Do WHAT before planting out marigold seedlings??

This was my first attempt with indoor seed starting. I purposely chose easy French marigolds. . and had three times the germination rate I was expecting!! My bumper crop managed to survive my ineptitude and THRIVE!!!

Now it's a bit over 2 weeks to scheduled plant out and. . I. . don't. . . know. . . if there's anything I need to DO to/for them!!

I hardened off my tomato plants in preparation for plant out. . . should I. . must I also "harden off" my bountiful marigolds??

All are Tagetes patula (French marigolds) from Eden Bothers seed. The five varieties are: 1 dwarf single-petal (Naughty Marietta) and 4 double-petal (Bonita, Fiesta and Sparky mixes and Tiger Eyes). I started the recomended 8 weeks before scheduled plant out (about a week after the last frost).

All plants that will experience a radical change in environment (going from inside to outside) should be hardened off first.

Dave

Hardening off gradually is a good idea, unless the weather and lighting inside your house are close matches to the outside!

You might move them out on warm days that are cloudy and not windy, and bring them indoors every night, if you have time and energy to squander.

Or you can move them first to a very sheltered spot, then a few days later move to a less sheltered spot, and so on.

Cold nights may kill or stunt or slow down a plant that has not had time to adapt to cold.

Dry wind can suck water out of unadapted leaves so fast that the roots can't keep up, and the plant can die of thirst.

Too much heat suddenly might even hurt a plant that is too tender.

Intense sunlight, too suddenly, can shock the leaves.

I think the key principle is "gradual adjustment". Some shade and shelter from wind (at first) is most of what you need. Watch them! If they aren't suffering from shock, they will look visibly happier to be outside. Wilt or brown spots are a sign to give them more shelter or maybe a day indoors.

I think the classic, traditional move was put them in a "cold frame" for a while, venting or opening it to prevent overheating. Keeping it partly closed kept the humidity up at first, which helps them adjust to drying wind.

If you don't have a cold frame, a low "poly tunnel" might be an alternative. Drape plastic film over PVC hoops, or hoops bent from EMT conduit.

But really, all you need is a spot sheltered from wind and excessive sun and rain.

Oh, yes! Slugs like certain seedlings even more than they like beer. Delphiniums seedlings in particular seem to draw ravening slugs from blocks around. When the Delphs grew up, the slugs left them alone. Maybe some other seedlings do the same thing. Protect them with bait, beer, copper, diatomaceous earth, coffee grounds, egg shells, or whatever mojo you favor for slugs.

Most plants don't become much less attractive to slugs by "hardening off".

However, if a slug takes one bite from the stem of a baby seedling, that plant is dead. If a slug takes a bite out of a larger plant, the plant only has a hole in it.

I have had plenty of plants survive being "machine-gunned" by slugs because they were big enough to be browsed on and still survive.

**hopeful** Couldn't I just leave my doors and windows open?? Outside temperature, protected from wind and rain AND sunlight. . .

I have no cold frame, space for a poly tunnel...I guess I'll just have to lug 8 trays of 116 marigold seedlings in/out.

For how long?? How long to acclimate them to being in the sun all day?? Like (succeeding days): 1 hour shade, 1 hour of sun. . .then 2 hours. . .4 hours. . . 8 hours. . DONE!!

I've got two weeks to plant out to do this and the next 7 days are all hi probability of rain, scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Rick, this is all your fault! LOL Iffen you hadn't posted your "how to kill seedlings, etc". I wouldn'tve counted on a low germination / survival rate and sowed so dang many seeds!!!!! ROFL

rainy overcast days are perfect for gradual hardening off, getting them used to real light without risking sunburn!

You don't have to lug in & out... watch the weather and choose a relatively warm first night, relatively cool first day (not blazing sun). Put your trays in a place where you can put some row cover over them... or drape a sheet over/above them for shelter. Then it's just a matter of moving the covering on & off, not putting the plants in & out, gradually getting them more used to sun, wind, temperature swings.

More coherent info is here, in a seed starting 101 article I wrote a while back: http://www.davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/914

Only 8 trays? ;-) Trust me many lug far more trays than that in and out.

But seriously, proper hardening off plants isn't nearly as complicated as many think it is. But if you are going to grow your own plants from seed then you have to make some way to harden them off - no choice about that.

If you work and are gone all day then you pretty much have to do it on weekends as they can't be left un-monitored for long hours at a time.

But if you are home with them then no fancy tunnel or cold frame or other set-up is required. Just pick the shady side of the house, close to the wall, on or under a covered deck or patio, a porch, ever build a tent out of an old sheet as a kid?, shoot even a cardboard box/boxes can work.

Dave

I don't bring mine in and out, unless the weather is going to get really cold. I start hardening them off in a shady area protected from the wind and gradually move them into more sun. That's it.

Bet, you're going to love having 8 flats of marigolds to plant around for summer color! I know when I buy annuals, I tend to be stingy and "make do" with fewer plants... what luxury when I start my own alyssum or petunias from seed and have dozens of plants to stuff into railing planters and porch containers!

if you're not sure about your chosen method... don't harden them all off at once. But as long as you don't thrust them straight out into a hot, sunny garden bed, they'll be fine. Marigolds are tough! Have fun with their bountiful blooms.

Ok, I give. Where does Bet say she has 8 flats?

Her 2nd post... "8 trays of 116 seedling marigolds"

>> and the next 7 days are all hi probability of rain, scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Great, then the whole yard is a shady spot free from drying wind.

If you have no sheltered spot, how about under a picnic table?

If you don't have hoops for a poly tunnel or shade cloth, 1-2 layers of floating row cover ought to provide shade.

I agree that you don't need to haul in-and-out as long as the nights are warm enough and the days not TOO hot-and-sunny.

Once they've had a day or two of hardening, they are much less sensitive and can take more drying wind and sun without harm.

Actually, the idea of opening windows and doors isn't bad: if you can get moving, dry air to your seedling shelf, and they already have ex5tremely bright artificial lighting, they are partly hardened already.

Maybe a few days of "put a fan on them indoors" and "reduce the humidity indoors" is a way to do the first part of the hardening indoors!

Thanks Critter. I see it now!