Ween Off the Plants (a.k.a. Harden Off)

The last of our seeds have been started inside, the spring crops have been planted outside, springtime is in the air, it’s finally getting warm outside, and seedlings are growing.  This warm daytime weather means that it’s time to start weening off (or hardening off) your plants and it’s also time to start the last of the seeds indoors.

Seedlings getting used to the great outdoors in April of 2021

“Hardening Off” is just the process of getting your plants used to being outside.  If you started seeds inside or in a greenhouse, etc.  Your plants are used to a very nice consistent environment with a steady temperature and no wind.  The great outdoors is never consistent with fluctuating temperatures and wild wind patterns, rain, etc.  If you take your plants that you started inside and plant them directly outside without having an adjustment period, they are going to freak out and at best their growth will be stunted, at worst they will die.  If someone picked you up and dropped you off on the summit of Mt. Everest, you are going to freak out and not do so well.  If you acclimatize for it and slowly work your way up the mountain, then you’ll likely be just fine (aside from the other dangerous factors involved in mountain climbing).  Your plants need a similar acclimatization process to get used to the outdoors.
 
Plan for about two weeks to get your plants fully used to being outside.  The main plants that we’re looking to get planted outside first are the ones that don’t mind a bit of frost, such as cabbage.  Cabbages are fine in these cool nights and they actually love them.  Peppers on the other hand shouldn’t be planted outside until the nights are warm (after the first frost), otherwise they’ll die.
 
The easiest thing to do is to harden off all of your plants outside at the same time but then to keep the warm weather plants inside at night and not plant them until after the last frost.  It’s generally easier that way.

To Harden Off Plants:

-Carry the plants outside once the temperature outside is about equal to the temperature the plants are used to.

-Put the plants in the shade (starting them in the shade is very important).

-After 2 hours, take the plants back inside.

-The next day, carry the plants back outside once the temperature outside is about equal to the temperature the plants are used to, putting them again in the shade.

-After 4 hours, take the plants back inside.

-The next day, carry the plants back outside once the temperature outside is about equal to the temperature the plants are used to, putting them again in the shade.

-After 6 hours, take the plants back inside.

-You’re working up the amount of time outside as much as possible while the conditions outside are favorable.

-Once you get to 6+ hours in the shade, start adding in an hour or two of direct sunlight a day, then moving them back in the shade, then back inside once before night.  You also want to start putting them outside earlier in the day when it's colder so you're slowly getting them used to all of the different conditions they'll encounter outside.

-Move through the same progression for slowly adding in more sunlight that you did with the shade.

-After about 2 weeks of slowly increasing their exposure your plants will be hardened off and ready to rock!
 
Once the cold loving plants, such as cabbages, are hardened off they can be left outside overnight for the cold nights and if it looks like there isn’t an impending snowstorm they can be planted outside.  They can handle a little bit of frost or snow, but a lot will kill them so it’s a bit of tightrope walk.
 
The warm weather plants, such as peppers should not be planted outside until the nighttime temperature is consistently warm (high 40’s at a bear minimum, normally in the 50’s is preferred). 

Pink Hyacinth rocking it in April of 2021