Plants grown in sterile vessels have never needed to defend themselves against dry air. Their cuticle is thin, their stomata do not close efficiently and their roots have grown in gel, not substrate. Acclimatisation (hardening) is the process of teaching them to live outside the jar. Done well, survival rates above ninety percent are normal. Done in a hurry, losses can be severe. This is the protocol we ship with every batch.
Before the plants arrive
- Prepare a clean propagation area with a humidity dome or fog system, gentle light (100 to 150 micromol) and stable temperature of 22 to 25 degrees.
- Use a fine, well-drained substrate: peat or coco plugs, or a light mix. Pre-moisten, never saturate.
- Disinfect trays, tools and hands. The plants are clean; keep them that way.
Days 0 to 3: high humidity, low stress
Open the vessels only when ready to transplant. Rinse the gel off the roots gently in lukewarm water, place each plantlet in its plug and close the dome. Target 90 to 95 percent humidity, no direct light, no draughts. Do not feed.
Days 4 to 10: gradual exposure
Open the dome vents a little more each day, lowering humidity by roughly five percent per day. Increase light in steps. Water lightly and only when the surface of the plug starts to dry; overwatering is the main cause of losses at this stage. A very weak feed can start around day seven.
Days 10 to 14: standard conditions
Remove the dome for a few hours, then for good. Plants that keep turgid leaves without the dome are hardened. From here they behave like established cuttings and can move to your normal vegetative regime.
Common mistakes
- Direct light on day one.
- Leaving vessels open for hours before transplanting.
- Heavy watering, cold water or strong nutrients in the first week.
- Mixing acclimatising plantlets with plants from other sources.
If something looks wrong, call us the same day. We would rather answer a question on day two than replace a batch on day ten. More on working with us.