“Hardening off” is a process where you slowly adjust your plants to life outdoors. Take my little ones outdoors under a protected/covered area for a couple of hours to start a 7 to 14 day hardening off process. After 5–7 days of hardening off, the seedlings will be ready to be transplanted to their final growing position. This can be reduced by: hardening off seedlings gradually; watering the plants … I'm hardening off some seedling to plant out soon, but it is still way too soon for the melons so they are just along for the ride! Suddenly moving plants from a stable environment to one with wide variations in temperature, light and wind can seriously weaken plants. Hardening off involves getting seedlings used to conditions outside gradually. This typically spans about a week. Through your own experimentation in your specific zone you'll come up with your personal technique for hardening off seedlings, but until then here's what I do: 1. B. Steps to Harden Off Your Transplants: 1. Hardening off should take a minimum of a week and may take up to two. HARDENING OFF IS KEY . A loose soil enriched with moderate amounts of organic matter or fertilizer to supply nutrients is best. Once my seedlings get a few leaves, I then leave any covers off, and they naturally "harden off" with the fluctuations in heat during the day in their covered outdoor position. Suddenly moving plants from a stable environment to one with wide variations in temperature, light and wind can seriously weaken plants. Damping off occurs in many types of soil and in various climates. I like to situate my seedlings on a patio table under an umbrella to shade them from the sun and shelter from rain. The amount of damage to seedlings depends on the particular fungus, soil moisture and temperature. Over the next few days, gradually increase the time outdoors by a 1-2 hours. Transplanting. On day 1, set your seedlings in a shady, wind-free area outdoors for about 2-3 hours. When a seedling is planted in a new growing position it experiences transplant shock. This is one of the down sides of a multi pot. DO NOT OVER WATER SEEDLINGS! I should put them in their own pots - they are getting big enough. Harden off plants gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Hardening off should take a minimum of a week and may take up to two. One Way to Harden Off Seedlings. ”Harden off” your seeds before you transplant them outside. Jan 27, 2019 - If you harden off seedlings, they'll be strong when transplanted and able to withstand full sun, light breezes, spring rains, and fluctuating temperatures. Hardening Off. For most plants, start hardening off about a week before the final frost date for your area. Typically, germinating seeds are killed by the damping-off fungus prior to emerging from the ground, and older, more established plants are seldom affected. DIRECT SOWING Turn over garden soil with spade or fork. 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