Wow. A whole week. My apologies. It’s been busy.
I intend to fill you in on “hardening off“, but first I should update about our compost kerfuffle (that sounds better in my head than it looks. Seriously: say it out loud “compost kerfuffle”). Of course, it really was more of a non-kerfuffle. And yes, Joany, it’s spelled correctly, I promise!
Last Sunday we were VERY excited to head out to grab our 5 free bags of compost from Valley Waste Resource Management at the Just Us Cafe (well, in their yard, not in the cafe).
See: I didn't make it up! FREE!!! ( and ANNUAL!!!)
As the event was scheduled to go from 9am until the compost was gone, we decided to hustle. We arrived at 9:40. Word to the wise: if you plan to partake of this exciting affair in future years, arrive before 9:40. We were fortunate enough to see the last few bags of compost on their way to their new homes. There was one benefit to this wasted outing (and not, I might add, a delightful cup of coffee: the cafe doesn’t open until 10 on Sundays). We got to witness the size of the bags. It seems the Valley folk are a jaded lot: if I had a dime for every person who said, “a free bag, eh? What, a Ziploc sandwich bag?” I wouldn’t be after free compost. Using my trusty eyeball estimate, I’d say the bags are about 12″x36″ (more or less, and no, I won’t estimate in metric. Google it). So, yes, a decent size and worth the trek if you can get there at the crack of 9. *ahem*
Our boxes: filled at last (with the addition of some purchased compost).
But back to the topic at hand.
Tomorrow is the glorious (if rather arbitrary) date the gardening gods have decreed as officially frost free in our zone. Gardening neophyte as I am, I assumed this meant we’d rush out first thing in the morning and plunk all our happy seedlings into their waiting beds. My dearly beloved gasped in horror at the thought of such a rude and unceremonious transition for his delicate baby plants. It seems they need “hardening off” (which, I’ll be honest, was something I thought one allowed Play-Doh projects to do for posterity. Live and learn). So each day this week (more or less) we’ve been introducing our tender shoots to the harsh realities of our cruel, cruel climate. Sun (albeit filtered through a protective tree cover), wind (not TOO much) and rain (although I’ve been instructed to escort our wee darlings back inside should the fore-casted showers prove fiercer than a mild mist). You may have guessed, by now, that my better half is responsible for the instructions in parentheses. I’m not sure how we’ll tend to our plantlings’ delicate constitutions once they are *gasp* fending for themselves without benefit of easy transportation indoors at the slightest provocation. I’m hoping Mike doesn’t decide to build the first dome-covered square foot garden…
Ah, the dappled sunlight on the dainty seedlings.
All this aside: I have been assured by sources (both online and from actual human beings with whom I have spoken in real life) that hardening off is actually the recommended way to go, including all the seemingly hyperbolic precautions my darling insisted upon.
We're not sure how to protect them from large predators...
Love the large predator!!! I just started hardening off my little darlings today…. they are a couple of weeks younger than yours.
And… we will be at the plant sale at 8am…. not 8:40 tomorrow :o) (Glooscap Curling Club in Kentville 8:00am Plant Sale Saturday May 16/09)
Ack, you’re advertising it! Maybe all the early compost procurers will swoop in and scoop up all the plants, too! The horror!
Bummer on the freebies but yay that the seedlings are big enough for hardening off!
Jonathan made it out to Just Us at 9am on Mother’s Day and managed to get his (our) 5 bags of compost. He said it was like ants on an ant hill, people everywhere trying to get their free compost. I am hoping to go next year and see it for myself
I too had not heard of the “hardening off” until I found Jonathan putting our seedlings on the deck (and here I thought they would be planted in his boxes and precious mixed soil). Too funny. In my house, I think more of the “hardening off” needs to happen with the plants learning to defend themselves against my children who love to “help” with the gardening