Author Topic: Hardening off and cloches (Read 3954 times)

Floyd · « **on:** May 17, 2013, 09:49:41 am »

Still not got anything in the ground yet, so was wondering do you need to harden off plants (brassicas/beans) if they are transplanted under cloches?

I am away in a weeks time so the normal 2 week process is not going to work for me.

Many thanks

Greenerlife · « **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2013, 12:13:52 pm »

I know I should, but I never harden off my beans. Straight from the greenhouse to the ground, no cloches, no nothing. You shouldbe OK given my track history - never lost beans when they've been treated so poorly!

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2013, 06:55:53 pm »

Last year hardened my beans off for a week then left them out overnight. We had a frost and I lost the lot. All 110 of them.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2013, 11:26:50 pm »

Quote from: Mad Goatwoman of Madeley on May 17, 2013, 06:55:53 pm

Last year hardened my beans off for a week then left them out overnight. We had a frost and I lost the lot. All 110 of them.

Frost can go on into June in many places - broad beans and peas will be ok but runners and French beans won't.

I harden my young plants off against the wind rather than the cold. It takes them a good couple of weeks to toughen up the leaves against wind. So on that basis, putting them out under a cloche should be ok, but if the weather is very sunny then they will frazzle anyway if you're not there to keep an eye on them. Is there someone who would come and open the mini tunnel in the day if it becomes very hot whilst you are away, and who would make sure all was shut at night, Floyd?

Plantoid · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2013, 06:47:27 pm »

There are various sites on line where you can find your average last frost date on for almost anywhere in the world .. here my LFD is 29 May that has frost .
This year being a cooler one it may well be an actual 4 June. for my LFD .

I've purchased several cheap roll of garden fleece just incase the forecasts shows 4 oC as frost damage starts to occur in tender plants at 5 oC and at 3oC when ice crystals start to form individually it damages tender plant cells usually killing them rather than holding them back f or afew days

We live on a hill so we tend to get things a tad cooler than the forecasts indicate.
All my tender plants are going out on Bank Holiday Monday 27 May

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #5 on:** May 22, 2013, 10:07:21 pm »

Quote from: Plantoid on May 22, 2013, 06:47:27 pm

frost damage starts to occur in tender plants at 5 oC and at 3oC when ice crystals start to form individually it damages tender plant cells usually killing them rather than holding them back f or afew days

That's worth knowing, Plantoid, thanks.

hexhammeasure · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2013, 12:17:05 am »

I was always told not to plant out any tender plants until the last full moon in may and apart from a late june frost have usually been safe

Floyd · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2013, 08:31:13 am »

Thanks for your replies. It is no longer a problem, everything is back into the Polytunnel as temperature has dropped rapidly including a massive hail storm last night.

Just hope the climbing beans dont get to tied together.

spandit · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2013, 09:33:47 am »

What happens to beans in the wild? Do they die back to the roots like some other plants and come back again?

Marlboro · « **Reply #9 on:** May 27, 2013, 07:14:41 pm »

No beans just die, well they are perrenials in thier normal habitat but I have tried binging them through in the greenhouse, didn't work. I have had to cover mine the last three nights and lost one due to the wind blowing the cover up, only dropped to 3 degrees, still looking very sick. Should have kept them indoors another week.