If you do not have freezing temps during that period and they were properly planted and well watered they should be fine. These plants will sulk in cool weather( just sit there and look unhappy) but it takes freezing temps to kill them.

If it doesn't freeze, they won't die.

So protection against freezes? Well, whatever you put over them to protect them may or may not protect them from a freeze depending on how hard it is, and may or may not overheat them if the sun comes out on a warm day. Freeze protection is something that requires some management.

A 10-day vacation? Even if you get them in the ground, is someone going to be able to water the seedlings?

You can certainly cover them all with Reemay or harvest cloth/row cover. That should afford several degrees of cold protection should low temperature occur (good to 28F) while you are gone. It is also a good idea to do so to prevent against a lot of flying pests. Allows adequate water penetration and light and will not overheat.

ETA: watering would NOT be a concern in my area at this time of year but that is very locationally dependent :-)) YMMV

I know from all your previous posts that you understand that you have basically "painted yourself in a corner" here and are looking for a way out and reassurances that all will be well. Sadly, there is no ideal solution.

It would be wonderful if everyone could provide you with a guarantee everything will be fine and you can relax and enjoy your vacation. But we can't. At this point you basically have to walk on the fresh paint to get out of the corner or stay where you are until it dries. ;-) Your options at this point are to cancel the "poorly planned vacation" or plant them now even though it is early, cross your fingers, hope for the best, and then deal with whatever happens when you get back.

So if you can't have both, roll the dice and take your chances. It is something we have all had to do at one time or another and it is a beneficial learning experience no matter which way it goes.

Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Dave

@Dave LOL - you are right I totally messed this up this year - LOL @ multiple post - yeah I can get annoying sometimes.. Unfortunately, this trip is a must - been planning it for over a year for my mother's 60th birthday. It's just at the time I didn't realize how much I would enjoy gardening (which I started AFTER I already booked the entire trip... yeah >____< ). I definitely am aware there are no such things as guarantees. Last year my dad and brothers told me I was wasting my time gardening because it would weed out - I had so much harvest I was donating it.

Eitherway you're right - it's a learning experience.. this year I'm trying many different varieties, I'm making trellises/cages, tilling soil, etc etc - it's fun that's how one improves and next year will be different.

I guess I'll just bite the bullet and plant them outside . The all time low during my trip is 39 on Sat+Sun. There are "chances of rain showers" - so spring burst rain. I plan on planting my eggplants/peppers a little deeper, my beans/pea plants are BIG and angry and my tomatoes are bushy and short... I may post pictures on this forum after work to see how people feel about their current condition (not sure why I'm doing this... probably like you said earlier... hope + looking for a way out).

Thanks!!!

If it is any comfort - we have all been there and done that and have the T-shirts to prove it. Join the club. ;-)

Dave

Just go with the flo. Most New gardeners overthink every thing and fret themselves into a frenzy. Relax if lowest predicted temp is 39 F , you are not drawing to an inside straight. The odds are in your favor. Don't worry about the water. Except in arid zones our fore fathers grew all their crops without irrigation. I still do except for occasional supplemental during periods of drought.

Row covers or reemay/harvest cloth can be left on the plants during the day without issue. You can leave it in place the entire time you are gone.

I did exactly the same vacation, left May 9th last year. It got chilly, as it is forecast to this year, no frost though, it got down to 38F one night. Plants looked like crap when I got back, but recovered fine.

Gardengal- That is definitely true about the row cover but from the OP's past threads and the statement "god I'm wasting so much money" that I assume they were looking for the cheapest, quick fix option.

Rodney

I hate to say this but "cheapest and quickest" seldom coincide with the best or most practical approach!!

Hmmm bedsheets - that's a great idea! Unfortunately my friends live in the states (I live in Canada)... so that won't work (don't ask about neighbors I never see them and their weeds are close to 2 feet now). Would bedsheet limit the daylight during the day? I can go to a thriftstore and see if I can find very thin ones.

Here's the pictures as promised - not sure how healthy or ready they are for outside ground planting... and I do understand there are no guarantees

Tomatoes (there are 3 Okra plants there LOL) - I know I should move them to bigger pots.. but I didn't want to injury them again and then transplant them into the ground (especially since I already hurt them a lot when I transplanted the super spindly cuttings) - sorry the last two images suffer from lightning

Pepper/Eggplant Combo - as you can see - lots of them. Their color looks nice... BUT I think the stems aren't thick enough (see third picture) - but I can't tell for sure. I plan on planting them deeper into the ground (and I may stake/use a Florida weave - but AFTER I come back from the trip)

Lastly... beans - they are wrapping around each other and bending over... they are aching for that trellis. I THINK they are healthy - but quite frankly I've never grown them before (again sorry about the lightning).

Gardengal- "I hate to say this but "cheapest and quickest" seldom coincide with the best or most practical approach!!"

I agree. If possible, row covers would be the best option. I was just putting an idea out there.

Mystearica- "Would bedsheet limit the daylight during the day?"

Yes, it would. That's why I said it should be taken off in the morning.

Oops. I think my timeline got mixed up from reading too fast. It is this weekend you are worried about and you won't be leaving until the middle of next week? Then my comment about needing friends to help cover the plants doesn't really apply if you can do it yourself.

Rodney