hardening up?

To all you hobby GH people (others, too), may I ask how you harden up your plants? Do you drag all of them out for a couple of hours a day? How long should I leave them out? It looks like if I drag all of them out, by the time I get them all out, it will be time to bring them back in. LOL. Can I just open up all the vents, prop the door open, run the fan and be lazy? I have maters (about a foot tall), marigolds (blossoming), and poppies (just stagnet) in the GH. Thanks in advance. Happy gardening!!!!

Don't we wish we could just flip open the roofs on our greenhouses for a couple of hours a day? LOL

When it comes time to harden off, I am thinking I might make a small tent out of painters plastic so I can just open it for a few hours at a time. Usually early morning sun works fine for me or even the early evening sun when it is not too hot. I am sort of wishing I would not have torn down my little hoop house about now. That was made out of 2x4 with pvc hoops and painters plastic. I could do 32 sq feet of plants at a time. I stapled one side to the 2x4 and the other side to a 2x2 that I could raise and lower in one motion. It will be a lot different this year and I am not sure how much you have to harden off greenhouse raised plants. Maybe someone with lots of experience will come help us out.

well---luckily--I have side curtains on my greenhouse---it allows the plants to get a few hours of sun each day---either in the morning on one side and in the evening on the other side.
I know most dont have curtains so you just have to take them in and out. I use to have a frame with just 30% shade cloth on it. That hardens them off well and you dont have to take them in and out so much. Or just put them under a big tree. The branches will give them partial sun.

Maybe I'll invent hinges so I CAN open my roof! LOL

Thank you for your help cricket. Do you know how much light 4mm poly carb or acrylic in Cindy's case, how much light do they let in or keep out as opposed to the plastic you use? Do you use 6mm?

Well I drug them all out and drug them back in today. What a beautiful day. I even left a couple of them out to see what would happen -low is only going to be 54. I will drag them out again tomorrow -I hope to plant some time next week. I hope I am doing it right -I put them all under a tree and then I will slowly move them to more sun each day? I think I am going to leave a couple of tomato plants in the GH to see how they do when it starts to be 100 in there every day -will probably cook them but I want to see what happens. I am so unorganized -I hope to be better organized next year -that's when I want to try some heirlooms!!!! I have tons of plants and no where to plant them -I guess it is going to be tomatocide at some point (ouch).
Cindy

I CAN open my roof. My GH has sliding glass doors on all sides and the roof. Can even take the panes out in summer. Hardening off is a snap! (oops ~ that sounds like bragging... sorry but I LOVE my GH!)

Yes, you are very, very bad, coming in here bragging that way! LOL It sounds awesome. Do you have any pics?? Welcome to DG!
Michele

OK, now I want your greenhouse BassetMom....Sounds great -I'd like to see some pics too.

Here's the pic of it just finished with the wonderful hubby-man who did all the work! It's complete accessible for wheelchair-bound me... No wasted space...

How cool is that! And you got the hubby to do all the work?? Even better! :) It is always fascinating to me how people find ways to make things work. You are going to have so much fun with that! What are you going to grow?

I really like the shelves. Isn't nice to have one of those hubby-men? LOL

I am married to an angel... all I have to do is say,"do you think we could...?" and he's off. I actually have to be careful since he reacts so quickly!!

I am growing veggies, herbs, annuals, perennials all from seed. I will also use it to overwinter my tender herbs, as well as proprogating from cuttings. I am only just beginning to appreciate all I will now be able to do! Being in a wheelchair, it is completely accessible with no wasted center aisle or lip on a doorway, or too high tables... it has a heater, mister, high/low thermometer and automatic louvered window. Not bad, eh? All for under $1,000...

Not bad at all. Of course, you know, we will be expecting pictures as the GH gets filled up, so get busy. LOL.

Cindy