Once your fall seedlings are ready to go into the garden, you'll need to harden them off by gradually exposing them to outside elements. It can be a bit confusing, so I created a printable guide for you for both winter and summer seed-starting.
Click here to download and print the quick guide: Hardening Off Cheat Sheet DGS.pdf
Hardening Off FAQ:
What if I miss a day? Do I have to go back to the beginning?
If you need to pause the hardening off process just put them in the safest location and then resume hardening at the point in the process where you left off. If you just started hardening, keep them in shade. If you're in the middle or toward the end of the process, just keep them under shadecloth. That's why I love shadecloth so much for this process. It gives you lots of flexibility.
Does it have to be 8 days?
Eight days is the minimum time you should allot for hardening off your seedlings. A longer period of hardening is ideal. If I have the time and the space to hold them, I will often take up to 2 weeks to harden off my seedlings. That gives me a lot more flexibility.
When do I know when it's time to start hardening them off?
Watch this video I made!
Upcoming Classes
September 23 - Butterfly Gardens
September 29 - Awesome Alliums: Garlic, Onions & Ornamentals
October 7 - Canning & Pickling 101
October 12 - Terrific Tulips & Dazzling Daffodils
By teaching you how to connect deeply with nature, The Dallas Garden School helps you unlock your full potential. Callie is the foremost gardening expert and educator in North Texas and a gardening columnist for D Magazine. Based in Dallas, Texas.
Here's what I did this morning in the garden: Deadheaded rudbeckia, snapdragons, and 'Mystic Spires' salvia Cut back 'Monarch Magic' ageratum, aster, and salvia nemorosa by 50% Staked 'Hopi Red Dye' amaranth Harvested 'Midnight Moon' eggplant, 'Marketmore' cucumber, 'Golden Griller' squash*, 'Sweet Canyon Orange' bell pepper*, and 'Baby Bubba' okra*. If you haven't done so already, this is your final reminder to cut back any perennials or annuals that have become overgrown or unruly. This is...
Here's what to plant now in your garden. Vegetables by direct seed: Cucumbers, okra, melons, pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash. Vegetables by transplant: Tomatoes (last day!), eggplant, peppers, okra. Annuals by transplant: Pentas, vinca, begonias, impatiens, zinnias, sunflowers. Indoors: Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, amaranth, cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds. General maintenance: Deadhead all annual and perennial flowers regularly to maintain bloom. Shear back...
As you start to plant things for fall*, here are some things to keep in mind... Your soil is likely fairly tired after the spring season. We had lots of rain and early heat. Give your soil a refresh with some good compost after you pull out your spring crops and before you plant your fall stuff. I usually mix about one bag (2 cu. ft.) into the top 6-8 inches of soil for every 9 square feet of garden space for a mid-crop boost. This morning, after hand watering the front display garden and...