Hardening Off Process

Hardening off is an essential part of the seed starting process. It involves the gradual exposure of your seedlings to the outside elements so that they can get accustomed to the outside world. If you were to take a seedling that lived its entire existence in the comfort of your house and plant it out without this gradual exposure, you risk losing the seedling altogether. We certainly don’t want that, not after spending time, money, and effort all these weeks nurturing these seedlings.

There is no hard science here, but this is what I do. I make sure I’ll be home the week I harden off my plants. On day 1, I move the trays out to a sheltered spot for 1 hour. On day 2, I move the trays out to a sheltered spot for 2 hours. Day 3: 3 hours. On day 4, I’ll give them some direct sun. By day 7, they will spend 7 hours per day outdoors with sun exposure. I may even leave them out overnight if the temperature is suitable.