You have nurtured them from seed, watched them grow, fed them, provided them light and shelter. Now, it is time to set them free.
The temperature is finally warming up, which means it is time to get those veggies outdoors. Don’t act too fast though! You cannot move them to the great outdoors and let them fend for themselves in one day. Like someone ascending Mount Everest, plants need to acclimatize. Meaning, you need to slowly introduce them to the natural environment.
This process is also known as hardening off.
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like the dirt.” — Margaret Atwood
Given the amount of time you have put into your seedlings, you don’t want to run the risk of losing them overnight. Believe me, I’ve been there and it’s totally devastating.
Not only do you run the risk of losing them completely, at the very least, it can do a lot of damage that proves difficult to recover. Direct sunlight can burn their leaves, the wind could break their stems and cold temperatures can shrivel them up. It is a sad situation.
I still consider myself a novice veggie gardener. Like many of you, it’s a hobby and every year I pick up new information. That’s the fun and enjoyment, you are always learning new tricks and tips.
“Gardening is the work of a lifetime, you never finish. “ — Oscar de la Renta
So how do you acclimate your veggies? I’m sure everyone does it a little different but here’s what works for me. I sow my seeds indoors around April to give them a good start.
I use my mother’s flower containers and pots from previous years — recycling at its finest! I also have a grow light and a couple of small indoor greenhouses that I set up in my kitchen, next to the windows for natural light. In addition to that, I put the ceiling fan on to help them build strength as they grow.
Once the weather gets nice, I start introducing them outdoors — slowly. On Day 1 I place them in the shade on the patio, for about an hour and bring them back in the house. On Day 2, I increase their outdoor time and add a little sunshine to the mix, if we have sunshine. As each day passes, you can increase the amount of time they are outdoors and in the sun. Overall, it takes about a week, sometimes two.
Depending on how they transition, I’ll move the two little green houses out to the patio and keep them outdoors overnight.
Once that happens — that is it! They are outdoors full-time until the next phase, which is planting them in the veggie garden bed.
I’m not going to sugar coat it — acclimatizing is a labour-intensive process. Moving them outdoors and indoors for a week or more gets tiring. Fingers crossed I will get a beautiful greenhouse to ease the process in the coming years. (with luck, the hubby is reading this … hint, hint.)
“Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the year; for gardening begins in January with the dream.” — Josephine Nuese
If you’re interested in growing veggies or picking up additional information, I recommend a Facebook group called, Backyard Vegetable Gardeners NL.
It is a great local resource with a mix of experienced and novice veggie gardeners from all over the province. They are an active and helpful bunch too. People pose all sorts of questions and the comments start flooding in.
I find it tricky when exploring gardening, trying to find out what applies in our zone. Let’s face it, as much as we love this place, the weather in our beloved Newfoundland and Labrador is unpredictable. Plus, we have a short growing season.
“Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.” — Unknown
I hope you find this information helpful. Either that or perhaps it peaks your interest about starting your very own veggie garden. There is truly nothing more rewarding than shopping for groceries in your own backyard.
I can hardly wait.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @ErinSulley; Instagram: @erinsulley
