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Hardening off
I am never sure if it is worth it. I have done it - and then other years not done it - taking young vegetables out of the greenhouse and straight in to the garden. I have never really noticed a difference; but I guess to be certain I should harden off 50% of the plants at the same time as I don't the others and see if there is a difference. I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. |
Hardening off
"Judith" wrote
I am never sure if it is worth it. I have done it - and then other years not done it - taking young vegetables out of the greenhouse and straight in to the garden. I have never really noticed a difference; but I guess to be certain I should harden off 50% of the plants at the same time as I don't the others and see if there is a difference. I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. I think it depends what plants and what the weather is like. We have also put plants straight out into the allotment on rare occasions and sometimes they are OK and at other time, when the weather turns a bit cold say, they suffer with leaf scorch. Our tomatoes have been out on our patio at home for a few weeks now, actually flowering, and will be planted out on our plot next week. Chillies and aubergines have not been hardened off but this year will go out under small polytunnels/large cloches anyway. -- Regards Bob Hobden W.of London. UK |
Hardening off
Judith wrote:
I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. I'm new to greenhousing, having got mine put up this sprig: My guess is that if you do as the commercial greenhouses do: optimum temps, light, feeding; everything for the quickest growth to saleable size, hardening off is probably a good idea. If you're "economical" like me, and don't like to pay for supplemental heat, and don't feed all that heavily, the plants won't have such a radical adjustment to the great outdoors. One of the many things I've got to do is rig up a few 12-volt computer fans, probably powered by the solar panel I bought a while back, to keep the air stirred up. I understand a bit of exercise is good for plants, too! Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G |
Hardening off
On Sat, 21 May 2011 13:17:06 -0400, Gary Woods
wrote: Judith wrote: I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. I'm new to greenhousing, having got mine put up this sprig: My guess is that if you do as the commercial greenhouses do: optimum temps, light, feeding; everything for the quickest growth to saleable size, hardening off is probably a good idea. If you're "economical" like me, and don't like to pay for supplemental heat, and don't feed all that heavily, the plants won't have such a radical adjustment to the great outdoors. One of the many things I've got to do is rig up a few 12-volt computer fans, probably powered by the solar panel I bought a while back, to keep the air stirred up. I understand a bit of exercise is good for plants, too! Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G My hardening off routine is the first weekend following 19 May (there's a tradition in that) everything gets laid out on the lawn and gets a good watering and feeding. This allows me to work out what I've actually grown and to reorganise everything properly as it goes away again so I can find it the following week when all the containers get planted up. This scientific approach has never failed to work for me. I also find that plants grow better if they are disturbed. I haven't rigged up fans but use a soft masonry paint brush to tease them once a week with a light brush over. Daft but it works. |
Hardening off
On 21/05/2011 18:17, Gary Woods wrote:
wrote: I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. I'm new to greenhousing, having got mine put up this sprig: My guess is that if you do as the commercial greenhouses do: optimum temps, light, feeding; everything for the quickest growth to saleable size, hardening off is probably a good idea. If you're "economical" like me, and don't like to pay for supplemental heat, and don't feed all that heavily, the plants won't have such a radical adjustment to the great outdoors. One of the many things I've got to do is rig up a few 12-volt computer fans, probably powered by the solar panel I bought a while back, to keep the air stirred up. I understand a bit of exercise is good for plants, too! The best purchase anybody can make is an oscillating fan mounted in a greenhouse. It is cheap to buy, uses little electricity (around 30w), and saves lots of trouble. I've had such a fan going continuously in a conservatory or greenhouse for years. And I mean continuously. Helps stop fungal spores settling in winter, and helps ventilation in summer. It is amazing how long these cheap fans keep going. My first one lasted 12 years. The second one is still going after 8. A quick brush over to remove spiders' webs and the like, and a spray with WD40 every couple of years is all it gets. Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G Are you an ex-Brit, or do you find a UK-based group particularly useful for your needs? I'm a bit surprised as Zone 5/4 gardens are pretty uncommon in the UK! -- Jeff |
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We're a long way behind - chillies about 4inches tall, tomatoes were sown in March and had to be re-sown in April after a failure of our semi-automatic watering system while we were away. Hardening off: basically, I start everything in the greenhouse if possible. Then, over the period from March to June, in succession I turn off the heating, remove the bubble wrap insulation, start leaving the door open at night. So once I feel confident that there are no frosts to come (late May/early June) things go outside without need for hardening off. Things which go out earlier I 'harden' by moving them from the warm inner part of the greenhouse to the cool section between the inner and outer doors. On the whole it works. I have had the odd thing perhaps one set of seedlings , once every 3-5 years) look a bit unhappy after a sudden cold night, but I don't think I've killed anything by lack of hardening off in the traditional "put it out in the day and bring it in at night" sense. |
