Hardening Off

I just set these outside for a couple of hours today to start the hardening off process. Can you believe it's 84* here today?

Sigh, I'm so jealous ;) Somehow it doesn't seem fair ... we're both in Zone 6a but I don't dare to plant my tomatoes outside until the end of May or June :( A few years ago I was hardening off mid-May and was surprised with a frost. Those cuties look great!!! Good luck with them and happy eating!

Red, those have grown lots since I talked with you. They look great! What kind of cups/tubs did you transplant to?
Gary/Louisville

I'm just planting seeds today. I was going to ask the same question as Gary - what are your plants in?

I'll start off first by saying, God Bless you Big Red. I'm from Jersey, and our friend (Big Red) said they were coffee cups, a man to my heart, but how about production ? So fast, ahhhhhh, Big Red, ya did well and made me proud at least, I wish I could do as much in Jersey, keep it up my friend. My problem is, if I have 2 tomato seedlings in 1 cell, when should I transplant one of the seedlings to another location ???

Dan, Generally transplant into a larger container when they get a second set of leaves and plant it until it is almost to the leaves...you want to get a good root system started. So that means they both move to new quarters.
Gary/Louisville

Yup, Dan is right, 10 oz. 'Green Mountain' paper coffee cups. I saved them all, about the only coffee you could buy in NH that came in paper cups (also good coffee). Does anyone know a supplier for paper cups? I don't like to use styrofoam.

Dan, Gary is right, you will grow a somewhat stronger root system if you transplant them. Some transplant them three times, each time going to a larger container.

Myself, I'm the lazy one. I plant two or three seeds in my containers and when they get their second set of leaves and start to look healthy, I clip off the weakest plants leaving one plant per container. I use scissors so as not to disturb the roots of the one left.

I've always had good luck this way and always ended up with healthy plants and good root systems, so why go to all that extra work of transplanting? The key is to start with a container big enough so the plant doesn't get root bound before it's set out.

Big_Red, your plants look wonderful. What do you have the cups in?

Elsie, I made flats out of scrap lumber & 1/4" plywood. Only took a couple of hours and at no expense because I already had the material.

They're made to hold a dozen plants per flat.

Thanks, they look so nice and sturdy. I may have to see if my handy Dad will help me make a couple.

Sveiks, I didn't mean to ignore you! I know exactly how you feel! I just moved here from NH (zone 5) and had to listen about planting peas, potatoes and cabbage while I was still shoveling snow.

Come on down, it's great!