Oh, I'm just devastated.
My red & green tomato seedlings were off to such a good start. I've started hardening them off slowly, meticulously, religiously by-the-book.

Look at them! The uppermost leaves have started turning white, and curling. They appear to be sick. No longer thriving.

They aren't going to survive the scheduled transplant for this weekend into their 5-gallon buckets, are they?

I could REALLY use some good news, but please - keep it real as always.

Your verdict?

Linda, I think it's possible the problem is those peat pots you have them planted in. I hate those things, and for plants that put out deep, vigorous roots, they totally block the new roots from forming. The peat is most often packed too tight and too thick for the pots to break down fast enough to let the roots grow through.

I would tear off those pots and transplant them to some bigger, deep pots with fresh potting soil. Or if the weather forecast is good, put some of them right into the ground.

Don't forget tomatoes can be planted much deeper than they are in their starting pots - all those little hairs on the lower stem will form more roots. So plant them at least 2in. deeper, in rich soil and give them a feed of half-strength soluble fertilizer.

Good news is, it's really hard to kill a tomato plant. They probably aren't goners. But take off those peat pots for SURE!

Removing the (moistened) peat pots is number 1. If your buckets are easily transportable I'd suggest deep planting them, like Elaine said, then keep them out of hot sunlight for a week or so. Some morning sun might be okay, but they do look like they could use a gentle recovery period.

I'll be using a 50/50 mixture of potting soil and cow manure/compost in my bucket containers. Also mixing in some egg shells I've been saving.

Some shade can definitely be arranged, even if I have to rig up a tarp-brella. I'm so eager to revive these things.

Should I plant the peat pots (after much trimming) directly into the containers, or remove them entirely?

(Edit: I see where removing them is suggested above)

Thank you guys SO much!

GoBoldlyHomestead said:I'll be using a 50/50 mixture of potting soil and cow manure/compost in my bucket containers. Also mixing in some egg shells I've been saving.

That sounds like a very rich, water-retaining mix. You might consider adding some coarse material like coarse Perlite or bark nuggets to open it up a little and let more air diffuse in. Say, chunks around 0.1 inch or 0.2 inch (around 1/8" or a little smaller, up to smaller than 1/4")

With big, thirsty, hungry plants like tomatoes, it IS a difficult trade-off between getting enough aeration to keep roots from rotting, and retaining enough water that you don't need to water 2-3 times per day.

Bark nuggets from mulch would work okay? A local lady talked me into adding a bit of Epsom salt as well.

Transplanting tomorrow, so any last minute tips I receive are HIGHLY appreciated!

Epsom salts is great stuff, but I'd be careful of adding it to the soil mix, Linda. Better to add it to the soluble fertilizer you'll need to water them with after transplanting. About a tablespoon per gallon is a good amount to start with.

Bark nuggets from mulch are pretty big, better to use something a bit finer, I think. The 50 percent manure might be a little bit rich for small plants as well. Manure releases an initial rush of nitrogen fairly fast once you are watering regularly. Any chance you have access to alfalfa pellets? It's horse food that hasn't gone through the horse yet, so without all the urea compounds that make manure so high in soluble N. The pellets are available at a feed store or Tractor Supply for about $15 for a 50lb. bag. It will last you all season.

Are you planting in the ground or in pots, Linda?

I'm planting in 5-gallon buckets.

I have a ton of organic seed-starting mix that is pretty heavy in perlite and moss and little wood pieces. Would that be a sufficient mix to add?

I will not mix 1/2 potting soil and 1/2 manure compost. I'll use just 1 part manure compost to 3 parts potting soil, then.

I've saved about 6 dozen egg shells to grind up, but I read last night where the calcium doesn't even release until it's composted for awhile. Guess I'd be better off just adding those to the compost bin for next season, huh?

So much conflicting info out there.

I just want to make homemade salsa, darn it!

Pepper plants are absolutely thriving!

The seed starting mix sounds like a better option for lightening up the mix.

Thank you, Elaine!

Today is the big day. First time transplanting.

*GULP*

They should be fine. I once inadvertently snapped one of mine off at the soil line, went ahead and potted it up, and it STILL survived! Just took it a little longer to make new roots. My first thought was that your plants might have gotten a bit too much sun too soon. And I agree, peat pots are NOT the way to go with tomatoes. Good luck!

>> Bark nuggets from mulch would work okay?

In a 5-gallon bucket, don't use nuggets that are TOO big. A quarter-inch (6 mm) is probably too big, unless you desperately need much better drainage and aeration. 1/10" up to 1/8" is probably best.

Reducing the amount of compost also reduces the amount of "lightening" needed".