My precious seedlings' leaves are wilting!! About a week ago I transplanted them into 4" pots. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. Any feedback out there? I am growing a bunch of different types. This is my first time to grow tomatoes from seed & I am soooo excited. HELP!!!!
You can get shock from transplanting...did you keep them out of direct sun and wind, water them well, but let them drain, and all that? My tomatoes usually droop for a little while and then perk back up. Are they wilting from the top down? The tips of the leaves in? Or are they wilting from the bottom up and the inside of the leaves out?
Transplant shock is the first thing I'd suspect also.
But, feel the soil. Is it cold or cool to the touch? Now that they've got more soil to contend with, that means more soil is getting wetter and retaining that moisture longer. (Makes sense, huh?)?:| Sooooo, if the soil is wetter longer and that soil isn't getting enough warmth (ambient air temp - not just the light requirements for the seedlings themselves) then it's more likely the soil will take longer to warm and if it's cold, then it'll stay cooler longer. Newly transplanted [u]anythings[/u], especially tropicals, don't like resting their tootsies in cold or cool soil. .
IOW, tomato seedlings not only need an average of 16 hours of [artificial] light source, they also need an ambient soil temp of at least 65˚. (IMO, preferably 70-75˚ )
One of the best "seed-starting purchases" I ever made was a soil thermometer. Cost all of $7, and it's worth every penny and more. Even with heat mats and thermostats and such, I don't stick a seed in soil till I've got that starting mixture soil warmed up. Nor do I transplant into cold soil either. And I make sure the room's temp (or at least the temp of the soil in the transplant's pot) is at least 65˚.
gardenz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices. To be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill, and suspicion can destroy, and the frightened, thoughtless search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own: for the children, and the children yet unborn." Blogs: OurGardenEarth GardenzOwn
Posts: 2509 | Location: Linda in N.J./Zones 7 & "Twilight" | Registered: February 11, 2002
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