Re: [gardeners] Hello
margaret lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 08 Jan 2000 06:57:01 -0700
>
>Turn the heat off and just protect the plants from extreme cold. Plus by
>mid-February it heats up enough to open the door, plants are still
>protected from cold winds and get adequate heat to grow but not enough
>of either heat or cold to kill them. Different strokes for folks in warm
>climates.
>
>George, in 70F SW Louisiana
>
I don't think of this place as being windy, but exposing plants to breezes
is half the hardening-off process here. It's seedlings' version of "sink or
swim," I guess. Even experienced gardeners here put greenhouse plants out
in full sun and wonder why they bleach out white. Duhhh. But the breezes
are tough to cope with. One could shove a wooden shingle into the soil to
shield them if the wind only blew in one direction. Problem is, it comes
from the west all day, then in the evening, it shifts to blow from the
east. I've been thinking on this one for years, off and on. Anything I come
up with is very labor-intensive. Margaret