Two days ago, before transplanting, all my seedlings look green and healthy. Just hours after transplanting into 4-inch pots I started to see spots, such as those shown in pictures 2 and 3.
The plants did get a little dirt on them while transplanting, but I bottom watered to avoid getting the leaves wet. I also turned down the light to give them a bit of recovery time.
All suggestions welcome.
by BladeCutter93
3 Comments
Are pics 2 and 3 the same leaf? You should have a pic of all of the plants now so we can see the progressive damage. If all the damage is on one leaf, you could have spilled something. All we have to go on is pic 1 and they look good.
Cold maybe?
If it has only been 2 days, perhaps it’s transplant shock and they will recover. Not at all uncommon. It can easily take a week or so to start looking “normal” again. But, tomatoes are tough. Don’t despair.
FWIW, I always water fully just before transplanting or up-potting seedlings. In winter, I also try to use water that is 70 or 80 degrees F, not cold or hot. Tepid, like you were feeding a baby its bottle. I also make sure the growing medium in the new pot isn’t too cold. Same principle: Decrease shock to and disturbance of the tiny plant’s metabolism as little as possible.
Another small point: Your seedlings would handle it better if you up-potted them earlier. Those in the seed-starting tray in your first photo are much bigger than they need to be. They are now supporting too much foliage. Easier to work with smaller seedlings that have less in the way of metabolic needs. Bigger is not better.