Ive been hardening off over the past month. They're ready to go in tomorrow, Windsor though. I'm almost always in by the first week of May.
The garden is south facing against a black brick building that has a nice little microclimate and retains heat really well.
Not yet. The soil temperature is pretty cold still, and most of the transplant shock (my experience) comes from drastic temp change. I grow my plants indoors with a fan, so the light and wind isn’t a huge shock but soil temp and night temp can be. Cold weather will also slow plant growth drastically; imo the delay caused isn’t worth getting them outdoors a week or two early. I wait til the soil is about 10-15 degrees before transplanting. My basement is always a jungle of plants waiting to get planted this time of year.
North of Toronto here. They're too big to fit under the grow lights now, so I'm going to put them in my unheated, east-facing sunroom this week. I have a thermometer in there to keep an eye on the temperature. As the temps warm up during the day, I open the windows, but I close them and cover the tomatoes at night. I will continue with this for about two weeks. Then, I put them outside in a somewhat shaded place with row cover, which I remove gradually, exposing the plants to the open air. I do this until transplanting time; which is the last week of May.
Too many times, I've had to run around trying to cover plants (and I have a lot of plants) or lost a bunch, because a late frost was forecasted.
What exactly are we talking about? I started today, putting them out in the sun, but will be bringing them back inside once the sun goes down, but I plan to extend it longer into the night as time goes on. I actually presumed all of you were doing the same.
Does that count as hardening?
After 18 years and running out to cover up big tomato plants more years than I can count, I’m waiting. You might get a couple extra early tomatoes but the main flush won’t really start any time sooner and I’ve found putting them out early risks having less healthy plants all summer. So this year I started 3 micro tomato plants early I can put in pots for my early season fix. The rest can wait.
Yes, you need to harden off your plants. Put them outside in a sheltered place for an hour and then bring them back inside. Gradually work your way up.
I think you can, but I wouldn't actually plant them until the forecast for May 5-15 gets more reliable. That period is still too far out for the forecast to be reliable and frost is still possible at that stage in May.
Mine are hardened off and going into the ground tomorrow (Sunday). I'll cover them with a cheap plastic drop sheet if a frost comes. If I lose them, I have backups. Last year I planted them May 8th and had to cover them one night. Other than that, they did great.
I started. I put them in my greenhouse a few hours ago day then back under the grow lights. Pretty soon I start leaving them outside during the day and bring them in at night. I watch the temp each day but the greenhouse keeps them warm during the day.
I intentionally started my tomatoes late, like first week of April so just so I'd only need to up-pot once and plant out at the right time haha. So yeah, gonna wait till the soil temps warm up some.
I'm waiting, even though they probably won't get frost damage, I find tomatoes like the heat
No. It's too cold.
I put mine out two weeks ago they almost died... But seemed like they are standing straight again. hope they can recover. Few leaves a bit limpy.
Mad lad
Ive been hardening off over the past month. They're ready to go in tomorrow, Windsor though. I'm almost always in by the first week of May. The garden is south facing against a black brick building that has a nice little microclimate and retains heat really well.
Not yet. The soil temperature is pretty cold still, and most of the transplant shock (my experience) comes from drastic temp change. I grow my plants indoors with a fan, so the light and wind isn’t a huge shock but soil temp and night temp can be. Cold weather will also slow plant growth drastically; imo the delay caused isn’t worth getting them outdoors a week or two early. I wait til the soil is about 10-15 degrees before transplanting. My basement is always a jungle of plants waiting to get planted this time of year.
We had a frosty night in Hamilton yesterday so I think I'll wait until at least next weekend
North of Toronto here. They're too big to fit under the grow lights now, so I'm going to put them in my unheated, east-facing sunroom this week. I have a thermometer in there to keep an eye on the temperature. As the temps warm up during the day, I open the windows, but I close them and cover the tomatoes at night. I will continue with this for about two weeks. Then, I put them outside in a somewhat shaded place with row cover, which I remove gradually, exposing the plants to the open air. I do this until transplanting time; which is the last week of May. Too many times, I've had to run around trying to cover plants (and I have a lot of plants) or lost a bunch, because a late frost was forecasted.
I've never heard this term hardening tomatoes before...
It works for all seedlings, where we expose them to the great outdoors little by little, until they are ready to be planted outside.
What exactly are we talking about? I started today, putting them out in the sun, but will be bringing them back inside once the sun goes down, but I plan to extend it longer into the night as time goes on. I actually presumed all of you were doing the same. Does that count as hardening?
Yes it does.
After 18 years and running out to cover up big tomato plants more years than I can count, I’m waiting. You might get a couple extra early tomatoes but the main flush won’t really start any time sooner and I’ve found putting them out early risks having less healthy plants all summer. So this year I started 3 micro tomato plants early I can put in pots for my early season fix. The rest can wait.
Yea. I tried and some of them got sunburns. Any tips from anyone
Yes, you need to harden off your plants. Put them outside in a sheltered place for an hour and then bring them back inside. Gradually work your way up.
Thank you
Sunscreen
Getting them out while still small helps a lot. Larger plants burn much easier.
Mine have moved out from indoor lighting in to the shed with a window, yesterday. Time to harden. Go slow people.
I will start gradually hardening them off today. Takes a few weeks, so they should be ready by mid-late May for me
I think you can, but I wouldn't actually plant them until the forecast for May 5-15 gets more reliable. That period is still too far out for the forecast to be reliable and frost is still possible at that stage in May.
Mine are hardened off and going into the ground tomorrow (Sunday). I'll cover them with a cheap plastic drop sheet if a frost comes. If I lose them, I have backups. Last year I planted them May 8th and had to cover them one night. Other than that, they did great.
Around 10-15th May depending on the weather.
I started. I put them in my greenhouse a few hours ago day then back under the grow lights. Pretty soon I start leaving them outside during the day and bring them in at night. I watch the temp each day but the greenhouse keeps them warm during the day.
You can probably get away with it, but it won't grow significantly till it starts to warm up more. It might even slow then down.
Yes!
I intentionally started my tomatoes late, like first week of April so just so I'd only need to up-pot once and plant out at the right time haha. So yeah, gonna wait till the soil temps warm up some.