Hardening off tomato seedlings

Seedlings that are 'hardened off' will produce plants that are thicker, less succulent and more resistant to transplant damage.

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Hardening off is the process of preparing seedlings grown in a protected nursery to the harsher conditions they will experience after being transplanted. It results in stronger, healthier plants with higher yield.

Hardened-off plants require less attention in the field, which gives you more time for other farming tasks. They are more resistant to low temperatures, harsh weather, wind, high temperatures, drought and mechanical injury. It has also been claimed that they have greater resistance to cutworm, as the stems are harder to chew.