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I planted more than I should have, and I hope some of my larger seedlings survive. I up potted them last night because they are pretty good size seedlings (I would say 3-4 inches tall and leaves just about that long...oh they are different types of like black eyed susans and daisies). I moved them out into my garage into a window seal because I needed to make more room for my vegetable flats to be able to get under the good light.

A few questions for the day:

1. Do you think the ones I mentioned above are big enough to be out there in the garage with just window light? I assumed they are big enough now to not get real spinely.

2. Can you use those new CFL bulbs over the top of a small tray of flowers to give them light or do they not put out enough?

3. I think I planted some of my broccoli and cauliflower seeds too deep because they have yet to come up, so I went back in their trays and put a few more seeds in them more shallow. Not a question, but just something I did.

Thanks

I am not far from you and I turned off my lights and kicked everything outside two weeks ago. I did bring in my maters and peppers last night more because of high wind than anything else.

My houseplants also got the boot out the door and will not come back in until fall. Everything is growing by leaps and bounds. I had a flat of impatience and the last ones popped up last night so the whole tray got the boot this morning. Gotta get 'em toughend up

I have a covered porch and they sat out there the first few days then they were shuffled out into the backyard. I set up my pop up greenhouse today because the wind is not letting up otherwise my stuff would sit on the patio. I do have the door open so they are getting a little breeze.

I winter sowed broccoli, lettuce, kale, spinach and onions and they all got transplanted over the weekend.

So how big are your seedlings when you put them out to harden? I have some broccoli and cauliflower that are probably 2-3 inches tall, but I'm afraid to put them out at this point. The flowers that I referred to above in my original post I mean they look like decent size small flowers you would find at a greenhouse. The rest of my seedlings don't look big enough, but this is my first year of starting indoors and hardening off.

Thank you,

dtlove129 wrote:So how big are your seedlings when you put them out to harden? I have some broccoli and cauliflower that are probably 2-3 inches tall, but I'm afraid to put them out at this point. The flowers that I referred to above in my original post I mean they look like decent size small flowers you would find at a greenhouse. The rest of my seedlings don't look big enough, but this is my first year of starting indoors and hardening off.

Thank you,

Some of mine had just germinated and some even germinated after getting the boot. I put mine out small, only because I don't have enough lights. This is my first year and I have already spent a small fortune and couldn't justify more light setups. The weather has been awesome so I am taking advantage. I check the temps and wind speed a lot to make sure I am not going to hurt my plants. I put everything on my covered porch for the first week.

I set the flats on the ground so they were partially blocked by the railing on my covered porch for wind protection. After a couple of days I started moving them around so they got more sun and late last week they were moved to my patio table in full sun. In just two weeks they have doubled in size.

My kale, broccoli, lettuce, and onions were winter sown so they were already outside and getting really big anyway. I could have waited to transplant another week or so but the rabbits were sniffing around my jugs. I now have them planted and placed up higher.

If it is over 45 degrees my babies are outside. I have brought them in two nights since it was going to dip in to the 30's.

I have a lot of annuals that self seeded and are coming up so I figured hey if they can do it so can my babies. I read several gardening boards and spent the winter studying and keeping notes so I am learning as I go also I am also a SAHM so I have the time to do all this babysitting. A working person may not so you have to do what your gut tells you.

Wish I was a SAHD with all this great weather. I just told one of my admins that I wish I had been a teacher and gotten summers off because I hate waking up during the winter and going to work, but I hate being at work when I look out and see the sun.

Well I think I'll give most of my stuff another week before putting them out. Kind of like a bird forcing the young out the nest. If I do that then I can just have one flat of peppers and tomatoes left inside and can finally cut off some lights and such.

My set up is in front of a big window because my house has a lot of big windows, and I'm thinking that the cops will drive by one day and think I have a big marijuana shindig going on at my place.

I have a covered front porch and my back deck is pretty heavily shaded plus my deck table has a big umbrella. I will put them on one of those depending on if the wind is coming out of the south or north. Front porch would get hit by south wind and west wind, but the back porch would be pretty sheltered from those directions but it would be attacked by north and east winds. My biggest concern is keeping our outside cat out of them!