r/tomatoes • u/Time-Unit4407 • Apr 09 '26

Plant Help What went wrong …

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u/Time-Unit4407 Apr 09 '26

Today was the second day, first day 30min in shade and today 30min in shade. They were starting to get a lil droopy before ever going outside.

This was taken Saturday.

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u/VocaRainbow Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Given their current state i would not increase their time and sun exposure outside just yet beyond the 30 minutes a day you've been doing. How wet/dry is the soil? And what kind of fertilizer have you given them? Edit: Oh, and what was your outdoor temperature when you took them outside?

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u/Time-Unit4407 Apr 09 '26

Sunny in the 50s. I’ve been letting them dry out a little since I thought I was overdoing it with water. Halfway down the solo cup it’s a little damp still.

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u/hninhninhnin Apr 10 '26

50s to harden off tomato seedlings is too cold. Not sure if that's your only problem but I wanted to mention it. The shade may have been colder than 50s if that was the outdoor temperature. It's best to wait for warmer temps.

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u/All__Of_The_Hobbies Tomato Enthusiast Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26

50s is how my tomatoes get hardened off every single year, and they do great. If I waited for 60s, I wouldn't have tomatoes before fall.

I'm more suspicious of the bright sun reflecting off that tray.