Your indoor seed planting is beginning to pay off as you see those tiny seedlings turn into bona fide plants. Gardeners tend to be impatient and find it hard to wait before placing plants out into the garden, where the real magic happens. But not so fast; be patient. Not only must we wait for the last frost date, but young plants need a chance to adapt to outdoor living through an activity called hardening off. Hardening off is the process of gradually transitioning a plant from its indoor or greenhouse location to the outdoor conditions of fluctuating spring temperatures, wind, and sun exposure. The idea is to gradually introduce plants to outdoor conditions. Try setting the plants outside in partial shade for a couple days, then leave them in a sunny location for a few days. Keeping plants close to the house or under a deck during the night will further protect young plants from the elements and strengthen them. These same steps should be taken for purchased plants also.
Check out the websites listed below for more details:
https://lenoir.ces.ncsu.edu/2019/04/hardening-off-tender-plants-2/
https://carteret.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/04/hardening-off-plants-planting-outdoors/
Blog post submitted by:
Beth Lisk
Master Gardener
