Is it time to harden off in NJ?

throwaway · April 12, 2017

Last frost day is supposedly next week for my zone. The 10-day forecast has us mostly in the 60's for the high of the day and mid-40's for the low at night. As much as I enjoy running lights all day for my little friends, it seems a little redundant with temperatures seemingly supportive of tomato vitality. In during the night for insurance, but out during the day? Anybody thinking the same thing I am?

slugworth · April 12, 2017

I bought a mr stripey today that was actually 2 plants in the same container.
I separated them and put them outside in a black plastic pot but I have a pane of glass over them just in case.Around here april is coldframe month so I just have to keep an eye on them.
Last year I had plants in cement blocks and wall' o water around april 26.The usual plant in ground date is memorial day weekend, so I squeezed an extra month outdoors.
I had plants in wall'o water /cement blocks and just cement blocks alone.The ones in cement blocks alone did better;warmer roots vs. plant temps.

brownrexx · April 12, 2017

My tomato plants will be spending their days outside on my front porch and their evenings indoors until the night time temperatures are above 50

slugworth · April 12, 2017

my 4th of july hybrid packets say 49 days,but they are actually closer to 60 days.
They have to be outdoors by the beginning of may.Last year I picked my 1st one july 12
so I missed 4th of july by a week.On the 4th the tomatoes were only 1/2 red.

HudsonValley · April 23, 2017

I'm in 6a, and won't be planting in-ground until May 21-22. I have some dwarf tomatoes that will go into pots this week, but they'll come in on <50-degree nights.

Ricky Shaw · April 23, 2017

It's about weather stabilization more than frost date for me on the cusp of 5b/6a and a 90% safe frost date of May 15th. While there's been no frost after our safe date in recent memory the trend has been wetter cooler longer lasting Springs that are not helpful in starting tomatoes.

I'll be putting a few out around the 15th, but most will be planted Memorial Day weekend and plan to have some standbys still inside for hail replacements thru the 2nd week of June.

rhines81 · April 23, 2017

We usually do not think about planting out until last week of May, 1st week of June, but this year I am planting out next Sunday, Apr 30th. My plants are way to big to continue to keep indoors (many over 3 ft tall) , so they will get hardened off starting on Wednesday and in the ground Sunday. The long term forecast does not show any lows less than 42F and many highs in the upper 70s. I don't care if they sit there and not grow much, they just can't continue in the house.

Father'sDaughter · April 23, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

It's about weather stabilization more than frost date for me on the cusp of 5b/6a and a 90% safe frost date of May 15th. While there's been no frost after our safe date in recent memory the trend has been wetter cooler longer lasting Springs that are not helpful in starting tomatoes.

I'll be putting a few out around the 15th, but most will be planted Memorial Day weekend and plan to have some standbys still inside for hail replacements thru the 2nd week of June.

Same here. Maybe the weekend before, but for now planning on Memorial Day weekend. They will hopefully be going outside to harden by the 15th.

guruofgardens · April 23, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownrexx

My tomato plants will be spending their days outside on my front porch and their evenings indoors until the night time temperatures are above 50

I'm with you. Why push the plant out date earlier and earlier? The weather has been getting cooler in May so my plants will stay inside for now.

throwaway · April 29, 2017

So I've been keeping them in shade up to 7 hours a day now. Seeing some damage (normal?) but not too bad. Lowest low in the 10-day forecast is 48. Goal is to begin scaling up the direct sunlight by an hour or two daily until they stay out unsupervised next weekend. Nervous about messing up this process so I started a few backups that are living outside. Also thinking about planting out a spare to see what happens.

nyrfan · May 13, 2017

I finally started acclimating my seedlings to the elements this week, putting them in partial shade for 6-7 hours during the day & bringing them in at night. However, with the rain, they're spending this weekend indoors, under lights.

