Change in temperature flattening me plants!

perhaps they just haven’t had time to get a good root system going. When did you transplant them from the garage?

Going from a protected environment to the sun/wind environment is quite a shock to the little plants.

Maybe you could create a little shade for them until they toughen up.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

I know of someone who grows dahlias who puts up umbrellas to shade them during the really hot days until they are strong enough on their own. MsDebbieP has a good idea, depending upon how large a garden you have.

-- jroot

My SIL lives in Arizona and planted a vegetable garden this year. He mentioned that he ended up moving his tomato plants to a more shaded area because they were really struggling with the afternoon heat. Once he moved them, he said they began to really take off.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I thought about the roots some but then remembered that I have transplanted them into fiber pots and allowed a few days for them to adjust to those and they really seemed to be springing up. I then planted the whole pot and plant so I assume that any root structure already set in the pot should be good enough. I will definitely look into the shading aspect as well though.

-- Steve, Vancouver, WA

If they are in fiber pots, it’s very important to be sure all of the pot is under the soil. Don’t allow the top rim of the pot to stick above the soil line, it acts as a wick and wicks the moisture away from the roots of your plants. Small plant started indoors require several days of hardening off, as MsDeb described. Creating some kind of shade protection for them may help.

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'

I never thought about that with the fiber pots (have never used them before). Did lose a few, but have replanted with others now in their spots and they are strong up to this point.

-- Steve, Vancouver, WA

sun….....what sun? its cold enough to break the balls off a brass monkey out here. I’m starting to wonder when the polar bears will migrate here?

Put a cover over them like hemp cloth that filters the sun.

I gotta go find my mittens and long underwear

-- Central northish Ontario

NavyCop are you remembering to plant your tomatoes deep, at least up to the top three or four leave clusters?
Tomatoes need to have their roots encouraged and that can be done by planted them very deep.
Sounds weird but it is the best way.

-- If you always do what you always did, then you will always get what you always got!...Lanoka Harbor, NJ 6b

I did not plant them deep, as I learned later I should have, but they are still doing ok. I have tomatoes on all of my plants and have planted additional plants that I grew from seeds on the seed rack. They probably won’t make it to actual vegetable growth, but it is an interesting project to see what works, what helps with growth, etc. None of my onions, carrots or celery came up, but I have a good solid growth of cucumbers (though no buds yet) and radishes. Need to make an earlier start with seeds next year to see how much of an impact that will have.

-- Steve, Vancouver, WA

Sounds like you are really learning a lot this year and will be well prepared next spring/summer. As I look back to when I first began gardening there where whole years where nothing grew, or years when just a few things prospered. But man did I learn a lot … all part of gardening. It can be frustrating, but ya just got to hang on some years and enjoy the little things.

Glad to hear your Cukes are doing well … a lot of people have had trouble this year …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Will be interesting to see this week as we are expecting temps up to the 100’s by the end of the week so watering will be extreme so I don’t lose anything too badly.

-- Steve, Vancouver, WA

Well know we are all wishing you good luck!!! :-) Let us know how the week goes …

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5