Alright here is one for the almighty gardeners out there.
What if you have some plants that are fully hardened off and have been staying outside for over a week after hardening off. Than you bring them inside and put them back under lights to avoid the near tornadic thunderstorms ripping through everyday. After being inside for 3-4 day's can they go straight back out or do they need to be re-acclimated slowly again?
What say you?
Dono
-
gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
-
Ozark Lady
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1862
- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
Gixx,
I always view hardening off plants: like a person getting a suntan.
Once you get a bit of tan, does a few days inside set you back? Maybe, unless you were really tanned to begin with.
But, if you are just beginning your tan, and can't tan due to rain, when you start working on your tan again, just back up a little bit, if you were up to an hour in the sun before, then just hold at 45 minutes.
For your plants do the same thing, just back up a little bit from where you were, but you don't have to start over.
I always view hardening off plants: like a person getting a suntan.
Once you get a bit of tan, does a few days inside set you back? Maybe, unless you were really tanned to begin with.
But, if you are just beginning your tan, and can't tan due to rain, when you start working on your tan again, just back up a little bit, if you were up to an hour in the sun before, then just hold at 45 minutes.
For your plants do the same thing, just back up a little bit from where you were, but you don't have to start over.
-
gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
My plants lived outside 24/7 for nearly two weeks then on sunday night came back in and were in all week (no lights tho!) due to icy cold temps and some nasty storms. I didn't even consider the rehardening aspect and plopped them out on the back table all day. 8 hours of full sunlight later they all look fine! My plants consist or tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, marigolds, and also some very baby tomato seedlings that were basically started outside. Even those babies did well today, I'd almost swear they grew an inch....
-
gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
Sounds good Dixana.
I just threw them out anyways myself. I am kind of a Tough Love gardener when it comes to things like that.
Oh and glad everything came out alright for you. Frozen plants are no good.
A little side note. I put out some baby tom's last week sometime. They were 2-3 inches tall still obviously with their seed leaves on them. They are still growing even through all the massive thunderstorms we have had. Feisty little buggers they are.
I just threw them out anyways myself. I am kind of a Tough Love gardener when it comes to things like that.
Oh and glad everything came out alright for you. Frozen plants are no good.
A little side note. I put out some baby tom's last week sometime. They were 2-3 inches tall still obviously with their seed leaves on them. They are still growing even through all the massive thunderstorms we have had. Feisty little buggers they are.
When my plants were really tiny I had them out for the afternoon/evening and we left. The weather reports said "possible showers". Possible showers turned into a NASTY thunderstorm with 30 mph winds and my plants were sitting in a box on the roof of a truck! They survived 
I think those little seedings are tougher than we give them credit for.
I think those little seedings are tougher than we give them credit for.