Hardening Off Question

I know that I cannot leave my plants outside at night due to the temps being in the 30's at night. But can I put them out in the morning when the temps are in the 50's. This is my first successful year growing seeding indoors so I want to make sure I do things right.

I have been putting them out in the broken shade of a tree for about 3 days now. The plants all have at least the first set of leaves and most have 2-3 sets. They vary from tomato's to morning glories.

Any info would help.

Thanks

They should be fine in the 50's. Just don't let peppers get any cooler than that, it can cause them to delay and even prevent blossoming.

Be careful of the wind - I wouldn't leave them out in full sun if either high temps or wind are predicted - things dry out so fast here in Colorado!

Thanks, I keep them in the shade and the fence protects them from the wind.

Pollengarden, when do you plant? I know a lot of people that are planting now even though everyone recommends waiting until mothers day.

My average last Frost date is April 28 but the old timers around here use May 10 - so that is what I aim for instead. I have been here 10 years and have seen a light frost (and even a dusting of snow) twice on the weekend before Memorial day weekend. So I make provisions to cover things at night, if necessary, up to Memorial Day weekend. I avoid planting after the end of May - it usually goes to the opposite extreme of too hot. However, this year I am going to try starting some stuff indoors in June and July to set out in July and August for fall veggies - mostly cabbage family that is day-length sensitive and likes fall weather better than spring.

I grew up near Greeley but I can't remember when we planted - Mother's day sounds about right. You might find this helpful: http://cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/720.pdf
and : http://cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/746.pdf

Those web sites are a huge help. Thank you so much.
Do you just go to cmg.colostate.edu and do a search or is this just a page you knew from before.

I did my Master Gardener training last year, and I help out in the County Extension Office now and then - so I knew exactly what to look for, and it took me two searches to find both fact sheets. But in theory you should be able to go to ext.colostate.edu (or cmg.colostate.edu) and do a search to find the Fact Sheet on the subject. The Fact Sheets are aimed at the general public, the Garden Notes are more in depth and are the text portion of the Master Gardening classes. Or go into your County Extension office and ask what Fact Sheets they recommend.

Thanks so much. I am writing the addresses in my garden book.

May I also ask a question about hardening off? I understand the purpose is to acclimate the seedlings slowly from indoor controlled climate to outdoors. I'm placing mine out now during the day and placing them in the garage overnight.

So how long do I have to do this? Is it just so many days. or an outdoor temperature thing, or do they change appearance somehow? Grow more leaves? What's the secret sign that they are ready to be planted? LOL

You are getting them acclimatized to three things: sun during the day, wind, and cooler temperatures at night.
If your plants are already spending most of the day outdoors in the sun and wind without withering or getting sun scald, then they are hardened off. You should be able to see a difference - instead of shooting up leggy, they should be getting slightly stockier. Tomatos "tan", the stems go from light green to more of a burgundy/bronze color, especially if it has been cool.
If they are frost tender and you are still getting frost at night, you will still need to protect them at night. It is up to you whether to move them in and out, or plant them and protect them in the ground. Things that can take frost can go in the ground if the leaves are hardened off to sun exposure.

Thank you. I'll watch for that "stocky" look. They are all daylilies, so like grass, for the most part. They seem to take the cool temps OK. No frost in the forecast. Yesterday was breezy and they were dry when I got home. I watered tehm and they recovered ovenight. Sun is difficult I have them under a maple tree and they get dappled sunlight. Have to find a place where they can have part-day sun while I'm at work.
This is fun! Tho I'm ready to have all seedlings out of the house and in the ground!

I've never hardened off Daylilies - I think you would look for a good green color, especially lower down and toward the center. Also less flopping over - if they arch over, I guess it should be symmetrical, not all in one direction. Daylilies are pretty tough - they should harden off fairly easy.

I think they are struggling more from the breezes here. I've had them in a southeast sunroom, so were getting the sun. Now that they are outside, they seem to look less green. I think it's because they dry out during the day. I water as soon as I get home from work and by morning, they're green. Temps are dipping to mid-40s at night, and 65-75 daytimes. Think I'll plant this weekend.
Thank you!

Have you tried replanting them into larger containers. When the container is larger it is less likely to dry out that quickly.

I'm debating whether to try growing them out this summer in gallon pots. It seems daylily enthusiasts aren't always in a hurry to stick them in the ground. When I began, I used seed starting mix, about 2 inches above sterilized potting mix in large deli containers. And it seems that the starting mix dries more quickly, which may be why they seem to be dry.

This is a grand experiment for me. I have never started any seeds indoors before.
Thanks!