To Harden Off Or Not?

[Decado]

I need to get my brussels sprouts hardened off and planted asap (and would like to get 9 tomatoes planted in the wall o' waters too) but the next few days are going to have 25mph+ winds. Should I just wait until the wind dies down and plant them or still harden them off and get them in the ground later than I would like?

[garden5]

You don't have to harden off, but it really does help and causes less dying of plants and will help them hold up to a dip in temperature better.

[Joyfirst]

I think, you have too, because a lot of my little ones had trouble, except the ones I put milk jugs on for a while. I am glad that my only sprouted West Burr Gherkin is growing nice, because it did get a bottle protection for a while.

[Gerrie]

Isn't it too early to plant tomatoes outside even with wall o' water? Mine won't go out for another month and I'm in zone 7/8.

[BrianSkilton]

I am going to use Wall O Water as well, and I live in South Dakota. Supposedly you can plant 2 months earlier with them, but you should fill them with water and let them heat up the soil for 1 week before planting something in that spot. However, I didn't follow these instructions, and wanted to test if these things really work. I planted one pepper plant out about 2 weeks ago, and it is still doing fine, and the temp has dropped to 30 degrees some nights. It seems these things work fine. The wind is a constant issue in this state. Yesterday we had a constant 35 mph wind, gusting to 40, so make sure you kind of anchor your wall O water. Since you fill them with water they don't move around too much. I think I am going to start planting more cold weather stuff outside since the lows are now in the high 40s and last night 60s.

[Ozark Lady]

I think some of us, tend to err on the side of caution. And some others tend to err on the side of rushing the season.

Only history of this year will tell us, who guessed right.

We have to remember the frost dates are averages, and there are extremes at both ends.

All of my trees are fully leafed out, and it looks like early summer.

I think that I will take the lead of the trees and start planting a bit more aggressively. But I do remember last year, my peach tree blossoms were destroyed by a late season ice storm. So, even the trees get fooled some years!

Did you ever watch the old movie, "Across the Great Divide"? Some children teamed up with a gambler. And towards the end of the movie the kid invites the gambler to stay with them, and says that farming is a huge gamble. I think the same is said of gardening, which way will the weather dice fall?

[Gerrie]

You're right Ozark Lady, each year is a gamble. Taking a cue from the trees is an interesting approach. If the ground is warming up, the trees will leaf out, and from what I understand once the ground warms up, it usually doesn't go cold again with a cold snap, the ground temp is very slow to change, hmm...I'll go have a look at my trees.

[Ozark Lady]

I just started outside hardening off yesterday. I have had the plants in front of the sliding glass door, getting ready for ourside.

Here is garden overview today, look on the left see the cage with the cloth over it? That is where the trays to harden off are. I simply remove the cloth to let sun in, and replace it to protect the seedlings, and to water them as the wind is being very drying to them.

[img]https://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/Ozark_Lady/000_0101_phixr.jpg[/img]

Here is the bed without the cover on:

[img]https://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/Ozark_Lady/000_0106_phixr.jpg[/img]

Here is a close up of some trays, yes some are too small, but I am simply out of room, and outside growing won't hurt them, once they harden off.

[img]https://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/Ozark_Lady/000_0108_phixr.jpg[/img]

So, I am gambling, but I also have the sliding glass door area full again, and all my lighted tables and shelves. So, I am hedging my bet! Coward that I am.

[Gerrie]

Wow, I'm impressed!! You have enough plants for a nursery. I also have mine under lights, under lights and on heat pads, in windows, in the little greenhouse, in the ground, covered, uncovered and potatoes cut up waiting to go inground as soon as the day looks like it will not rain. I just up-potted some chocolate hollyhocks and chocolate sunflowers this morning. Got to do the peppers. I've been using the little greenhouse to harden off and it seems to be working fine. There's no heat, light or auto-openings. I just go out and open it up when it's hot and leave the plants in it day and night til they go in the ground. It seems like a week or two is enough so far.