Hardening off seedlings

[EdieJ]

I have got to get my seedlings hardened off. They will start out on our screened-in porch and eventually out into the Great Outdoors. But how am I supposed to get them acclimated to sunshine when it's going to be cloudy and rainy for weeks to come. And it's going to be a challenge to get them sprayed with Daconil too. Going to be another challenging year, I'm afraid.

[Rajun Gardener]

Cloudy days are perfect for hardening off, they'll still get the uv rays without the bright sun. Start off a few hours a day and increase it everyday till they can stay out all day.

[AZGardener]

As long as it isn't raining I put my seedlings out when it's overcast or cloudy. I've potted up most of mine and they're in the greenhouse while they get a little more size before going in the garden.

[loulac]

First day 10 minutes on a sunny day, second day 20 minutes, third day one hour, fourth day the whole day. Never had a problem. I must say my seedlings get a strong artificial light as soon as they germinate.

[edweather]

Yeah, overcast is perfect for hardening off. If the bright sun eventually becomes an issue, just do your best to limit the sun until they are accustomed to it. I had a similar problem this year. My young plants got used to cloudy cool weather for a while, and then we had blazing sun, and warm temps. I put up a beach umbrella to block the sun, and moved it around for a few days until the plants got used to full sun.

[bboomer]

I made my own cold frame from a design in The Victory Garden. I had never heard of such a thing until I moved to the frozen north but in Wisconsin you need to protect your seedlings from the cold if you hope to get a head start on the season. It's great for everything I grow from lettuce to green peppers.
It is a great design (I made it half the recommended size) and once the season is under way, it is easily stored. This is a great feature for small backyard gardeners.
Cheers.