Winter sown seedlings have been exposed, somewhat, to varying levels of sun and temperature from day one.
Because of this, they tend to be more hardy than greenhouse or indoor-sown seedlings.
We do, however, need to prepare them for wind exposure and direct sunlight. To do this, we need to acclimate seedlings to their new environment over the course of 4-7 days. This is a process known as “hardening off” your plants.
Timing for this is important.
Before we dig into the “how to” below, let’s discuss the “when.”
The ideal time to transplant depends on your frost date. Cold-hardy crops—like cabbage—can be transplanted 3 weeks or so before your last frost date.
On the other hand, warm-weather crops—like tomatoes—shouldn’t be transplanted until all threat of frost has passed.
To determine when to begin the transplant process, identify when the crop can be safely planted outdoors in relation to your frost date. Then, count backwards about a week earlier from that date. That is when you should start the “hardening off” process as discussed in the video below.
As with any newly transplanted seedling, you should water it in—aka soak the surrounding soil at the time of planting.
