Hardening Off

[Aunty Social]

Good morning, everyone.

Last year, my first year gardening properly, I started hardening off mid-April.

Not sure when to start this year as we had snow last Monday.

I have a PVC mini greenhouse, will be (hopefully!!!) growing leeks, onions, beetroot, marigolds, and sweet peas. We live on a small Welsh mountain; tomatoes have to be grown indoors, it's not warm enough for them to ripen outside.

Thanks in advance.

[nickdub]

Hard to give any general answer to your query as it very much depends not only on the weather, but also the plant type. As you have already noted some things like tomatoes are best kept under cover.

Of the other plants you mention all are hardy to v hardy with the possible exception of marigolds, depending on the type. For the hardy specimens gradual hardening off is the sensible route eg if the weather is reasonable stick them outside during the day then bring them back at night, unless you have a cold-frame, in which case they can just go in that for a bit. At the end of ten days or so of this they can be planted out in their final positions, whenever the weather is not frosty.

[Greenleaves]

Wot our MoM says

[nickdub]

:-)

- going to get my hair done and put a clean dress for when the paparazzi arrive.

[Small pumpkin]

Hi Aunty social
You kind of answered your own question .
I'd agree with you it's to cold to start hardening off now. Because our weather is so unpredictable these day. I'm afraid you're going to have to use the time honoured technique of playing it by ear or winging it . It's one of those things you pick up over time and feeling your way. You're over half way there. You know what not to do.
And you know your weather conditions better than anyone ( I've got a fair idea ). Just trust your instincts and everything will be fine. I have completed faith in you .

[Aunty Social]

I have completed faith in you .

And I have a Tam Jalapeno to send you once it's got its true leaves..... thank you. Supposed to be warming up this week, we'll see.

Thanks, everyone. Very much appreciated.

Oh, and Nickdub? If you think JMW Turner on a ship in the middle of the ocean in a storm, you'll have our growing conditions, if you substitute the ship for a bungalow and the ocean for a Welsh mountaintop.......

[nickdub]

My garden is at about 500 feet ASL, which is plenty for round here - where I was born is at about 1000 feet and the temperature differences at that height were very noticeable. Obviously you can work around it to some extent by choosing hardier varieties etc, but really gardening is just more difficult for veg in particular the higher up you are.

[rary]

Bit late coming on to this thread but if you go through the procedure of hardening off then plant, if there's a frost forecast cover your plants with fleece, or if you are a bit worried about your plants because they have been nipped by frost, spray with cold water and cover with newspaper to keep the sunlight off them, doing that is a must if it's potatoes that get frosted

[Aunty Social]

Thank you Nickdub and Rary, very much appreciated as I'm only in my 2nd year of veg growing & there's so much still to learn! No potatoes in our memorial veg patch, however....

I don't think it's ever too late to add to a thread, all advice welcomed and as in this case, I wouldn't have known about the fleece without Rary's post. Thanking you again, sir.