Black River
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Location: NE Arkansas

Hardening off cabbage and similar plants

I have a few cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts seedlings that aren't very big, about 3-4 inches tall, and they seem to be growing really slow in the styrofoam cups I have them in. I thought I'd go ahead and set them out now because at the rate they are growing it will be too late for them soon. I guess I should have started them sooner than January, huh? Anyway, do I need to harden off these type plants like you would tomatoes? I had my wife set them in the sun for about 10 minutes today while I was at work. I've had them under flourescent lights with my tomatoes and peppers, lights on 16-18 hours a day.....

GardenGnome
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I think you do it over 1 to 2 week period just like any other plant.
Shaded area,part shade then full sun. If you look in the seed starting part of the forum.
Or search my name I asked them a lot of stuff on what to do.

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jal_ut
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Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Yes, harden them off similar to tomatoes. You can set them out lots earlier though as they have some frost resistance. I think that is a good size for the transplants.

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rainbowgardener
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I think, yes you can definitely start hardening them off. If your weather cooperates, that doesn't have to be a real slow process, because they are very hardy. They are not a bad size for transplanting.

But I think they didn't like your styrofoam cups (they do have drainage holes, right?) or something about your set up. I started my broccoli indoors Jan 28. They are now about 6" tall and wide, leafy and bushy, starting on their fourth pair of leaves.

Black River
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Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:01 pm
Location: NE Arkansas

Yes my cups have drainage holes....you may be right, maybe it was the type of soil I was using in the cups. They look healthy, just not growing very fast. The tomatoes and peppers love it though, I can literally see a difference in size daily! :D My wife set them in shade on the porch today, I will be back home from work this weekend, and hope to set them out next week. Thanks for the replies!

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

Be sure to protect them from getting eaten.
I have rabbits in the neighborhood so I always harden off seedlings inside the fenced garden. I have different areas shaded by trees that provide good dappled light transition to full sun.



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