Planting out anxiety! Anyone else?

[IssMai]

I've had seedlings going that I started in February. This year is my first time doing significant gardening and we have the first 2 of 3 large raised beds built. My calendar says it's time to start planting a lot of the seedlings out, but it's snowing! We had a dangerously dry winter (major drought in much of the state and there have already been wildfires) but the last few weeks we've had 50 mph wind, rain, and snow. The forecast says tonight is the last night with freezing temperatures and I suspect it may be the last of the winter weather, but I'm terrified to put my precious seedlings outside. My husband has built the start of some cold frames in case I'm wrong, but it looks like we start getting up into the 70s by the weekend (nighttime lows in the 40s).

I clearly can't keep everything in my dining room forever under grow lights (can I? ). What are some good articles on hardening off and helping plants to transition to outside? Does anyone else have this anxiety when it comes to putting their plants out in the garden?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Pay attention to the soil temperature. We are in a solar minimum phase and there is slightly less radiation so spring is slow to come but will arrive soon.

 

[MaryMary]

Start putting them out a little bit every day. Don't put them out when it's too cold, don't start them out in full sun. Try to find a semi-shady spot, like under a tree, where they will get dappled shade. The more shady the spot, the longer you can leave them out. Every day you can move them more into the sun. Keep an eye on them, if they start looking a little "wilty" bring them in.

If you can, put a small fan on them in the house. It helps strengthen the stalks and stems. (This can be started when the plants are smaller, too.) Best if the fan oscillates, but if not, move it to the other side after about an hour. You don't need to blow them down, you want to simulate a breeze, like they'd get outside.

Basically, you're just acclimating them to living outside. They have to get used to sun, wind, and temperature. Depending on the temperatures, it should take about a week.

 

[IssMai]

I put the kale and brussels out on the back porch for a few hours yesterday and they did ok. I have my ceiling fan on in the room which I alternate between high and low settings but that was mostly to prevent damping off. I also have small fans that I move around. The problem is between work and school I'm rarely home to move them in and out. I finish the heaviest of the school stuff this week though...so maybe next week I can do it when the temps are better.

DirtMechanic I just got a soil thermometer and the temps in my raised beds were right about 60 but that was all before this weird spring snow rolled in. I'll have to check again...

 

[DirtMechanic]

You can use row covers easily enough. They can be made of inexpensive pvc pipe and 90 elbows and covered.