Hardening off, greenhouses, cold frames etc

[mew]

Hi

My OH and I were up the lottie until about 10pm last night so when we got back home and had some late tea I completely forgot to put my tomatoes back in the unheated greenhouse (and courgettes and some herbs).

Im hardening them off ready for the big wide world outside. I read that tomatoes are very sensitive to temperature changes so to harden off very gradually - ive only been putting them outside during the day for about 3 or 4 days. Looking at them they seem fine - I just wondered what everyone else's take is on hardening things off.

How long does it normally take and presumably the best practice is to start hardening things off for a couple of hours each days then slowing increasing the length of time every couple of days or so, but if you have a fulltime job like I do I have to put plants out in the morning before I leave and them bring them back in at tea time - I dont have a coldframe merely an unheated greenhouse which I presume isnt too dissimilar

Would be nice to hear other folk's tales / tips and hints on this - particularly in relation to the tomato question too.

Thanks

MEW x

[red]

the books always say to do this - and its prolly a good idea - but I alway forgot them and left them out at some point! - this year I have officially given up hardening things off properly. I take things out of the gh during the day (not last thing at night) and they stay outside in a sheltered bit for a few days before I plant them out. thats it. and I seem to get away with it.

[madasafish]

Well we live around 400 metres above sea level near moorland so it can be very wet and windy and cold - often at all times of the year.! (Staffordshire Moorlands)

So hardening off plants can be fun...altho recent warmer winters make it easier.

I believe tomatoes require a minimum temp of 10C to keep growing.. even as I write the overnight temperature in our unheated greenhouse was 5C!

I find tomatoes do grow well but are late - as is evrything else - compared to say SE England or even lower places in ENgland near us but say near sealevel.

So I harden things off in a cold frame but with the roof wide open.. but given the colder nights they are probably hardened already!

French and runner beans MUST be sown and started off here in a greenhouse and then hardene doff otherwise they do not germinate till mid June.

I grow Russian tomatoes which are more cold resistant as well as Sungold and Gradeners Delight.
We will not have any ripe strawberries till mid June... but we get great raspberry crops.

I rely on the detailed weather forecast in early May to decide what to keep in or out and plant accordingly.

Apple and fruit yeilds often get hammered by late frosts - escpaed this year - and fleece covering is often impractical due to wind...