Hardening off
On Sat, 21 May 2011 13:17:06 -0400, Gary Woods
wrote: Judith wrote: I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. I'm new to greenhousing, having got mine put up this sprig: My guess is that if you do as the commercial greenhouses do: optimum temps, light, feeding; everything for the quickest growth to saleable size, hardening off is probably a good idea. If you're "economical" like me, and don't like to pay for supplemental heat, and don't feed all that heavily, the plants won't have such a radical adjustment to the great outdoors. One of the many things I've got to do is rig up a few 12-volt computer fans, probably powered by the solar panel I bought a while back, to keep the air stirred up. I understand a bit of exercise is good for plants, too! I read somewhere that runner beans like to be "stroked" in the green house as it simulated the movement in the wind and hardened up the stems. (True or old wives tale, I do not know) |
Hardening off
On Sat, 21 May 2011 18:28:08 +0100, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2011 13:17:06 -0400, Gary Woods wrote: Judith wrote: I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. I'm new to greenhousing, having got mine put up this sprig: My guess is that if you do as the commercial greenhouses do: optimum temps, light, feeding; everything for the quickest growth to saleable size, hardening off is probably a good idea. If you're "economical" like me, and don't like to pay for supplemental heat, and don't feed all that heavily, the plants won't have such a radical adjustment to the great outdoors. One of the many things I've got to do is rig up a few 12-volt computer fans, probably powered by the solar panel I bought a while back, to keep the air stirred up. I understand a bit of exercise is good for plants, too! Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G My hardening off routine is the first weekend following 19 May (there's a tradition in that) Interesting - I was told by a gent in his eighties who still has his green house that he does the same but on the 20th May itself !!! He assured me that that was the last day for frosts in his area !! |
Hardening off
"Judith" wrote in message ... On Sat, 21 May 2011 18:28:08 +0100, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote: On Sat, 21 May 2011 13:17:06 -0400, Gary Woods wrote: Judith wrote: I'd be interested in the experiences of others - and views as to whether it is worth it. I'm new to greenhousing, having got mine put up this sprig: My guess is that if you do as the commercial greenhouses do: optimum temps, light, feeding; everything for the quickest growth to saleable size, hardening off is probably a good idea. If you're "economical" like me, and don't like to pay for supplemental heat, and don't feed all that heavily, the plants won't have such a radical adjustment to the great outdoors. One of the many things I've got to do is rig up a few 12-volt computer fans, probably powered by the solar panel I bought a while back, to keep the air stirred up. I understand a bit of exercise is good for plants, too! Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G My hardening off routine is the first weekend following 19 May (there's a tradition in that) Interesting - I was told by a gent in his eighties who still has his green house that he does the same but on the 20th May itself !!! He assured me that that was the last day for frosts in his area !! We always used to plant Potatoes in the big poly tunnel on Boxing Day!! Something to do ;-) Mike -- .................................... It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. .................................... |
Hardening off
Jeff Layman wrote:
Are you an ex-Brit, or do you find a UK-based group particularly useful for your needs? I The latter; the temperature zones don't match, but a lot of the gardening knowledge I find here does. And I grew up in New England (Massachusetts, 30 miles N of Boston (the American one), where you folks would find a lot of the town and county names familiar... Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G |
Hardening off
On 22/05/2011 16:24, Gary Woods wrote:
Jeff wrote: Are you an ex-Brit, or do you find a UK-based group particularly useful for your needs? I The latter; the temperature zones don't match, but a lot of the gardening knowledge I find here does. And I grew up in New England (Massachusetts, 30 miles N of Boston (the American one), where you folks would find a lot of the town and county names familiar... Been there, done that. Not just as a leaf peeper (and those who think that in recent years the colours of tree leaves in UK gardens in autumn have been the equal of anything in New England simply can never have been to New England in the Fall), but also in Spring, visiting all of the NE states. Did you ever visit "Garden in the Woods" in North Framingham when you lived in Massachusetts? Very well worth seeing. The strange thing about gardening where you are and where we are is the difference the extremes of temperature you experience make. You can't grow stuff which doesn't like it cold; we can't grow woody stuff that needs extreme heat to harden the wood and get it to flower. -- Jeff |
Hardening off
Jeff Layman wrote:
Did you ever visit "Garden in the Woods" in North Framingham when you lived in Massachusetts? Yes, but not until years later, when I had moved to my present home in upstate New York; lovely place. I'm just across the valley from the George Landis Arboretum in Esperance, NY, with beautiful plantings and lots of nice trails to walk. And an old oak tree, just the place for an old Pagan to sit and admire the world going by. Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G |
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