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rgrin2000

Moving broccoli outside - help!

rgrin2000
11 years ago

I am completely new at this whole gardening thing, and I have no earthly idea what I am doing. I've made some mistakes already, but I'm trying to make the most of it anyway!

The first frost date I found was apparently for the nearest large city and not accurate for this area. So, I ended up starting my broccoli late. Our frost date is April 24, and I started them indoors on March 25. They're in the Jiffy Tomato pellets, 1 per pellet, under lights in a 68-degree room. They're starting to get their 3rd and 4th true leaves, and I think it's time to get them outside. Outside temps lately have been mid-60s during the day and low 40s at night.

So, how do I harden them off? I know I'm supposed to move them outside into partial shade for increasing amounts of time each day. But, do I bring them back inside to 68-degrees at night? Do I leave them in my insulated (but not heated) garage at night? Do I need to worry about them not getting enough light during the hardening-off process? We have some milk jugs I can use for cloches, if that helps, but we don't have a cold frame or greenhouse. (This year's garden money has gone to soil improvements, seeds, growing lights, and tools like a wheelbarrow, shovels, hoes, etc.)

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