Saturday, 18 May 2013

In and out, the ups and downs of hardening off!

I'm a fairly patient person, I like to think, but  taking the plants out in the morning and then bringing them back in at night has lost its allure. Hardening plants off is necessary, so the plants can be acclimatised to the temperatures and not die of shock when they are planted out, the exposure to wind also strengthens the stems, so I will suck it up and get on with it.
 
The massive grow house is proving useful now and once I dare to leave the plants overnight, they shall be tucked up in there.
 
 
The beds are on their way to being ready for planting up.


The peas and broad beans that had been undercover, are now exposed to the elements.
Proof that hardening off is so important in the scheme of things, though they had the grow house over them, I would leave it open over night and the seedlings are growing on beautifully despite the weird weather and unpredictable temperatures we've been experiencing these past couple of weeks..

 


These peas are a little further on, such a useful and compact little growing system.
 


I'm starting to feel like I'm getting somewhere.
There's still some of last season's debris to get rid of but things are coming together.
Beds are ready for when the plants are ready. All we need now is some good weather, that I can't do anything about.
 
 
Yesterday morning, I said to Dave that I was going into the garden to do an hour before getting on with house work. That hour turned out to be more like two.
 Lots of potting on of tomatoes and peppers, putting canes in to support plants and some successional sowings of lettuce and radish.
 Next time, I don't think I'll specify a time and just say I'm going into the garden and leave it at that.
 
 
This stunning poppy has sprung up, no idea how it got to nestling just behind the rhubarb but it's lovely so he's welcome to stay.
 
Have a great weekend.
 
x

1 comment:

  1. Moving plants in and out to harden them off may be a bit of a chore but it's well worth doing as you realise.
    I saw some of those poppies yesterday morning in a front garden. I think they're Welsh Poppies (meconopis cambrica) which I'd like to grow.
    Thanks, and you too. xx

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