It kind of depends on how big a change you're making how long it will take, Dave. There are no hard and fast rules, but let's say I wanted to move a brom that had been sitting inside my house for a while out into the full sun. My first step might be to move it out to my covered lanai for a couple of weeks, then into my 50% shadehouse for a couple more weeks, then a somewhat brighter spot for a couple more weeks, before exposing it to full all-day sun. That is assuming it's a full-sun-tolerant variety, of course.

Dave - I agree with Lisa on her general method of acclimatising.

Another factor to consider is the time of year the acclimatising is done. The sun is weaker in the cooler months, so I like to acclimatise mine then when I think they will handle the brighter conditions faster than in high summer.
Once a brom is positioned in an exposed area in winter, the gradual strengthening of the sun's rays from then on will do the acclimatising for you. That is, of course, if you live in an area where your plants can grow outdoors all year.

Cheers,
Kerry

I had some neo's sitting in winter shade, with white rock ground cover on the north side of my house and as the sun creeped north in the summer it burned the heck out of them in short order (too short) in May. Acclimating in the summer is a lot harder than acclimation in the winter. That environment might have worked fine on the south side of the house.

I also have 40+ broms in my atrium and they have acclimated beautifully to the increase in the summer sun after a nice winter. Dainty neos that would burnt in 10 minutes of full sun now take 5 hours of 70% sun (atrium is screened). I have a Maribel that I keep moving to the sunniest spots since it seems to look better and better with more sun. When I got it it was clearly a shade victim. Reduce the fertilizer when increasing the sun. I suppose Super Thrive works too.

Take your time to let them acclimatise!!
I've been a bit to eager this year and caused some burns. Nothing they won't grow out of but I have to put up with some ugly leafs for a while, that's the cost of learning and experimenting...

Sander

Thanks for the input everybody. It sounds like acclimation is definitely a weeks long process, which is what I suspected. Ideally, I'd like to give things year-round homes and let them acclimate naturally. Unfortunately, though, I'm just a bit too far north and have to move things into winter quarters.

Another piece I suspected was what Sander said -- ugly leaves may be the cost of learning and experimenting. I really have no problem with experimenting, but I also know that it's possible to learn from others' mistakes.

Thanks again.

Dave

Watch close your plants every day.

First sign of sunburn

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More severe

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Tomas