Potting Up & Hardening Off

Or, what to do when you don't have a cold-frame built yet!

 My friend Colette gave me this brilliant idea.

So to harden these seedling off (i.e., get them ready for life outdoors full-time), I have them out on the back slope under these clear bins. In the afternoon, I either prop up the bin a bit, or take it off completely, if it's warm enough. Then cover them back up at night to keep them warm and keep the frost off.

So far so good.

Today the bins didn't come off at all, mostly because we were busy with other stuff--church, mother's day--all day. But tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60's (yes!) so I'm planning to give them some sun in the afternoon.

So here's what's out there:

 2 pumpkin plants, borage, several marigolds and cosmos, and a few basil.

Oh yeah, and some hollyhocks.

I took about 2.5 hours Saturday night and got the rest of the seedlings potted up that were still in the very small starting trays. Violas, petunias, more marigolds and cosmos, a few more basil and hollyhocks, and some delphiniums.

They all needed it pretty desperately, but I had been waiting, because I just didn't have any more window-sill space. Then I talked to Colette about starting to harden some off outside.  So that freed up my window-sill space.  Basically, I put all the bigger stuff outside, and kept the little ones in.

I figure in a couple of weeks, all these will be ready to be planted outside, and I can start hardening off the ones that are in my windowsill now.

p.s. I have no idea what to do with those beans! They are all flowering in the basement windowsill, even though it's about 15 degrees colder than the main level, and I only water them about once a week!

Go beans! I just...am not sure what to do with them. They are so tall that I think this bin method of hardening them off would smash them down too much.  I'll have to talk to Colette again and see if she has any ideas! I give her a hard time about being my personal extension agent! :)