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Alright I have shasta daisies, gloriosa daisies, and black-eyed susans that have been hardened for probably a week. We are about to have good temps, cloudy skies and chances of rain for the next 3-5 days. I'm thinking I should put them out this evening so they can get all this rain and cloudy skies.

I know most say to harden off for 2 weeks, but I personally think they would get established quicker with this weather that is about to happen and no threat of hard sun.

I usually do a week - when they can stay outside all day and night without drooping, etc. then they're OK to go out

dtlove129 wrote:Alright I have shasta daisies, gloriosa daisies, and black-eyed susans . . .

Are you talking about "black-eyed susan" vines or using an alternative name for gloriosa daisies . . . rudbeckia?

I don't know about the vines but the others are quite hardy plants in a number of ways. It is difficult to predict the weather . . . 3 hours of blazing mid-day sun and your little plants may be flat out dead.

What do you think about making little tents for them with newspaper? or putting a gallon plastic bottle over them with the bottom cut out. You will have to keep the lid off and that may not even be enuf if the sun comes out. The newspaper may get wet & collapse in the rain or blow away and need to be replaced. A single wooden stake and wrap a sheet or 2 of paper around both the plant & the stake - hold down the paper with rocks.

I understand why you'd want to get them out now. It makes a good deal of sense to take advantage of rain and clouds. All a little tricky tho'. There's wet conditions, wind and a sun with a mind of its own, then - a possibility of frost(?). . . . the vicissitudes of nature.

Steve