Moving Seedlings to Your Outdoor Garden
Once soil is prepared and seedlings are grown, it is time to harden off and transplant seedlings to your outdoor garden. If you are new to gardening, please take a moment to read this entire section and “Caring For Young Seedlings” before transitioning delicate seedlings to the outdoors.
Hardening Off
Hardening off seedlings eases their transition from the AeroGarden to the outdoors, where they will be exposed to full sunlight, temperature variations and wind. It entails slowly increasing the amount of time seedlings spend outside while still in the comfort of the AeroGarden. Allow about 1½ weeks for hardening off. (See Sample Hardening Off Schedule, right.)
To harden off seedlings:
•Remove Bowl (with Tray and seedlings) from Base and bring outside.
•Return Bowl to Base when you bring it indoors.
•Keep Bowl filled with water to “Fill to Here.”
•Remember to add nutrient tablets when “Add
Nutrients” light illuminates.
•Bring Bowl inside if weather turns bad or tem- perature is below 45°F (7.2°C). Add a day to the hardening off schedule for any
Sample Hardening Off Schedule
Day 1: Put Bowl outside in a shady, pro- tected area (i.e., no wind), for 2 hours between midmorning and early afternoon
Day 2: As above, but outside for 4 hours
Day 3: As above, but outside for 6 hours
–start nudging the Bowl towards sun to provide partial sun
Day 4: As above, but outside for 8 hours and a little more sun
Day 5: As above for 4 hours and then
full sun for 4 hours
Day 6: Partial sun 2 hours full sun for 6 hours
Day 7: Full sun 8 hours
Day 8: Full sun 10 hours
Day 9: Full
Day 10: Outside all day and night
Day 11: Transplant
When to Plant
Although a clear warm day may be a nice time to be in the garden, it is NOT what you want when it is time to transplant your seedlings outdoors. A perfect day for transplanting is one that is damp, drizzly and cool. If such a day does not come your way, then transplant seedlings near the end of the day, when the sun is low and temperatures have cooled. It is okay to keep your seedlings in the Tray and AeroGarden for a little extra time if you want to wait for the weather to cooperate or just for convenience. Just be sure to add nutrients if “Add Nutrients” light is on.
Water Garden
The day before you plant (preferably after the hottest part of the day has passed), water your outdoor garden or container. The moisture in the soil will help ease the shock to your newly transplanted seedlings. If you miss the
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