[wyandotty]

How does everyone else harden off their plants before planting out. 

At the moment all my veg is in a cold greenhouse.  It gets quite hot in there during the day and the windows open up automatically but I do leave the door open for more air. 

Do you think this is enough or should I still harden them off outside each day.

[fletch]

I've been putting my stuff outside during the day and back in again a night for the last week. Last night I left them out all night for the first time as it was no power than 8C. A few more days of this and I'll plant them out.

[prakash_mib]

agree with fletch. I think the process of hardening really hardens the plant for the natural env. like wind, sun, rain etc.
if you put things in cold frame it would be very hard for the plant to survive (they might) when you bring them out on a windy day.
leave them outside on a shelf (I have got a GI shelf like the BEEQ garden centre), or on the garden.

[JayG]

In a cold frame (lids open during the day, closed at night.)

At least a week in there and then only plant out the really tender stuff if the weather and forecast (particularly the temperature) look favourable otherwise they are better off staying there a bit longer.

[kermit]

This year I've just been sowing everything outside, in nodules and under cosy cloches in a sheltered sunny spot.  So far worked a treat, and then (hopefully Im right here), I've just been planting straight out.  If its a particularly cold night, the fleece / cloches get re-applied.

Last year I was sick of messing around taking things in and out.  Also it stops seedlings getting too leggy.

The only things that are getting the 5* indoor treatment are toms and chillies.  Some particulalry leggy toms went into plastic greenhouse at the weekend, with smaller backup plants remaining inside until mid May.

[Kristen]

I put out, and bring back in.  Gives me a chance to look at the plants as I move them in and out - to see what's eating them, that sort of thing

I have trays that take 20 3.5" pots, and also gravel trays that take about 80 newspaper pots (blinking heavy when full though!) which makes it easy to move things in & out.

I put thing out earlier, and bring in later, as the week progresses so they get more doses of "chill", and early in the season if the weather is particularly cold / windy during the day I might keep them in