the date you intend to plant them out in your garden and once the danger of frost has passed. The stronger the plant, the easier it will be for them to adapt to their new habitat. Seedlings will need several weeks to grow into these new leaves and set good strong roots before you should begin the hardening process. That is because most seedlings don't get their "true leaves," or cotyledons, for two to four weeks after germination. When you first start your seeds indoors and they begin to germinate, you will notice that their leaves look nothing like that of a mature plant that you may have seen before at your local greenhouse or u-pick farm. So how do you go about hardening your new plant babies? This is why proper hardening methods are so vital. In most cases, however, tender seedlings go from transplant shock to death so quickly that it's not often something you can fix. It should be no surprise to us that if we move an adolescent tomato plant from its perch on our sunny kitchen window sill to an outdoor vegetable garden at the end of spring when the days are warm, the nights are chilly, and spring rains make moisture control unpredictable, the seedling at the very least is going to go into shock. At the same time, the other is entirely unpredictable regarding temperature, humidity, wind, sunlight, and many other factors. One has a controlled temperature and humidity, no wind, virtually no pests, filtered sunlight or artificial light that never gets too hot, and predictable moisture. When we compare the conditions of your home (a seedling's temporary home) to the conditions of your garden (a seedling's permanent home), they are vastly different. Hardening off is the practice of slowly acclimating young plants to a new environment to prevent them from going into shock. But what does that mean, and why is it so important? What is Hardening Off If you've ever tried starting vegetable seeds indoors, you've probably heard someone say, "Don't forget to harden them off!" a time or two. Recent posts To Pinch or Not to Pinch 05 May, 2023 Planting Edible Flowers 06 April, 2023 Garden Staple Crops 13 March, 2023 Grow Smarter 28 April, 2022 How to Transplant Flower and Vegetable Starter Plants into Your Garden 13 April, 2022 What "Hardening Off" Seedlings Means and How to Do It 18 March, 2022 12 Reasons Why Your Seeds Aren’t Germinating 03 March, 2022 How to Grow Sunflowers 25 February, 2022 How To Water Your Garden 10 February, 2022 A Guide to Choosing the Right Plant Stand and Grow Light 04 February, 2022 Troubleshooting Seedling Problems 07 January, 2022 How to Start Seeds: Indoors, Outdoors, & Everything In-between 06 December, 2021 How to Care for Seedlings and Preventing Damping Off 04 November, 2021 How to Build a Raised Spiral Herb Garden 12 August, 2021 Save Time Planting With a Seeder 05 August, 2021 How to Garden While Pregnant (Without Killing Yourself!) 29 July, 2021 5 Reasons Why Your Flowers Aren’t Blooming 29 July, 2021 5 Reasons Why Your Vegetable Plants Aren’t Producing Fruit 29 July, 2021 Transplant vs Direct Sow: How to Know which Planting Method to Use 22 July, 2021 How to Perform a Soil Test at Home 15 July, 2021 A Beginner's Guide to Plant Nutrition 24 June, 2021 How to Take Care of Your Seeds and Seedlings 09 March, 2021 Seed Starting Myths 05 March, 2021 10 pumpkin variations 01 December, 2020 Web Feed
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