~ Stephen Sigmund
HARDENING OFF
When seedlings are started indoors or inside of a greenhouse, they become sheltered and need to be toughened up before their final move into the great outdoors. This gardening strategy is the equivalent of taking a teenager off an allowance and making them get a part-time job; while some of the cozy benefits may be cut off, they are not entirely on their own yet. You give your young plants some tough love so that they have a higher probability of success in the garden. The last week to ten days indoors, separate each plant into its own newspaper pot or growing container so that its roots have time to recover before they are transplanted into the ground. Cut back on watering your young plants. Do not fertilize them. Lower the temperatures by turning down the thermostat a few degrees or introducing a gentle fan. These measures will force the plants to concentrate their energies on surviving rather than growing. Begin placing them outdoors in partial shade to expose them to sunlight and outdoor temperatures for a few hours, then bring them back indoors. If it's particularly windy, be sure to use a gardening cloche, Reemay cloth, or some other form of shelter to protect your plant from breakage and damage. Gradually expose them to more direct sunlight, and extend the amount of time outdoors by a few hours each day, until the plants are spending all day (day meaning daylight hours) outdoors. During this time, make sure that you are keeping the soil moist. After they are spending the bulk of the day outdoors, place them inside a cold frame at night. After several days have past, and there is no risk of frost, you can transplant your young plants into the ground.
COLD FRAME
A cold frame is essentially a bottomless box with a pair of parallel sloped sides and a glass lid that is hinged along the tallest side. The sloped sides allows sunlight to hit the glass at a 90˚ angle. A cold frame is used to give young plants the benefits of Spring sunshine without the risks of cold temperatures and frost. They should be placed to receive southern exposure. The lid can be opened to allow for air circulation and ventilation on sunny, warm days. Cold frames are very easy to make — this website offers a great starting point to building your own cold frame. You can even construct them to sit atop your pre-existing raised beds, and then remove them once the last Spring frost date has past. You need not spend a lot of money on wood and glass. Many gardeners build them from found materials, such as wood pallets and old storm windows. For extra insulation against frost, you can keep black plastic lidded-containers filled with water along the inside walls of the cold frame to help trap heat to be slowly released after sundown. Nancy Bubel, in her book, The Seed Starter's Handbook, recommends filling burlap potato sacks (or coffee bean sacks) with "pine needles, batts of hay, old blankets or boards" and laying them atop the cold frame as extra insulation on particularly cold nights.
REEMAY (or Remay) CLOTH
Reemay cloth is a white woven cloth that is stretched over seedlings and young plants in early spring and late fall that allows for sunlight, air and water penetration, but protects against frost, cold temperatures, winds, heavy rains and pests. When planting leafy greens, carrots or onions in the early spring, or just getting an early start on ground planting, Reemay protects plants against frost damage that otherwise might destroy them. Using PVC pipe to create hoops to stretch the cloth over, many growers construct hoophouses that can be left up all growing season. This is a good solution if your garden experiences critter damage. This cloth is available at most nurseries, just ask for Reemay or germinating cloth.
CLOCHE
A gardening cloche (French for bell) is clear dome-like covering that protects plants from cold temperatures and frost, and plays a role similar to that of cold frames in the hardening off of plants. This website has many pictures of traditional cloches, which are made of glass. These miniature 'greenhouses' also come in the form of lanterns and glass pyramids or cubes.
Cloches are available for purchase through most nurseries, and sometimes can be found at flea markets and antique stores. Household items that are no longer serving their original purpose can become cloches rather easily, just by placing them upside down over your young plants. Some items that would be great for re-purposing as a cloche include:
- Clear glass vases
- Fish bowls
- Aquariums
- Cake domes
- Pickle jars minus the lids
- Spaghetti sauce jars minus the lids
- Peanut butter jars minus the lids
You can also fabricate a cloche from the contents of your recycling bin. Take any clear plastic beverage bottle:
1) Clean it with dish soap and warm water.
2) Remove all of its labels to allow for sunlight to reach the plant. [To leave the cap or remove it, is a personal choice. Removing the cap will help ease condensation within the cloche. Leaving the cap on can add a colorful detail to your garden.]
3) Using scissors or a utility knife, carefully cut the bottom off the bottle to create a wide opening to place over the plant.
4) Place your plastic cloche gently over your young seedling and press into the ground about 1-2" to secure it from blowing away.
5) Once the threat of frost has past, remove the cloche to that your plant can grow freely.
Afterwards, you have have some options of what to do with your cloche. You can:
1) Wash the cloche with dish soap and warm water, and store for next year's garden.
2) Toss it back into the recycling bin from whence it came.
3) Using scissors or a utility knife, carefully cut the top of the cloche, and create a plant barrier to add support or protection from pests.
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