Hardening and strengthening plants
Why harden off plants?
After sowing and pricking out the seedlings, the next important step in the cultivation process is to harden off the young plants. This acclimatizes them to the outdoors with all the environmental influences such as wind, cold, temperature fluctuations and sunlight. This strengthens them and allows them to move into the bed stronger.
Which plants to harden off?
Only pre-grown young plants need to be hardened off. In our latitudes, nightshade plants (eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, etc.) and pumpkin plants (melon, squash, cucumber, zucchinis) are often grown in advance. But lettuce, kohlrabi, chard and herbs are also often sown on the windowsill. In general, you should harden off all young plants that you grow on the windowsill!
Instructions for hardening off plants
- Start slowly by putting the plants outside for a few hours. First choose a shady spot protected from the wind. Increase the number of hours each day. After about a week, get the plants used to the sun and slowly expose them to the sun's rays. Otherwise you risk sunburn. After three to five days, the plant can then be placed in full sun
- Towards the end, leave it outside at night to acclimatize it to temperature fluctuations. Cover it at the beginning and then leave it uncovered towards the end (depending on the culture and temperatures!).
Planting out vegetable plants
After hardening off comes the final step: planting out. Most crops can be planted out after the Ice Saints in May. However, frost-hardy plants can be planted out earlier. Find out in advance about the temperature requirements of your plants. In general, you should make sure to water your young plants well when planting out (unless frost is forecast on that day). If frost is forecast, it is also advisable to protect the seedlings with fleece, old blankets or newspapers, coconut or hemp mats for the first few days. Once the young plants are well established, they will eventually be able to withstand the frost. In general, you should protect all freshly planted young plants from frost.
