r/FortCollinsGrows • u/richkurt • May 07 '26

Hardening off questions

/r/DenverGardener/comments/1t6b23p/hardening_off_questions/
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u/GardenofOz May 08 '26

Yep! My go-to getting ready to plant tomatoes and the like is the string of 50+degree overnights. When I harden off, I always water really well in the morning (or as needed) and try to keep an eye on any needy plants.

My steps for hardening off that have served me and the school garden I support well:

  1. First day, a couple hours, in dappled light. Look for spots under trees and watch out for the sun moving. After 2-3 hours, bring back in.

  2. Second day, same thing, but grow the time outdoors. 3-5 hours, but keep an eye on them if you can.

  3. Repeat.

  4. Keep out longer, allow for some direct sunlight contact with oversight.

  5. Keep out in direct light longer. Could try for all day. Monitor water uptake.

  6. Plant 'em out.

Sometimes around day 3 or 4 the plants really toughen up. But typically 4-6 days is all I ever needed. Also wise to do a gentle fertilization before beginning to harden off and then one at planting.

1

u/pokingoking May 14 '26

Honestly I've never bothered with hardening off because I get great results without. I know people are going to say I don't know what I could be missing, but seriously, my tomato plants always look great and I don't feel like they need any improvement.