In general, the process of hardening off will take about one week, and sometimes up to two weeks if the weather has an unexpected and dramatic drop in temperatures. How long do you have to harden off plants? Set them out in dappled shade all day the first day, then full sun all day the second day, and finally overnight on the third day, making sure they have plenty of water every day. In general, store-bought seedlings need less time to acclimate to the conditions in your yard. You’ll have the best chance at success if you harden off vegetables, herbs, and flowers before planting them in your garden. While nursery plants that are displayed in full sun don’t need to be hardened off, smaller seedlings that live under a shade structure are susceptible to shock if not hardened off properly. The commercial process of propagating, transplanting, packaging, and sometimes shipping them means they’re already adjusted to the outdoors by the time you buy them. Nursery-grown seedlings usually start in greenhouses before moving outside. Do you need to harden off plants purchased from a nursery? Sudden cold temperatures, in particular, can even stunt seedling growth or kill them outright. Wide swings in temperature caused by hot days and cool nights could further stress delicate seedlings, and even if they do manage to survive, they could become more vulnerable to pests and diseases. Strong winds could weaken their stems (especially if you’re already dealing with leggy seedlings) or snap them in half. If seedlings are left out in direct sun all day, their leaves could get scorched, curl under, or even fall off because they aren’t used to the intensity of unfiltered light. Plants that were started indoors are susceptible to transplant shock and heat stress if they’re not hardened off properly. What happens if you don’t harden off plants? Seedlings that have been grown in controlled conditions indoors (in a sunny window, under grow lights, or in a greenhouse) haven’t fully developed the cuticle and need time to build up their “armor” against environmental disturbances.īy gradually exposing seedlings to the outside elements, you stimulate their natural defenses and give them time to adapt to their new environment. Why? For this simple reason: All plants have a protective waxy coating on the leaves (called a cuticle) that repels water, reduces the rate of dehydration, and filters harmful ultraviolet light. They need to toughen up before you fling them into the deep end of the pool, so to speak. Up until this point, your seedlings have been protected from wind, rain, cold, heat, and intense sunlight. You don’t want to transplant seedlings directly in the garden without “weaning” them first, and this goes for vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Hardening off your seedlings is the vital step of acclimating them to the outdoors to assure their survival. What does it mean to harden off seedlings? Shortcut #2: Use a portable “mini greenhouse” to protect your seedlings outside.Shortcut #1: Transplant your seedlings outside during a period of cloudy weather.How to harden off seedlings in less than 7 days with these garden shortcuts.Day 6: Set your seedlings outside all day and all night. Day 5: Set your seedlings outside in full sun all day.
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