Thigmomorphogenesis

Last year I put my climbing beans out too early and they froze... almost literally. With the health of my broad beans already precarious, I'm being cautious with all seedlings this year. A few warm days doesn't mean it's summer. Seedlings have taken over every window ledge, being hardened off on the balcony by day, inside by night.

I first read about Thigmomorphogenesis in Emma Cooper's The Alternative Kitchen Garden A-Z. It's the principle that plants grow differently when not exposed to the wind. So, if your seedlings can't be put out, blow on them and brush your fingers through them. It'll help them become stronger and stockier before they face the outside world.