Today, I’m sharing gardening advice on hardening off garden seedlings. Backyard vegetable gardening is a great way to get outside and get moving. Growing your own fruits and vegetables is so rewarding.
I love heirloom tomatoes. Their flavor is unmatched, and I can’t purchase them at my local grocery store or farmer’s market. So, I purchase seeds, germinate them and transplant them into my garden. Some of my favorite heirloom tomatoes are Paul Robeson, Cherokee Purple. Brandywine, and Hillbilly. I can’t wait to pluck the first ripe tomato from the vine for a BLT sandwich. My mother loves them sliced with mayo and salt and pepper. Either, they’re delicious.
First, I make a list of vegetables that I want to grow in my summer garden. It usually includes oregano, dill, cilantro and basil. I love growing fresh herbs. All of these ingredients will be used in my sauce or salsa. So, I attempted to germinated all of the above along with my heirloom tomatoes. I’m proud to say all of my tomato seeds germinated. I usually lose a few or some of my seeds fail to germinate. Fortunately, this year I had greater success. I allowed then to stay in the starter pots longer. I think this step allowed the roots to get stronger before I re-potted them.
So, I save pots from the garden center when I purchase my flowers and reuse them when I start my backyard garden vegetable plants the next season. My squash, watermelon, peppers and zucchini germinated as well. I’m looking forward to a great growing season.
When you start seedling inside, they must be harden off. What is hardening off seedling you ask? Hardening off is exposing your seedling that have been started under grow lights to the elements.
My hardening off process starts in mid-late April. I try to plant everything by Mother’s Day or Memorial Day at the latest. I use trays to house my seedlings under the grow lights. It’s easier to move them outside and back in with the trays.
Hardening Off Garden Seedlings:
- Set your seedlings outside for a few hours in the shade for several days. I do this for about a week adding an hour to each day. Be sure to bring them back inside. They aren’t strong enough to withstand the night air yet.
- The next move is to gradually expose them to the sun and longer hours outside. I do this for about 3 days.
- Last, I leave them out overnight. Once they get used to the temperatures I transplant , I leave them out until I’m ready to plant them in the garden.
About 20 plants are ready for the garden. My estimate is about $5.00 in cost for seeds. By purchasing heirloom seeds, I’m able to save the seeds from one year to the next to start new plants. I would never be able to purchase 20 plants from a nursery or garden center for $5.00. The starter mix and potting soil cost me around $10.00. Still, it’s cheaper than purchasing from a nursery.
Tilling compost into the garden is next on my backyard vegetable gardening list. Hopefully, I will have my plants in the garden by Mother’s Day, Memorial Day at the latest. I hope my hardening off garden seedling tips has been beneficial. Try starting a few inside and gradually increase your seedlings the founding year. Slow is best when learning a new technique. You may also like seeds versus seedlings.
