What, if anything, is wrong with these seedlings?

[Skoorbmax]

6-7 week old Cherry Tomatoes grown from seed. Fresh potting soil, I try not to over-water. This is first year from seed. They have grown very well and are at a south-facing door with a huge mirror behind. Last week I put them out to harden them. From scratch on first day about 5 hours, probably too long. It was VERY windy, but I had them staked. I THINK after that is when this issue kicked in. I've since been hardening only more gradually and gently, working up to about 4-5 hours ok sun today with little wind. As you can see, the lower leaves in particular are wilty and just not happy with life. Is this normal, though? I know the plants are quite leggy due to not a ton of sun. Should I rip these lower leaves off? I had planned no putting in ground (western NY) in about a week. Thanks!

[img]https://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac177/Skoorb100/tomato.jpg[/img]

[serial_killer]

Just remove the lower leaves when you plant and bury them all the way up the stem. They'll be fine.

[Skoorbmax]

Just remove the lower leaves when you plant and bury them all the way up the stem. They'll be fine.

Thanks--so leave them until now regardless of whether they appear ill or not?

[rainbowgardener]

NOT ENOUGH LIGHT! Yes, leggy and a bit puny. It's really hard to grow good tomato seedlings just by a window. If it were earlier in the season, I'd really encourage you to get a shop light fixture with fluorescent tubes to put them under. But at this point just keep working on the hardening off, get them outside as much as they can handle.

And yes windy is a VERY bad way to start hardening tender plants off. Worse than too much sun, very dessicating.

But I agree, take the bottom leaves off, bury them deep and take good care of them for awhile and they should be fine.

[Skoorbmax]

I may get a light for next year. It's a hassle keeping them at windows anyway, and hard to keep my cats away from

[farmerlon]

Last week I put them out to harden them. From scratch on first day about 5 hours, probably too long.

Yes, I think that is too many hours outside for the first day.
I usually start at about 2 hours, and then add about an hour each day until they are outside for a full day... then I plant them.

Your transplants look OK though. Once you finish hardening and get them planted, they will probably be fine.

Best of luck!

[somegeek]

I may get a light for next year. It's a hassle keeping them at windows anyway, and hard to keep my cats away from

+1 vote for a grow light. I built a few I used last year and this year and have gotten great results. My earlier starter attempts by our windows were flops.

somegeek

[DoubleDogFarm]

skoorbmax,

I have a few questions. What kind of fresh potting soil How big are those peat or pulp pots Did the tomatoes start in these pots

Some of the leggy problem could have been handled early. Starting in a simple peat- perlite mix in small pots or open flats. After the first true leaves, pot up to a 4" plastic pot. In this 4" pot is when I switch to potting soil. By the time my plants are your size, they are in at least 6" but better yet, 1 gallon pots. Poor lighting is a problem, but I have found that potting up and often, gives you a stronger healthier tomato.

[Skoorbmax]

The potting soil was miragle-gro

I started a bunch of seeds in a flat container and about 10-12 days in migrated these seeds to quite large peat pots 2/3 of the way up, then as the plants continued to grow I put more soil around them.

I planted them all this morning. It's a touch too early (nights down to 50 F) but even some of the new leaves/stems are affected by whatever is scourging the old and I want to get it over with one way or the other. I'm very concerned they'll all die. I can only assume it's because of that first hardening off day, they've just never been the same since. I had a single runt that I didn't put out that day. It's still growing slowly but otherwise its leaves all look fine.

I have some three week old cucumbers that are doing awesomely. Been hardening them but they avoided that first day and so far are doing very well. I'll plant them this weekend probably.

[Gary350]

Not enough nutrients in that potting soil and not enough sun light.

Is it warm enough outside during the day that you can set the plants outside and bring them back inside at night?

Get a shovel full of good soil and mix it into a bucket of water. Stir well and let the dirt settle to the bottom of the bucket use the brown muddy water to water your plants.

[garden5]

I'd have to say that it was the window light. I grew some under a grow light this year and after comparing my results to last year's window light, what a difference.

One thing you may have wanted to do (maybe you did do this, but just didn't say) is "pet" the plants by rubbing your hand side-to-side across the tops of your plants. This encourages stronger, thicker stems.

Don't worry, I've planted tomato plants that were 1/4 the size of your plants and were also grown in window light with nutrient-deficient potting-soil. The result? They lived and gave a pretty good harvest

[DoubleDogFarm]

Miracle-Gro,

To rich to early and probably over watered. They put wetting agents in their mixes. Followed with to small a pot, root bound. Tickling could be done with a oscillating fan. I prefer just potting up more often.

Like many have mentioned. Harden them off and plant deep.