hardening off
Gradual temperature adjustment
Hardening off is the process of gradually acclimating indoor-grown seedlings to outdoor conditions before transplanting them permanently.
Plants raised in controlled environments need exposure to wind, temperature fluctuations, and direct sunlight in increasing doses over a week or two: Start hardening off your tomatoes in early May.
Without this transition, transplant shock can stunt or kill them.
- acclimatizationAdjusting to new conditions
- seedlingsNewly germinated plants
- transplantingMoving living growth elsewhere
- seed traysShallow containers for germination
- frostThin ice coating
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- gardeninggardener, gardening, flowers, seeds, soil
- horticulturehorticulture, gardening, cultivation, planting, seeds
- adaptation processesacclimatization, habituation, conditioning, adjustment period, climate adaptation
- cultivationplanting, propagation, grafting, cuttings, transplanting
- seed startinggrow lights, potting soil, seedlings, seed trays, peat pots
- farmingfarm, farms, farmer, farmers, crop
hardening offcoddling
Overindulgent, protective treatment
sheltering · pampering · babying · overprotecting · softening
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