most are roma tomatoes, some basil and peppers as well with the same issue. i forgot my plants were outside while starting the hardening off process and got basically 8 hours of full 80 degree sun on their first day… yikes. did i kill them? what should i do to save them or do i need to start over? i only planted them about 4-5 weeks ago
by xtoadette
9 Comments
They are pretty resilient but you crisped them yes.
I think they’re a bit young for hardening. I usually wait until they’re at least a few inches tall. Maybe give them a rest for a few days inside to help them bounce back.
They ain’t dead yet
Let them develop. Too hasty my friend. They need to be 25 cm plants to be hardened off and repotted and then planted in final position
I don’t think they’re dead but you might have sunburned them. Agree with others who suggest letting them get a little bigger before moving them up to hardening off. They could use another good month of growth IMO.
Too small to harden off for one.
Ouch. They got pretty crispy. Personally, I don’t harden anything off outside until they have at least 2 to 3 sets of true leaves. And then only a couple hours at a time in a shaded spot, increasingly sun exposure and time a bit each day. I bring them back in or cover them if it gets real windy as well. They’re tough, but they are still babies.
There is a lot of terrible advice in this thread. The earlier you harden tomato plants off the better. They’re actually more resilient when they’re smaller. These guys might lose a few leaves, but they’ll live. Leave them inside a few days, as soon as you see meaningful new growth started you can restart the hardening off process.
I sometimes just take my tomatoes outside whenever it’s reasonably warm and sunny when they only have 2-4 true leaves. Sometimes starting with full days. And they do great. Tomatoes are designed to start outside and stay outside. They only get sensitive to UV when you let them grow too long in overly sheltered conditions. There is absolutely no harm in getting them outside as soon as you can.
What’s the temperature outside? Remember seeds can be started outside and if you just sprout them inside then put outside in moderate temperatures I don’t think there will be a problem.