The third day, a bit longer, 4-6 hours, etc. The second day, leave them outside in that sheltered spot a little longer, 3-5 hrs. I like to place them on my back deck, under the eaves, in a shady spot for the first few days. The time they spend in the sun becomes longer and longer until I hit about two weeks after I first began the process. Making sure you weather is mild, is a good idea before you begin the hardening off process.

After about a week, I let them spend the night outdoors in the covered or protected area.Ĥ. Also called conditioning transplants, this usually includes exposing the plants to lower temperatures, brighter outdoor light, a bit of wind, and lightly restricting. Day after day, I increase the time that they spend in the sun. Hardening off seedlings is a 1-2 week process in which baby plants grown indoors are gently exposed to small amounts of stress to prepare them for permanent outdoor planting. Of course, don’t allow your plants to wilt, but definitely increase the space. Another aspect of hardening includes cutting back on water and fertilizer. Even cold-hardy plants can suffer damage if exposed to freezing temps before hardening properly. After their daily dose of sun, I pull them back into the shaded area until evening - then I bring them back into the house.ģ. Bring your plants back indoors overnight or during colder temps (such as frost warnings). After a couple of days vacationing in a shaded area, I place them out in the light for 1 hour (usually be morning sun because it's a gentler light than the afternoons sun). After 2-3 hours, I bring them back inside.Ģ. My preference is to get the seedlings used to the temperatures and breezes before I introduce the sun. Remember that this is under cover, not in a sunny spot in the yard. Take my little ones outdoors under a protected/covered area for a couple of hours to start a 7 to 14 day hardening off process.

Through your own experimentation in your specific zone you'll come up with your personal technique for hardening off seedlings, but until then here's what I do: 1.