Hardening off seedlings

Knowing how to harden off seedlings is vital if you want them to survive transplanting. You'll want to make sure you know how to do this last important step of starting seedlings!

Photo courtesy gardeningknowhow.com Starting seeds indoors gives you earlier vegetables and flowers, and your cultivar choices will be ...

If you've ever tried starting vegetable seeds indoors, you've probably heard someone say,

You’ve spent time, energy, and effort nurturing those veggie, herb, and flower starts—and now it’s time to introduce them to the great outdoors. But before you move your seedlings from your home or greenhouse into your garden—or, in gardening lingo, transplant them!—you’ll want to harden them off.

Tender seedlings may not make it if you bring them outside too soon. That's why you need to expose them gradually to outdoor conditions by hardening them off.

It takes time for your plants to mature, so start them off indoors in winter. Find out which seeds are best to start in late winter, and how to harden them off when the weather gets warmer!

You’ve been growing vegetable seedlings [in your windowsill garden](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-start-a-windowsill-garden) for the last few weeks, and the sprouts appear ready for transplant. While you may be ready to get those tender plants into your vegetable garden, there’s an important step before transplanting that will help you get the most success out of your crop: hardening off the seedlings.

Tips for hardening off seedlings is the act of slowly allowing your baby plants, to grow accustomed to living outdoors. Learn how with this step by step tutorial on how to harden off your seedlings.

This easy-to-follow guide on how to harden off seedlings will help you prevent transplant shock and give plants a stronger start in your spring garden.

Seeds that've been babied indoors need to acclimate to the harsher outdoor environment before transplanting. It's not difficult to harden off seedings...