Hardening Off...

[vikkib]

I'd like to start hardening off some of my toms, courgettes and butternut squash, ready for them to go into my plastic greenhouse.

I took a few of them out into the garden yesterday as it was lovely and sunny but when I bough them back in, a couple of hours later, only the largest courgette plants weren't wilting/looking a bit tired.

I know they are used to a warm room with very little air movement and I'm nervous of leaving them out all day.

Despite my garden being fairly enclosed it's fairly windy where I live so should I make a little shelter for them or should I pop them in the plastic greenhouse with the door rolled up so they don't get too hot?

The other problem is I leave for work at about 6.30am and it's still really nippy at that time of day. Should I just be waiting until the days are warmer?

Sorry for all the questions - I don't want to murder all my plants!

[vicky]

If you are going to grow them in a greenhouse why not put them straight into that rather than outside? They should be fine in that from early morning. You can bring them inside at night if the greenhouse is still too cold although you may well be able to leave them in it overnight too.
My seedlings that I'm hardening off (to go outside) are suffering a bit from wilting too - I think it is the wind...

[teakdesk]

If they were in strong sun then the plants will have been losing moisture from the leaves. Much more than being inside, especially if there was a drying wind.

Make sure the compost is wet enough to replace this lost moisture (ie probably need a bit more than when inside).

[Alice]

Plants that have been grown indoors are very soft VikkiB. When I first put them out to start hardening off I put a bit of fleece over them no matter how good the weather is.
Squash really doesn't like to go out in any wind when it's soft and just faints.
But they do recover.

[vikkib]

Thanks everyone!

I will start popping them in the greenhouse during the day and leave the door rolled up for them so it doesn't get too hot.

I used a min/max therm yesterday and with the door closed it got up to 38C in there.

It is a Wilko walk in one and the plastic isn't 100% transparent so I don't think it gets as hot as the first one I bought but I don't think the seedling would appreciate 38C when they are used to a maximum of 20C - 25C.

[Two_Sheds]

On a sunny day, you will want to put some shade over the roof of your plastic greenhouse - I peg a towel to the top of mine. Otherwise the plants scorch.

My courgettes etc are being started in the plastic greenhouse, not the house - so they don't grow too soft from the off.

[vikkib]

On a sunny day, you will want to put some shade over the roof of your plastic greenhouse - I peg a towel to the top of mine. Otherwise the plants scorch.

Thanks (again!) Two Sheds! I'm out for most of the day and leaving soon so I'm glad a visited the vine before I left - I'll go and find a towel or two now!

I had noticed this morning a little bit of yellowing on the edges of a couple of leaves on the squash plants this morning and I was wondering whether they were getting too hot on the window, sill since we've had a few hot and sunny days down this way, so was wondering about how they would fare in the plastic greenhouse.

[thecarnage]

If they are going to live in the greenhouse permanently then they can probably go in there and stay there - no hardening off required.

[vikkib]

If they are going to live in the greenhouse permanently then they can probably go in there and stay there - no hardening off required.

I'm still not sure where they are going to end up eventually!

I'm getting some beds ready but need a hand to speed things up (unfortunately OH is not really interested!) friends/family are but their time, like mine is limited!

Some of them will probably be in the GH but for now I'll start hardening them off just in case!

I figure a week of being in the GH during the day with the door rolled up will help them acclimatise to the heat and a bit of a breeze, then I'll try them outside 'proper' for a week during the day and see how they fare.

Not having any problems so far - nothing fainting/wilting and some growth spurts from the squashes so I'm smiling!