StarLiteFarms
On The Way Up
Joined: 04 May 2007
Posts: 149
Location: Oklahoma, Piedmont
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:03 pm Post subject: Hardening plants? How? |
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Ok, its near time to get plants out doors but I dont know how to go from indoors to out. As ive stated before, my plants are inside the house sitting next to my window which is on the south side of my house. Do i crack the window to give them a breeze of outdoors? or do i just start putting them all outside in she shade from now on? What do i do? Thanks!! (:
Sarah
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Sjoerd
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 1114
Location: West - Friesland
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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Well SLF, there are several ways to do it. I'll just say how I do it, and I suspect that others shall have their own ways to add here as well.
First of all, I begin on the window sill.
I crack the window (near)them, taking care not to let it draft constantly onto them. * (one exception here is brassicas).
As it gets closer to the time that I can put them out in a protected place(about 2-3 weeks before), I set them outside during the daytime, bringing them in at night (the first week to week-and-a-half).
The second and third weeks, I leave them outside day and night (in a protected place)and bring them back in only if it is 100% sure that it will frost.
So you see, I do it in a very simplistic way. I vary the technique depending upon what the plant is also.
I have mentioned before that that sometimes I erect a small circular "pen" covered with plastic if I'm unable to control myself and feel that I just HAVE to put plants out before it's actually safe. If you don't do this you may well find that the sun or cold wind may 'burn' the leaves...sometimes to the degree that the grow point dies or the whole plantlet occasionally. At the least it's growth will be set back while it tries to produce more leaves.
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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html
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Griphook
Just Arrived
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 18
Location: TENNESSEE (Map)
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| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:22 am Post subject: |
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I put my tomato plants out for five hours on a warm, sunny, but windy day two weeks ago.When I brought them back in all the leaves were wilted. All the green had left and they were almost transparent. I brought them back in and about half the plants seem to have rebounded and are doing fine. The other half are gone. Luckily I started about four times as many plants as I thought I needed, this being my first garden. I hope to have better luck this coming week.
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StarLiteFarms
On The Way Up
Joined: 04 May 2007
Posts: 149
Location: Oklahoma, Piedmont
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| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info!!! Today after i find where i put the WD-40 and spray the windows, im going to open the windows for the day and let them breath the fresh air. I just noticed hubby accidentally broke a squash plant ): ive got yellow flowers grpwing on em! yay! Hope the hardening doesnt hurt them and i do it right!
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Horses and Cows and Chickens OH MY! Manure anyone?! (;
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Sjoerd
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 1114
Location: West - Friesland
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| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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Flowers on yer squash plants!! I'm gobsmacked! What kind of temps do you have there at the moment? That's great.
Do you guys eat the flowers? They are good in salads.
Wow Griphook, you're a brave soul to put those toms out so early...or is it already fairly warm there? It's too early for me to put them out just yet here, but I am going to move them from my windowsill tomorrow and take them out to the lottie and put them in the greenhouse. I've got the soil warming up there already.
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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html
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StarLiteFarms
On The Way Up
Joined: 04 May 2007
Posts: 149
Location: Oklahoma, Piedmont
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| Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:25 am Post subject: |
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Yes they have some flowers. I was suprised too! as ive stated that im new to this growing and i only started them on March 10th and they are still indoors. The outside temps are ranging from 40s to upper 70s here. Today was perfect! My plants i think enjoyed the window being opened up! (: Ive never ate a squash flower. Id rather wait til it makes an actual squash and eat that part Lol. (:
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Horses and Cows and Chickens OH MY! Manure anyone?! (;
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nan1234
On The Way Up
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 138
Location: Chicago Area
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| Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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My squash and cucumber platns are 4 to 5 feet high now and cucumber plants already have fruits on it. But I have to keep them indoor for another two weeks  , based on 15 day weathercast from AccuWeather. Bad luck this year. It will even have snow tomorrow night.
Never put unhardened plants outside unprotected in a windy day. Strong wind will destroy their leaves or break their stems. Give tall palnts a good support and secue their stems to the support. Place them separately so they will not touch each other. Especially do not allow plants with rough leaves (cucumbers) to touch plants with tender leaves (tomatoes).
Increase the outdoor time gradually until their leaves get dark and thick and stems get strong. Then, you can put them outside when the night temprature will not fall under 40F (for warm weather plants). Do not count on weather based on today's tempreture. Check 15 day weather forecast.
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