out in out
 

I bought some tomato plants at a roadside stand but we are having a cold snap and I want to keep them indoors.How long can I keep them indoors before I have to start the hardening process all over?
They have been exposed to sunlight but are stunted because of the cold weather.
Night-time temps are in the 40's.

Interesting question. I'd guess that any new vegetation might be shocked at going out for the first time, but I don't believe that the hardening of the old foliage "expires".

But think like a scientist. Try it out. Keep meticulous notes. If the plants die, they died for the cause of knowledge.

If they have been outside before you bought them they are used to it and unless you can give them great light bringing them inside in the daytime will not benefit them. imo night temps in the 40's won't kill them if they are not in the wind. what is the daytime temp? They will get growing once it's warm and you will be ahead with tough hardened off plants.

KarenO

If you can put them out in the day and bring them at night when it's cold and windy - it would be a good thing. It can be a pain moving them so often though.

I pull them in, got some back in right now under lights, had to do it last year and the year before. Heat or cold is manageable, cold and damp for several days running I dislike.

I will bring them in and under lights until they are robust.
Daytime temps in the 50's and windy.

Similar climate here, NY6a. The weather will turn around after the next weekend. Then
out they should go in bright shade. Also depending on size and pot size. My 'robust'
plants, 10-12inch in Tall 4" pots have been out for a couple weeks...no room inside but
did not even bother sliding into the garage. (but i have 600-ish) in various states of
growth.
A few younger seedlings are still inside under lights. Some recently potted up are under
lights needing some stable recovery time. They will go out next week.

If yours are in small six packs i would pot up in 4inch if you have the pots and soil.
Small pots can be used year after year so it is a good investment.
Especially if you have a couple weeks before plant-out.
(one of the dollar stores has a good size 4-6inch pot, 5 for a dollar)...gives you a head
start but not sure what your have purchased....

Mine stay outside unless the temperature drops below 40 and then I just bring them in for the night. They never stay in longer than that and they never go back under the lights.

Forgot to mention that mine are on my front porch which is open in the front but has side walls and a roof over it so they are out of the wind and I can pull the trays back towards the house it it gets really windy.

got a six pack of mortgage lifter,it was funny when I was putting them into a bigger container they looked like they were originally leggy and the place buried them deep in the transplant.
There was like 2 inches of stem buried.Have them in the house now.
More robust plants I bought in this episode I have outside under glass in bigger pots.

Depending on where in CT you are ( by the water or inland ?) , your plant out date could be right around the corner.
I have lived in Southern Fairfield Cty for a number of years and Mothers Day was the start of plant out. I had done even earlier than that.

About Your purchased plants : I would just start hardening them off right away, no need to take them back inside to put under light.

I can see the water from here.
Usual plant date is memorial day weekend.
I put the plants out to take advantage of the sun.
I cheated with other store bought plants and put them in my cement blocks with heater cable 2 weeks ago.
Many have blossoms now.

I had them inside but still lost 50%.
I noticed they are RL instead of PL like ones I started from saved seed.

There is more than one variety with the name of "Mortgage Lifter". There is Estler's, Radiator Charlies, Halladay's, Mullen's, Quisenberry's and more. So it is very hard to get the same variety that you had before unless you have saved seeds or know which one it was that you have grown. And yes, some of them are RL and other PL so yes they are different varieties. That is the problem of growing Mortgage Lifter, just too many like names for different plants.

[QUOTE=slugworth;642593]I had them inside but still lost 50%.
I noticed they are RL instead of PL like ones I started from saved seed.[/QUOTE]
Generally Mortgage lifter refers to Radiator Charley variety. ( RC ML).
They have RL.