Thanks Dave. I have all of my beds are under 0.9oz fleece tunnels already.

Sorry to jump in, but can you tell me more about this hardening off process? I have never done it and only heard of it for the first time last year. I've been gardening for 10 years in a hot desert climate. I usually have my garden in early March but it has been too cold (for me, not the plants) to put it in yet. I think I have lost tomato starts in the past due to not doing this hardening off. Thanks!

Ruth, are you planting from seed at home under grow light or sunny window?

No, I just buy starts from local nurseries.

Ruth, you got nothing to worry about. The plants at the nurseries are ready to go straight to your garden.

If you grow them at home under grow light and they were never exposed to the sun and wind and cold nights you need to harden them off before you can put them out to the brutal world of mother nature.

Good luck.

Ok thank you. Last year the owner of the nursery told me I should harden them off. Or at least it can help increase the odds of the plants doing better.

Agree with what the owner told you. Many times the commercially purchased plants have NOT been hardened off, especially if you buy from the big box stores.

Dave

FAQs: easy-hardening-off-method

Thanks for the feedback. Thanks for the link too. I guess I still don't understand what "hardening off" exactly is and how do I know if my plants require it? My nursery is small and locally owned. I know most plants around this area are hybrids so don't know if he's growing them himself but I sort of assume he is.

Ruth - hardening off means getting plants gradually used to big changes in their environment so the shock doesn't kill them. If they have been grown in a greenhouse or indoors then if you can't just take them out and plant them in the garden or shock often kills them. It is totally different light source and amount, windy, and totally different temps then they are used to.

So anytime a plant is going to undergo a drastic change in its environment it first has to be slowly exposed to that new environment. It is normally done a couple of hours at a time over several days in a semi sheltered outside location and then gradually exposed to full sun, wind, and the very different temps.

They can't go right from 70 degrees indoors to 50 degrees out doors, from artificial lights to full on sun, from still air indoors to high winds outdoors. In the greenhouse business our plants get moved from inside under lights out to a covered patio with wind screens when the outside temp is approx. the same as inside. Then over several days they get moved to tables in the shade and then to tables in the sun and then finally exposed to outside tables in full sun and wind. Follow me?

Dave