When you harden off your plants (any plant that was started inside). Start 2 weeks before your last frost date. Put them in direct sun for 1 hour the first day. Then set them in shade for the rest of the day. Then gradually set them in the sun for longer each day. This takes about 2 weeks to get them hardened off. Then you will want to leave them outside all day and night the day before you plant them in your garden. Also for tomatoes... they can handle temps down to 33 degrees at night but they don't like it. They like nighttime temps in the 50s. So before you plant them in your garden make sure your nighttime temps are in the 50s. We gardeners don't call things mistakes. We call them learning curves. NO gardener is perfect or knows everything.
Something I am thinking of doing for next year is build a cold frame so I can sow my greens, beets and radishes earlier. My son approaches his section of the garden as an experiment. He tries random things like tossing radish and carrot seeds I have left over in between his other plantings, just to see how they do. My new favorite additive is Bumper Crop soil builder from "Coast of Maine" company. The first year I mixed it into my soil and had a wonderful grow season. This year I used it as a top coat for those existing gardens and the plants are doing so well! I am enjoying your journey with both your gardens/fruit trees/bushes as well as the house. In a few years I am hoping to convince my hubby to retire in Maine (in MA currently). He is softening up, I think, as he said we could visit a warm climate for a month each winter! LOL!
Sorry about your sunburned tomatoes! Hardening off is a bit annoying, but oh well! Haha! They will bounce back! 🍅 ❤️ You are doing a great job! 💜 😊 Happy Growing!
When you harden off your plants (any plant that was started inside). Start 2 weeks before your last frost date. Put them in direct sun for 1 hour the first day. Then set them in shade for the rest of the day. Then gradually set them in the sun for longer each day. This takes about 2 weeks to get them hardened off. Then you will want to leave them outside all day and night the day before you plant them in your garden. Also for tomatoes... they can handle temps down to 33 degrees at night but they don't like it. They like nighttime temps in the 50s. So before you plant them in your garden make sure your nighttime temps are in the 50s. We gardeners don't call things mistakes. We call them learning curves. NO gardener is perfect or knows everything.
Something I am thinking of doing for next year is build a cold frame so I can sow my greens, beets and radishes earlier. My son approaches his section of the garden as an experiment. He tries random things like tossing radish and carrot seeds I have left over in between his other plantings, just to see how they do. My new favorite additive is Bumper Crop soil builder from "Coast of Maine" company. The first year I mixed it into my soil and had a wonderful grow season. This year I used it as a top coat for those existing gardens and the plants are doing so well! I am enjoying your journey with both your gardens/fruit trees/bushes as well as the house. In a few years I am hoping to convince my hubby to retire in Maine (in MA currently). He is softening up, I think, as he said we could visit a warm climate for a month each winter! LOL!
Sorry about your sunburned tomatoes! Hardening off is a bit annoying, but oh well! Haha! They will bounce back! 🍅 ❤️ You are doing a great job! 💜 😊 Happy Growing!
Thanks!