"Hardening off" new plants, started indoors - April 20th, 2006 at 02:30 AM
I have a Polka Dot plant, but thought it was a house plant until I read differently in another forum here! (Guess I'll have to look it up again.) I'd LOVE to have that out in the yard, & it IS getting a little sick-looking in here & losing some leaves... I'm wondering if it just wants to be out there in the full Sun.
My question is:
Since this plant has been indoors since I bought it at a nursery (as a baby) about 5 weeks ago, do I need to harden it off before I plant it outdors?
Also:
When I start plants from seed, indoors, I know that they have to be hardened off. (Taken outside for a few days **in shade/NOT full Sun** & brought back in at night.) I can logic-out why they shouldn't be put right in the Sun after having been indoors... but I don't understand why, after having been set out in the shade for a few days, it wouldn't be a shock to them to suddenly get planted out in the Sun.
I've had a tray of plants that I've been putting outdoors every afternoon for 2 weeks now, but I'm really scared to plant them! (Cosmos, Rattlebox, Wisteria & Clematis.)
I know that I need to "cut the apron strings"! HELP!!
(Temps here are ranging from mid 40's to mid 60's lately.)
My question is:
Since this plant has been indoors since I bought it at a nursery (as a baby) about 5 weeks ago, do I need to harden it off before I plant it outdors?
Also:
When I start plants from seed, indoors, I know that they have to be hardened off. (Taken outside for a few days **in shade/NOT full Sun** & brought back in at night.) I can logic-out why they shouldn't be put right in the Sun after having been indoors... but I don't understand why, after having been set out in the shade for a few days, it wouldn't be a shock to them to suddenly get planted out in the Sun.
I've had a tray of plants that I've been putting outdoors every afternoon for 2 weeks now, but I'm really scared to plant them! (Cosmos, Rattlebox, Wisteria & Clematis.)
I know that I need to "cut the apron strings"! HELP!!
(Temps here are ranging from mid 40's to mid 60's lately.)