Step Three – Hardening off

Step Three of my five step program blog.

Earlier in the season, if you are following my plan, you've made some garden plans. You've decide what your going to grow, how many of each plant, and when and where everything will go. Good for you! By this point you also have quit a few trays of young seedling all vying for space under grow lights. With yet more seeds to start, the pressure is now on to get the older ones transplanted out.

This is the point in time, where many of us (including yours truly) sometimes drop the ball and end up injuring or killing the very plants we've worked so hard to get to this point. While that lettuce plant or cucumber may look strong on the outside, it's actually a weakling on the inside. Every since germination, each plant has been inside, coddled and care for. Transplanting them outside, without first going through a hardening off process, can guarantee problems. In the springtime, conditions outside can be chaotic to say the least. Temperatures can quickly go from nice and warm to very cold. Rain can fall in torrents and high winds will desiccate the unprotected or weak. This is no place for a newbie plant!

Graduation

I look at it this way... So far, your young vegetable charges have been in grade school. While they have been growing by leaps and bounds, they are still naive to the harsh ways of the world. They need to go to Plant High School where they can learn to be independent, strong and productive. That's where a cold frame of some sort comes in (please see my video series on making a simple one). A cold frame is actually nothing more than a boxed in area with some sort of cover that can be moved on top of or off of as conditions dictate. If you lack a formal cold frame, grab a cardboard box, cut it down and place a thin towel over the top. Improvise, adapt and overcome! Viola, you've made a cold frame on the fly!

Cold frames

Place your trays outside into the 'frame' initially for just a short time, say a few hours with the cover on to give maximum protection. Then, after a few days of this, most the tray outside permanently. Use the cover during the nighttime hours to maintain a constant temperature. During the daytime, make sure that the young plants do not get too much sun or heat at first. I like to keep a wireless thermometer inside one of my frames so I can keep an eye on what's going on. (There are even ways to get your readings over the internet if you are at work). In general, though, once you get past the first few days, you can leave your starts pretty much on their own, making sure only to water them as needed. After a week or so, the plants can be taken out an placed close to where they are to be transplanted. I like to then keep an eye on the weather and wait for a period when it will be overcast and or rainy to transplant them out. If, you follow this procedure and if you have a bit of luck, you will have avoided any of the dreaded 'checks' I mentioned in earlier blogs.

Reemay

The last thing you need to watch out for, once the seedling tray is transplanted out, will be garden pests. This includes the family dog who will want to dig the whole area up! A cover of reemay comes in really handy. This very thin and lightweight material, will cover the plants without harming them, while letting in light and moisture. It's real strength, however, is its ability to keep pests at bay!

My next topic will cover Step Four - Transplanting out.