Hardening Tomatoe plants

gregory · February 28, 2015

I just started today. We will have a few days of good weather and then by Thursday back inside. I am hoping after this cold front that I will be fortunate enough to get them in the ground no later then March 14th or so 2 weeks from now.

Time is of the essence since the growing season is short. My problem is a third of the plants are 19-20 inches in 6weeks amazing how fast they grow. I will have to trench plant the tall ones. The others are around 12 inches hopefully the hardening process will slow the growth height wise.

heirloomtomaguy · February 28, 2015

Cool air and lights an inch or 2 above your plants are your slow grow friends.

gregory · February 28, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by heirloomtomaguy

Cool air and lights an inch or 2 above your plants are your slow grow friends.

My wife likes the house cool. So the temps are between 60-65 and the lights were
Inch or two above. I bet those are the best growing temps. Now that they are outside tonight with a low of 47 maybe that will slow them down

Cole_Robbie · February 28, 2015

Hardening is mostly about tolerance to UV light. My seedlings will get sun burnt down to stems and then regrow all new leaves unless I take it gradually.

Direct Sunlight · March 5, 2015

My plants start getting lighter on the leaves after they've been out for a few days, and quit growing. They eventually come back in the spring but takes about 2 weeks. In the late summer most of them die. I do set them out gradually, sliding them a little further each day from the shade provided by the house. Am wondering if they'd do better with the trays on grass vs concrete, would make it messier to bring in and out of the house in our unpredictable March.

snugglekitten · March 11, 2015

A few years ago I did my "master race" cruel experiment and waited until 99% of my little ones died from frost. I think it did the trick that I have naturally hardened cold-tolerant germoplasm, but I replaced my monocle and swagger stick with loving kindness now, and am less cruel to the little ones.

spuriousmonkey · March 16, 2015

I put my seedlings in the unheated greenhouse from 10:30 till 15.00 atm.

That's because before 10 the greenhouse is still frozen and after 15:00 temperatures drop rapidly.

They seem to be fine with the direct sunlight. Did the same last year. But then again, I am far up north and the sun isn't that strong.

joseph · March 16, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by spuriousmonkey

I put my seedlings in the unheated greenhouse ... I am far up north and the sun isn't that strong.

If the greenhouse has plastic glazing, then that is screening out the UV light. I love hardening off plants under 6 mil or thicker plastic!

lexusnexus · May 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Hardening is mostly about tolerance to UV light. My seedlings will get sun burnt down to stems and then regrow all new leaves unless I take it gradually.

I hadn't looked at it in this way.

Dan

February 28, 2015	#1
gregory Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mobile zone 8 Posts: 83	Hardening Tomatoe plants I just started today. We will have a few days of good weather and then by Thursday back inside. I am hoping after this cold front that I will be fortunate enough to get them in the ground no later then March 14th or so 2 weeks from now. Time is of the essence since the growing season is short. My problem is a third of the plants are 19-20 inches in 6weeks amazing how fast they grow. I will have to trench plant the tall ones. The others are around 12 inches hopefully the hardening process will slow the growth height wise. __________________ Zone 8 Mobile AL

February 28, 2015	#2
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Cool air and lights an inch or 2 above your plants are your slow grow friends. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

March 5, 2015	#5
Direct Sunlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: N. Texas, Zone 8A Posts: 79	My plants start getting lighter on the leaves after they've been out for a few days, and quit growing. They eventually come back in the spring but takes about 2 weeks. In the late summer most of them die. I do set them out gradually, sliding them a little further each day from the shade provided by the house. Am wondering if they'd do better with the trays on grass vs concrete, would make it messier to bring in and out of the house in our unpredictable March. __________________ "Sure it grows where you are, but..."

February 28, 2015	#4
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Hardening is mostly about tolerance to UV light. My seedlings will get sun burnt down to stems and then regrow all new leaves unless I take it gradually.

March 11, 2015	#6
snugglekitten BANNED Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Land of the White Eagle Posts: 341	A few years ago I did my "master race" cruel experiment and waited until 99% of my little ones died from frost. I think it did the trick that I have naturally hardened cold-tolerant germoplasm, but I replaced my monocle and swagger stick with loving kindness now, and am less cruel to the little ones.

March 16, 2015	#7
spuriousmonkey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 28	I put my seedlings in the unheated greenhouse from 10:30 till 15.00 atm. That's because before 10 the greenhouse is still frozen and after 15:00 temperatures drop rapidly. They seem to be fine with the direct sunlight. Did the same last year. But then again, I am far up north and the sun isn't that strong.