Green thumb is itching, anyone else?

[horsymom]

I sure hope somebody can help me with some advice on hardening off tomatoes. I've managed to kill all my started plants 2 years running by leaving them out too long, I start by leaving them out for just a couple of hours, but when I try to leave them out longer, they shrivel up and die. Peppers a little sunburned, but ok, cukes and melons look fine. I'm off to buy tomato plants again, I guess.

 

[carolsaucier]

A lot depends upon size of your plants, size of the pots, sunny or shady location, wind, and amount of water. Here in central Fl I start hardening mine off when they are about 3-4 inch tall as they are only in 4 inch pots I water them thoroughly and put them in a shady location gradually increasing amount of time and slowly moving them into the full sun. Wind will suck all the moisture rapidly and kill baby plants so you must protect them for wind. After about a week of hardening mine are put in the ground. Right now we hae waist high plants that are loaded with tomatoes. You need to try to harden plants in approximately the same climate in which they will be growing.

Hope this helps and good luck.

I sure hope somebody can help me with some advice on hardening off tomatoes. I've managed to kill all my started plants 2 years running by leaving them out too long, I start by leaving them out for just a couple of hours, but when I try to leave them out longer, they shrivel up and die. Peppers a little sunburned, but ok, cukes and melons look fine. I'm off to buy tomato plants again, I guess.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Rancher Hicks -

For the old tire, could you stand it up on edge - use fence posts to hold it up or something. Put a couple of drain holes in it, some landscape fabric and plant flowers with trailing ivy hanging out. You could hang a smaller tire inside and plant more flowers in it. The smaller one would swing in the breeze!

I was thinking of doing this with the old tire swing at the cabin, the kids are all grown and gone and the tree branch it hangs from is too old to trust with kids anyways. I remember that as a child, the first place I looked for worms for fishing bait was the rotting leaves and pine needles that built up in the tire swing.

 

[queenchick16]

I agree with carol... You have to be real careful I put mine in very little for the first couple of days and keep them well watered increasing the sun they get a very little really that is true for most transplants

I sure hope somebody can help me with some advice on hardening off tomatoes. I've managed to kill all my started plants 2 years running by leaving them out too long, I start by leaving them out for just a couple of hours, but when I try to leave them out longer, they shrivel up and die. Peppers a little sunburned, but ok, cukes and melons look fine. I'm off to buy tomato plants again, I guess.

 

[chigger bait]

I sure hope somebody can help me with some advice on hardening off tomatoes. I've managed to kill all my started plants 2 years running by leaving them out too long, I start by leaving them out for just a couple of hours, but when I try to leave them out longer, they shrivel up and die. Peppers a little sunburned, but ok, cukes and melons look fine. I'm off to buy tomato plants again, I guess.

The Bonnie Plant Farm tomatos that I got from Lowe's yesterday were all ready harden,

They had the medium sized peat pots on sale for about 1/2 price.

I got 12 of them and socked them in the ground right before dark.

 

[In His Service]

oooh, I have to go to Lowe's tomorrow to return something....will have to check out the plants

 

[chigger bait]

The signage said the sale goes on through Sunday.

4 days only.

 

[queenchick16]

I happened to be at Lowe's yesterday and besides their 5" Bonnie tomatoes they had their 5"herbs 2 for $3.00 You should just be careful because I found that most of the peat pot they were in were moldy. I bought several herbs but peeled off the peat pots very gently before I put them in the pots.I don't know if it was necessary but you never know.

 

[missydcpc]

I threw a bunch of seeds (some green pepper from a pepper I'd cut up for dinner and some pumpkin that we'd saved in a milk jug and a soda bottle back in Jan or Feb when we were having gorgeous weather and i was wanting spring to be permanent...they didn't grow..so i chalked it up to no gain. The other day BF asks me what in the world is growing in the soda bottle...I thought somehow I'd grown mold..despite being sure the soil was dry by now...no there's little plants! LOL....so watered and we'll see what comes up!

 

[MrsSerfesME]

I must say, I am enjoying not only learning about chickens on this site from everyone who has real life experience, by all the gardening tips and advice are great also. Both things are somewhat new to me since I have recently moved into the first home that I can actually call mine. Thank you everyone for all the education!