Do I need to harden them off again?

[sheeshshe]

I have a cold frame/mini greenhouse. It isn't heated, so I only put the seedlings out there when it is a sunny warm enough day that the temp will be sufficient for them. Since they were inside for a while, I had to put them out there this past week, shading them as I went to get them used to it. A bunch got really badly sunburned anyways. I have to take them in at night because it is too cold.

Well, This week it isn't going to be very warm outside and it won't be sunny, so it isn't going to warm up in there. I think I'll have to keep them inside all week. Am I going to have to go through the whole hardening off process again? I am afraid to lose more plants to burning etc. Clearly I am not very good at it! It is hard to keep track of them while chasing kids all day.

I need to figure out a cheap way to heat it just enough. that way I can keep them out always... maybe.

[applestar]

It's going to be like that all week for me -- during the day sunny enough to be up to 80° in the sun in the open, but down to the 30's at night. Can't be trundling them in and out everyday! I got one of those shelves with vinyl and shadecloth cover. It also has a blackout cover and one thought was to put the blackout cover on top of everything else, but then I'd have to run out there at dawn (while it's still too cold!).

So I'm thinking Christmas lights.... I also already have 2 one gallon plastic jugs inside black plastic pots and one brown glass jug I got from a microbrewery (I'm supposed to take it back for a refill, but priorities! ) that are filled with water sitting in the bottom.

[sheeshshe]

I've heard about the water jugs before. do they really work?

Thought about christmas lights. do the small tiny ones emit heat or just the bigger ones? I'd have to run an extension cord for like 200 feet. UGH. no outlet on that side of the house!

[Duh_Vinci]

For a small, tunnel style cold frame, small Christmas lights work fine (using them is that way around my in-ground tomato plant, just wrapped a string around the cage, and frost blanket over the top in the frost nights...

But for the green house, I'd suspect that would not be nearly enough, however, how "small" is your green house? Because if it is just 7-10 standard flats you are worrying about, 7' concrete mesh (you know, those rusty ones), bend it into a tunnel/dome shape, trellis those mini Christmas lights over the top and cover your flats in that way? Then, in the morning, just remove the entire dome and set aside...

Regards,
D

[Timlin]

I put mine out and leave them out. I throw a good blanket over the cold frame at night and we put a 60 watt bulb inside. Unless it completely freezes very hard they will be fine and it will make them tough.

It won't freeze inside until it's very much below freezing outside. If it's a greenhouse situation just put a bit of a cage over things and throw the blanket over the caging.........anything to just protect them a little bit. You'll be surprised how well they'll do (and I lost a lot of sleep when I first was convinced to try this on my own plants). And they will be so stocky and strong you'll be amazed.

[sheeshshe]

it is a 6 foot long by 3 feet high and 3 feet wide.

[sheeshshe]

My only issue is that I don't have an outlet on that side of the house so I'm not sure how to get a cord there.

[!potatoes!]

a couple gallon-jugs of water definitely helps, especially if they're pretty warm when you put them out there, and in an enclosed space.