Hardening Off Pepper Plants is important but simple – you just want to gradually expose your indoor-started pepper seedlings to the outside sun and breezes so they are not shocked by full sun on their first day outside. Don't let them get a sunburn!
Hardening off pepper seedlings is simple – it just means gradually exposing seedlings to sunlight, wind, and temperature changes over a few days or a week, toughening them up and allowing them to develop thicker leaves and stems. This process helps prevent wilting, stunted growth, and even death. Don't skip this step!
Day 1: Put them outside in full shade the first day for 2 hours, then bring them back inside. Watch for signs of stress and bring them inside if needed. Also bring them inside if it is windy, they need to build strength!
Day 2: Put pepper seedlings into the shade for 2 hours, then into the sun for 1 hour, moving them back into the shade if they start to wilt and show signs of stress. Again, bring them back inside if it is windy. Keep an eye on their hydration.
Day 3-7: Repeat this process gradually increasing their exposure to sun and night time temperatures. Now your plants are hardened off and can be transplanted into the garden or large pot for the summer season.
Note: When hardening off your pepper plants, it's important to still keep them warm! Before leaving seedlings outside overnight or transplanting into their final growing space, make sure it's 50˚-60˚ F or warmer at night to avoid stunting your pepper plants with cool temperatures. Bring them inside or cover them if cool or stormy weather is expected. Peppers can get stunted (slow down or stop growing for awhile) if exposed to temperatures below 50˚F. It's also good to transplant them on an overcast day, or in the evening or early morning so they have some time to settle in before the hot sun hits them.
Hardening off plants on Cloudy Days:
This is a great technique as it allows the peppers to gently acclimate to the brighter light (even with cloud cover). Transplanting your pepper plants early in the morning, or at dusk, or on cloudy days can also help ease the seedlings into their new growing conditions without the strong sunlight to contend with. Some people even put shade cloth or shelters over their newly planted seedlings to let them have a day or two of shaded time to settle in. This is not necessary, but can help you avoid wilted plants on super sunny days in the spring.
This pepper leaf above has been sunburned and whitened from the sun. We left them out a little too long in the hot sun when they were still putting on their "base tan." This plant will recover, but it's good to harden them off slowly to prevent sun damage after bringing seedlings outdoors.
So, be sure to harden off your pepper plants and all your seedlings!
Hardening off seedlings is a simple but vital process for indoor-started plants. The hardening off process will help you avoid young plants from getting shocked from full sun. Our indoor lights are nowhere near as powerful as the sun, and the plants need time to build up tolerance to both sunlight and the winds that could topple or break off branches on plants that have not had time to grow stronger stems.
Find our top 12 tips for How to Grow Peppers from Seed »
Happy growing!
