Guides
Hardening off
Hardening off here is named-source method notes — not a ZIP date. Timing stays on the cited cards. This page does not sell a seed-starting schedule.
One source per card. Named-source examples — not a national transplant rule.
Illustrative photograph — not a cited bed.
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
Two weeks. Shade first. Then longer days.
Details and limits (3)
Method
UMN Extension (Minnesota): two weeks before planting outdoors, move seedlings outside. Start by putting them outside for a few hours in the shade during the warmth of the afternoon, protected from wind. Bring them back inside before temperatures start to drop at night. Method.
Method
UMN Extension (Minnesota): each day, leave the plants out a little longer and expose them to a little more direct sunshine. By the end of two weeks, unless freezing temperatures are forecast, the seedlings can stay outside in a sunny area until you are ready to transplant them into the garden. Method — static named-source timing.
Limit
Minnesota starting-seeds sheet. Method only — not a ZIP date.
Clemson HGIC starting seeds indoors (South Carolina)
Fan at two true leaves. Day outdoors two to three weeks.
Details and limits (3)
Method
Clemson HGIC (South Carolina): before the transplants are moved into the garden, they need to be hardened off. When plants have two true leaves, a fan should be placed near the seedlings to produce a gentle sway. Method.
Method
Clemson HGIC (South Carolina): once plants get around three inches tall, begin conditioning them to grow outdoors. Start by placing the seedlings outdoors during the day and bring them inside before sundown. Continue this routine for two to three weeks. Method.
Limit
South Carolina starting-seeds sheet. Method only — not a national schedule.
Sources differ
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
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No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
Illustrative photograph — not a cited bed.
Indoor start notes also sit beside seed starting indoors.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.