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New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.

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Old February 3, 2011   #1
rnewste
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Default WARNING: Don't Do This To Your Seedlings!!! (pic)

Every once in a while I do something STUPID (Dear Wife says it is more often than that), so I thought I would give my young seedlings started about 3 weeks ago a taste of direct Sunshine outside. Well, I left them out all afternoon:



Here they are this morning, with stalks on the Diva and Sweet Success cukes shriveled up. I do have a backup tray started 2 weeks ago, but learn from my mistake; no more than an hour for the first time outside in the Sun. Bummer!

Raybo
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Old February 3, 2011   #2
MJACTIVIST
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Yea that sucks, you gotta harden them off before throwing them out.
We all make mistakes and none of us are perfect. Keep up the great work Ray.
L8
MJ
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Old February 3, 2011   #3
geeboss
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Ray

Where is your shade cloth? You've got your backups and a new found appreciation for slow but steady wins the race.

geeboss
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Old February 3, 2011   #4
oc tony
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I use cups and as soon as they pop up they go outside and only come in if there's a danger of frost.
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Old February 3, 2011   #5
newatthiskat
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I am sorry raybo any way to save them? they are pretty resilient. Maybe a day or two before you throw them out? Sometimes mine will perk back up. A few look salvageable. I know how precious your babies are to you. and usually you treat them way better than I treat mine. If there was a Tomato plant protection service (TPS vs CPS)I would have been called in and reported a long time ago.
Kat
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Old February 4, 2011   #6
sfmathews
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Feel you pain Ray, I've done it as well.
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Old February 5, 2011   #7
b54red
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Since I have found that I can't count on not getting distracted after setting them out the first time I try to set them out so they get the last few hours of sunlight in the afternoon.
I usually remember to bring them back in before the real heat of the day the next day. My favorite is to put them out on a cloudy day near a tree that will shade them in the mid day sun but allow for morning sun. I've never had sunburn when doing this, so I guess they become acclimated during the cloudy day and are ready to move to full sun in a few days.
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Old February 5, 2011   #8
dustdevil
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Raybo,

I thought you're suppose to HARDEN them off, not FINISH them off

Dust
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Old February 5, 2011   #9
lurley
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Last year my hubby was helping to move my pepper plants out during the day and in at night. I had them all in a 7' x 8' trailer that I couldn't move by myself. They were all in quart pots and about 16 inches tall, really beautiful. Well, I didn't check one night if they were brought in and the next morning they had all been hit by frost. I literally cried. It was early May here with plant out time in two weeks and I had planned on selling about half of the plants. No one would want these now. I pulled off all the dead leaves, was really careful with them from then on, and in three weeks they had regrown some good looking leaves (although they didn't look good enough to sell in my opinion) I planted them all in my own garden and had tons of peppers last year. Getting an early start and putting out such big plants of peppers and eggplants gave me my first really great harvest of those. Usually with my shorter season, I would be lucky to get two or three eggplants per plant. Last year at the end of season my pepper and eggplants were almost 3 1/2 feet tall. Unfortunately the cauliflower and broccoli that got snowed on didn't fare so well, once planted they just went to seed and never developed heads. So I have learned my lesson but that doesn't mean that mistakes will never happen again. At least you still have the time and the weather to start again
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Old February 5, 2011   #10
JoAnne
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Been there, done that. First year I grew tomatoes I didn't know about hardening them off, so I just planted my seedlings directly outside. And then went away for a week on a business trip. Ended up buying plants from Home Depot....
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Old February 5, 2011   #11
ralphsassie
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It is so easy to do that. I have a bench under a table that I put mine out on for the first week or so.

Hopefully, they will come back soon!!
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Old February 5, 2011   #12
erlyberd
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Are you growing them under lights??? Or are you growing them in the shade??? If so you need to put them no further than 3" from the bulbs assuming we're talking flouesents and or if windowsill growing give them direct sunlight from day one.Not to be a jerk (no one else is going to mention it) but to help you be a better gardner those plants are simply begging for more light. I hope your next batch is a success.
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Old February 5, 2011   #13
rnewste
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erly,

They were 'raised" adjacent to a HPS lighting system I had on over-wintered plants. Next Season I am going to invest in a florescent system dedicated to strengthening seedlings before planting out. Thanks for the observations and recommendations.

Raybo
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Old February 7, 2011   #14
erlyberd
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Well that explains it!I think you need the flouesent lights now! LOL Just get a shoplight or two. They are very cheap and work very good. Glad you took it the right way. Just trying to help. Now if someone could only help me with my spelling! lol
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