Hardening off?

littlesapphire 4/25/2013, 9:37 am

I've had mixed success in the past with cucumbers, decent success with summer squash, and no success at all with melons, so I decided this year I'm going to start them indoors a couple of weeks before the LFD in pots I can put right in the ground. That way, they get a head start and I can protect them while they're still small.

The question I have though, is do I have to harden these seedlings off before I plant them outside? It seems to me that, if I start them two weeks BLFD, I'll have to start hardening them off as soon as they germinate. Or can I just stick them right into the ground when the temp is right?

EDIT: And I also wonder, would it be smarter to plant the seeds out in the garden two weeks early under cloches? Hmmm...

**camprn** 4/25/2013, 9:52 am

Yes you would want to harden them off, more to acclimate them to the heat rather than the cold. At this stage of the season, sowing directly and protecting them at night with a cloche or a cover will be a better plan for the wee plants. Just my $0.02 What a Face


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Hardening off?

Hardening off?

Re: Hardening off?