Toning, Acclimating or Hardening off plants.

Toning, acclimating or hardening off - all describe the process of conditioning tranplants from the store or from your own  set-up to the garden.....successfully!

What is it? Since the word "toning" is easier to type - I'm going with that for this article!
Toning is a transitition period for the plant from it's warm cozy nursery to the brutal outdoors.

How long does it take?

• Depends on your outdoors conditions and the conditions of your plants, 5-10 days. 
• The bigger your plants are, the longer they will need to transitionto the new conditions.
• Earthworks transplants are sold already hardened off!

What are the condition changes that occurr?

• Wind - the biggest factor - you may be able to control to some point using metal can protectors or something similar.
• Sunlight - even shade is more intense light than your flourescents. Direct sun can quickly burn young plant tissue and fry plants in a very short time. Transplant on a cloudy day.
• Humidity - normally a greenhouse or indoor plants area is very humid. This can be another big climate change - drying winds
• Soil temp - an often overlooked MAJOR factor. For warm weather vegetables: tomato, peppers, vines crops your soil temp should be near 70 degrees. Around here in climate zone 4, that is about mid to late May. No matter how carefully you protect the top growth, the roots are critical, Cold soil can stunt the growth and the plant can easily become weakend and more susceptible to disease and death. You can buy a food thermometer and use that to test soil temps. Brassicas - cabbage/broccoli/kale can take colder soil temps

What are the steps of toning plants?

• bring plants outside into a shady location for 1-3 hours, less time if windy, bring into sheltered area at night ie; back into the greenhouse/cold frame or garage. Once you start toning plants, you should not bring them back into a warm, cozy condition. Repeat the next day
• start to set in more intense light, brief periods of direct sun (make sure plants are moist) repeat
• increase sun exposure to a couple of hours if plants look healthy,if declining from your previous days, keep them more protected and re-work the steps when they have perked up.
• The final toning day leave set in the proposed planting site for the entire day, if they look great the next day - you are ready. Always keep plants hydrated during the process.

What if I skip this time wasting activity?

• unless you are experienced, you may not recognize the benefits or the differnces in healthy thriving plants vs. alive plants.
• plants can be shocked by harsh conditions and can take a long time to re-cover
• a hurried gardener is usually dissappointed, wait till conditions are favorable
  

Some of last years pepper plants, this years barely peeking out as we speak!