Acclimation "Hardening off" Techniques

I think that there are a lot of people out there who are still rather confused about how to do this correctly without stressing or shocking your plants, I’ve heard the shade technique and several others but the most important factor is getting your babies into a routine beforehand, that way when you put them out they are a lot less stressed out.
Here’s how I do it:
Germination indoors on 18/6 under T8 Compact Fluorescent bulbs meant for aquarium plants/corals
Looks like a lot of you do pretty well with those CFLs so those are fine but better off with a nice 250/400w MH
If it’s sunny out put your plants in the direct sunlight! Save some energy and give direct sunlight even to hour old seedlings, it will not harm them! Put them on the windowsill or wherever, the more direct sun they get right away the better they’ll grow right off the bat and they’ll already be used to the sun’s rays.
Don’t mess up your cycle, maintain your light cycle the same everyday, I do 18/06 from 08:00 to 02:00 then I put them on my balcony which faces east from 02:00 to 08:00 so the natural sunlight wakes them and then get used to the cold at night, I do this cycle every day until they’re ready to go out.
The trick to acclimation outdoors is to pre-acclimate them beforehand! You can’t take a wimpy seedling that’s been under a low wattage CFL in some newby’s closet and expect it to not have problems with UV rays and temperatures.
I say direct sunlight ASAP! Stick ‘em out in the rain here and there if you can.
Any comments shall be appreciated.
Attached is a link from last year’s grow with detailed pictures of the above technique, used it this year also, my ladies have been out since early April

https://www.rollitup.org/outdoor-growing/177902-germination-acclimation-station-germinator-1.html

hmm nice post. i actually started putting my weaklings in the sun, even though theyre going to be indoor. i do have outdoor that theyre next to though. thanks! =]

im not sure i believe in the whole acclimation thing.... i just skipped it and have had zero probs..... i dont know

i put 8 plants straight into the ground this morning. it was 80 degrees today. they got direct sunlight all day. they came from inside under 600 hps. the light cycle is all night so they went outside just when they should have been going to bed. this afternoon they were all nice and perky. i'm putting 16 more straight into the ground tomorrow.

I am very familiar as well with hardening techniques. In the cases where plants are started exclusively with artificial light ( have to do that here in Colorado as season is barely long enough, and plants do very well with when they have a jump on the season ) What I do is grow under lights until night temps are no longer freezing, usually start plants about a month before I expect to plant. Then first introduction to direct sunlight is for one hour. From there I increase exposure by doubling time every day until they have spent two or three full days in direct sunlight. Along the way,as when they have had their daily dose, I return them to grow room to maintain light cycle. Next I let them spend a couple nights out as well, and then into the soil they go. Understand that Here, my plants have experienced both nights as low as 38 degrees, and winds as high as 50 MPH. I have attached pics of them now after they have not only spent about two weeks outside, but actually had three inches of snow fall on them. The pics don't show it, but because of the high winds here, these tiny plants have stems as big around as a pencil. Now when wind blows it barely ruffles their leaves. Now I get to look forward to plants that have a full four months at least under that mega grow light we call the sun.


I have crappy walmart camera and can't see image in view finder under sunlight, so I apologize for off center pics.

I've tried this with my 2 grows. Started outside in pots and brung them inside and they are very strong and thick. They are growing really good for 1st and 2nd grows. + rep

stick them in a window for a week... done

I get mine out in the sun (and especially wind) at every opportunity until they they go outside full-time, with my weather (freeze warnings this week, 35° this morning) another week or two. I did make it easy on myself by putting casters on my lighting area tables.

its still cool i just put em outdoors, no problem.

But later in the heat of summer you should harden em a bit, i use fans to stiffen the stem, let the heat get up near 90 in the box, an put em out pretty big so will be ok.

fdd2blk said:

i put 8 plants straight into the ground this morning. it was 80 degrees today. they got direct sunlight all day. they came from inside under 600 hps. the light cycle is all night so they went outside just when they should have been going to bed. this afternoon they were all nice and perky. i'm putting 16 more straight into the ground tomorrow.

View attachment 918528View attachment 918529

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Are those 25-gallon pots?

madodah said:

Are those 25-gallon pots?

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where?

7 quart pots inside, straight into the ground outside.

getting ready to throw 15 -16 out right now. from inside to the ground in one quick shovel full of dirt.

fdd2blk said:

where?

7 quart pots inside, straight into the ground outside.

getting ready to throw 15 -16 out right now. from inside to the ground in one quick shovel full of dirt.

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I thought the outdoor image looked like buried pots.

madodah said:

I thought the outdoor image looked like buried pots.

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no, i just put rings around them to hold in water and mulch when it comes time to water and mulch.

those are cut up pickle barrels and old tire tread.

fdd2blk said:

no, i just put rings around them to hold in water and mulch when it comes time to water and mulch.

those are cut up pickle barrels and old tire tread.

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Ah.....now I understand.

Madodah, NICE!!!!

madodah said:

I get mine out in the sun (and especially wind) at every opportunity until they they go outside full-time, with my weather (freeze warnings this week, 35° this morning) another week or two. I did make it easy on myself by putting casters on my lighting area tables.

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Love the pic!

Acclimation? Its a fkin plant! Unless ur dealing with weak genetics and feminized seeds u have nothing to worry about. Idk if many people remember but this shit used to grow outside, very well in fact. Throw them outside and forget about them. People treat these things like fkin collectors items man. Its a weed!

sensisensai said:

Acclimation? Its a fkin plant! Unless ur dealing with weak genetics and feminized seeds u have nothing to worry about. Idk if many people remember but this shit used to grow outside, very well in fact. Throw them outside and forget about them. People treat these things like fkin collectors items man. Its a weed!

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Properly cultivated, it becomes a valuable commodity with little resemblance to ditch weed.

As does mine. High quality or nothing. But the means to which I put it outside are hardly gonna determine final product near what dna and many other things would. Though I do have to re-cant. If ur under floros increasing sun exposure slowly day by day would be best. But anyone under hid, well my statement stands don't waste ur time

Excellent post!