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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
I bring in a mealybug infestation every winter. I usually lose at least one plant to them each year. I suspect if I was quicker to treat the foliage with a blend of Isopropyl Alcohol, Peppermint soap, and water, and a paper-towel to rub down each leaf, then I could probably save all of them but it's a chore I tend to delay until I can no longer ignore it.