When and how to move seedlings outside?

My seeds popped out (on my windowsill) and I put them outside in the sun for a almost 8 hours. They started to fall over like it was too much.

I then looked on a generic garden site and it said to gradually (over about 2 weeks) get them used to the outside stresses (like wind, direct sun, temp changes, etc.).

Is this something you have done? What's the best way to get baby plants used to the outside elements when they are going to get there eventually? How old should they be before I acclimate them (keep in mind I am not using a light, just windowsill lighting)?

Thanks!

Get a fan on them and open the window whenever possible. Make sure you're using a south-facing window, if not the plant will grow very slowly or stretch(might be why yours fell over, but there's several other possibilities). I grow my outdoor crop under CFL's for a month before transplanting them because it's much easier to control. I let them get pretty cold, about 50 degrees at night to prepare them for outside. That's pretty much all you need to get them ready, you can complicate things by getting some lights but if the window works fine then stick with it.

Desired User Name said:

Get a fan on them and open the window whenever possible. Make sure you're using a south-facing window, if not the plant will grow very slowly or stretch(might be why yours fell over, but there's several other possibilities). I grow my outdoor crop under CFL's for a month before transplanting them because it's much easier to control. I let them get pretty cold, about 50 degrees at night to prepare them for outside. That's pretty much all you need to get them ready, you can complicate things by getting some lights but if the window works fine then stick with it.

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werd......the fan seems most important to your cause at this point.

yes this is called "hardening" the plant, an oldskool term. wake up before the sun comes up and put your plants outside, when the sun goes down bring them in, a week to 2 weeks of this will prepare them for outdoor, then plant them in the ground.