Hardening Off Seedlings
- A week before you want to put your seedlings in the garden, they need to be "hardened off" or made tough enough to withstand the elements.
- Even seedlings grown in a nursery need to be hardened and fertilized.
- Gather all your seed starters and put them on a wagon or sled, if you have one. This will make it easy to move all of them at once.
- Leave them in an open garage or on the porch during the day.
- They could also sit on the sill of an open window, but keep an eye on them. If it's very windy, they could get blown off the sill.
- Remember to bring them in each night, especially if there is a chance of frost or rain.
- After about a week, they should be hardened off enough to stay outside if the weather is warm enough.
- Once you've hardened off all your seedlings, they can be planted in your garden if the soil has warmed up.
- If it still gets chilly at night, protect your seedlings with mini greenhouses once they are planted outside.
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