Hopefully, with a feeding & some warm weather, they will green-up & get big enough to set-out in the next 12-17 days.

throwaway · May 14, 2017

Things are looking up starting Tuesday!

slugworth · May 14, 2017

supposed to be 85 here thursday

PhilaGardener · May 14, 2017

90 predicted for Philly! Mine are in ground but have been waiting for some warmth!

ako1974 · May 16, 2017

I had everything out a few weeks ago, but then we had a week's worth of overnight 30s, but now they've been back out for several days. I feel that's the rule of thumb for May in NJ (like my kids in the playing in the backyard): in and out, in and out, in and out...

April 12, 2017	#1
throwaway Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Zone 6 Posts: 92	Is it time to harden off in NJ? Last frost day is supposedly next week for my zone. The 10-day forecast has us mostly in the 60's for the high of the day and mid-40's for the low at night. As much as I enjoy running lights all day for my little friends, it seems a little redundant with temperatures seemingly supportive of tomato vitality. In during the night for insurance, but out during the day? Anybody thinking the same thing I am?

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April 12, 2017	#2
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	I bought a mr stripey today that was actually 2 plants in the same container. I separated them and put them outside in a black plastic pot but I have a pane of glass over them just in case.Around here april is coldframe month so I just have to keep an eye on them. Last year I had plants in cement blocks and wall' o water around april 26.The usual plant in ground date is memorial day weekend, so I squeezed an extra month outdoors. I had plants in wall'o water /cement blocks and just cement blocks alone.The ones in cement blocks alone did better;warmer roots vs. plant temps.

April 12, 2017	#3
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	My tomato plants will be spending their days outside on my front porch and their evenings indoors until the night time temperatures are above 50

April 23, 2017	#5
HudsonValley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Hudson Valley, NY, Zone 6a Posts: 626	I'm in 6a, and won't be planting in-ground until May 21-22. I have some dwarf tomatoes that will go into pots this week, but they'll come in on <50-degree nights.

April 23, 2017	#6
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	It's about weather stabilization more than frost date for me on the cusp of 5b/6a and a 90% safe frost date of May 15th. While there's been no frost after our safe date in recent memory the trend has been wetter cooler longer lasting Springs that are not helpful in starting tomatoes. I'll be putting a few out around the 15th, but most will be planted Memorial Day weekend and plan to have some standbys still inside for hail replacements thru the 2nd week of June.

April 23, 2017	#7
rhines81 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Zone 5A, Poconos Posts: 959	We usually do not think about planting out until last week of May, 1st week of June, but this year I am planting out next Sunday, Apr 30th. My plants are way to big to continue to keep indoors (many over 3 ft tall) , so they will get hardened off starting on Wednesday and in the ground Sunday. The long term forecast does not show any lows less than 42F and many highs in the upper 70s. I don't care if they sit there and not grow much, they just can't continue in the house.

April 29, 2017	#10
throwaway Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Zone 6 Posts: 92	So I've been keeping them in shade up to 7 hours a day now. Seeing some damage (normal?) but not too bad. Lowest low in the 10-day forecast is 48. Goal is to begin scaling up the direct sunlight by an hour or two daily until they stay out unsupervised next weekend. Nervous about messing up this process so I started a few backups that are living outside. Also thinking about planting out a spare to see what happens.

May 13, 2017	#11
nyrfan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: NJ Posts: 123	I finally started acclimating my seedlings to the elements this week, putting them in partial shade for 6-7 hours during the day & bringing them in at night. However, with the rain, they're spending this weekend indoors, under lights. Hopefully, with a feeding & some warm weather, they will green-up & get big enough to set-out in the next 12-17 days.

May 14, 2017	#12
throwaway Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Zone 6 Posts: 92	Things are looking up starting Tuesday!

May 14, 2017	#14
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	90 predicted for Philly! Mine are in ground but have been waiting for some warmth!

May 16, 2017	#15
ako1974 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: New Jersey Posts: 109	I had everything out a few weeks ago, but then we had a week's worth of overnight 30s, but now they've been back out for several days. I feel that's the rule of thumb for May in NJ (like my kids in the playing in the backyard): in and out, in and out, in and out...