On 26/4/07 22:08, in article , "Tim
W" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 25/4/07 21:01, in article , "Tim
W"
wrote:

[...] I'm afraid I don't understand your problem.

I don't have a problem as such, just a query.

My very limited experience is that there is no need to harden off . But
every text I read states you should/must harden off before planting outside,
while none of them offer any further explanation (other than vaguely getting
the plants used to the change which doesn't ring true since the weather can
change hourly anyway) and none of them say what will happen if you don't
harden off.

So is it all going to go wrong for me next year when spring is cooler, and
how?

Tim w


Perhaps you could experiment with half your plants next year? The reason
gardeners put plants out in the day time and bring them in at night is to
give them the light and sun of the slowly warming days but to protect them
from the still very cold nights. These can check growth or at worst frost
the plants. You say that the weather can change hourly anyway but it's
extremely rare for noon temperatures on an April day to plummet to midnight
temperatures without warning, if at all.
In a good year and a mild location, you might well get away with it; in
colder areas, you won't.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)