Should my seedlings be outside yet?

I have been groing about 200 different plants, all from seed. Petunias, Scabiosa, Daturas, Coreopsis, Basil, you name it, I might have it. I started them all indoors and they grew under flourescents (sp?) starting in February until about a week and a half ago. I began to harden them off outdoors thinking that natural sun might be better for them right now, as my last frost is mid May. I bring them in at night and day temps are running 60-75. They are now getting about 6 hours of direct sun. But, everthing seems to have come to a halt. Should I take them back inside under the lights till next month at 14-16 hours per day? I'm not sure if the sun is too much at this point, or if they aren't getting enough sun. They are all in 3.5" pots.

Thank you for your help folks,
J

The daytime coolness could be slowing their growth - not necessarily a bad thing because they can't go in the ground yet. If they still have lots of growing to do before they get planted, I would probably bring them back in - of course, then you will have to harden them again. But if they are starting to crowd the pots I would keep doing what you are doing - that will keep them from outgrowing the pots and becoming root bound before mid-May.

Hey Zarebeth,
Thank you for the tips. Yes, they DO infact have quite a bit of growth left to go. I will bring them all back in and give it a go. Crowding is not a worry right now! I will remember to harden again. I figured it just might be the temps!

Thank you,
J

J, you might try purchasing some floating row cover for your seedlings. That way, they will get protection from winds and frost, but will receive rain and sun.

Hi J! You know, all my seedlings go through fast and slow stages while they're growing.
They germinate very quickly but then seem to take forever to get their first true leaves.
Then they speed up for a few days, then a week and a half goes by without much measurable growth at all. Just like human kids!

PS Nothing I've started has grown very much at all in the past week. Except my Sweet Peas - those things are insane - I'll have to tie them to my ceiling by the time they can be planted out! -C

Some things do quite well, others take forever to get beyond the two leaf stage. Amaranths in particular seem to take forever to grow, either inside the seed palace or out, it doesn't seem to matter.

Weezy, what is a floating row cover? I don't have any of them in the gound yet. My guy next door does, yikes!

I found that our community has a small greenhouse that was vacant. I put about 6 flats in there 7 days ago. Whoa! Talk about growth! I can't believe it! Whe I get out of this townhome and but a house, you know what I'll be getting!

C - You have your sweet peas inside! That's about like me with my Sunflowers and Morning Glories inside! LOL!

Chuck, I sowed Pansies in early february, they NOW have maybe two sets of true leaves! The greenhouse should help next year with that!

J