Background: I sowed my first batch of tomatoes on April 4th on those transparent 12-grid trays w/ domes that are supes trendy right now, potted them up on May 4th & 5th into 3-inch transparent pots (which I now understand may not provide the ideal darkness for their roots, live and learn), and I would like to transplant them outdoors soon.
Questions: One concern that I have (and I’m not sure how concerned I should be) is potentially introducing outdoor wildlife into my indoor environment during the hardening off phase.
- Do other gardeners worry about this or am I over thinking it? Is it basically set them on a table (not on the ground), don’t leave them out there for too long, and hope for the best?
- What other steps can I take to keep my indoor environment as sterile as possible while hardening off some plants when they’re ready?
ETA Additional Reading: Hardening Off Seedlings: How to Safely Transition Indoor Plants Outdoors
Had some chilli’s in over winter. Had what we think was fruit flies all over the house. Quite annoying. Relieved to get them back out in spring.
Next time that happens, look into nematodes. Eliminates the issue in a weeks time and keep living on the soil, reducing the chance for it to be an issue again.