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harden off

British

verb

(adverb) to accustom (a cultivated plant) or (of such a plant) to become accustomed to outdoor conditions by repeated exposure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Remember to harden off, or acclimate, homegrown starts by giving them a few midday hours of sunbathing for about five days before planting them outside.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2022

If possible, move the potted seedlings into a cold frame to harden off for a few days before planting.

From Seattle Times • May 19, 2016

You can leave the tubers in the ground for a couple of weeks to harden off a bit, and then lift them carefully with a garden fork.

From Washington Post

As soon as rooted, pot off singly, place in a close frame, and harden off by degrees.

From Gardening for the Million by Pink, Alfred

In due course transplant into pans or boxes of good soil, and place in some cool spot where the plants may gradually harden off.

From The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots 16th Edition by Sutton and Sons

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023