JayPoc
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Location: Virginia, The mountains Zone 6a/6b

When do you let your kiddies outside to play?

Ok...so I started a few plants inside WAY too soon. I figure if I can keep these things going until they're ready to go out for good, I can get some early production. They're under lights, and just getting their first true leaves. So when, temperature wise do you put yours outside? In other words, what do you consider when deciding whether to put some outside? Some days, it might be 34 or 36 degrees when I leave for work, but mid 60s by the afternoon. I'd like to put them out on such days, but I'm just not sure...

Thoughts?

tomc
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In a hoop-house in the next few weeks, Open in-field May 15th in 6-B.

JayPoc
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Location: Virginia, The mountains Zone 6a/6b

tomc wrote:In a hoop-house in the next few weeks, Open in-field May 15th in 6-B.
Yeah...That's about the timeline I'm supposed to follow, but I usually beat that by a couple weeks and have to sweat out a few borderline nights. I was really trying to ask about putting them out on a day by day basis. In other words, what sort of day is it "warm enough" to put them out when I go to work, and what sort of day should I keep them inside?

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I think the key is to get them hardened to full sun. Then, even if it's officially in the 30's in the morning, you will be able to put them out in the sunlight -where temps could be anywhere from 40's+ as long as it's not windy- and they can enjoy the even warmer temps later in the day. Often I think that my plants inside the upper 60's or low 70's are not getting as high temps as they could be if they were outside in the sun when officially the temperature is in the 50's.

Providing protection from wind can make a big difference.



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