Earthtainer transplants not looking good.

[Quickstrike]

Does this look like 'normal' transplant shock from moving 'larger' tomato plants into Earthtainers?
















They were all very healthy looking plants in their 3 gallon containers [full leaves, not drooping].

Earthtainers had about a week to 'rest' before I got around to planting. I used the 8:5:1 Mix -- Promix : Bark Fines : Perlite

The tomato plants have been in the potting mix for 3 days now. Looking worse each day.

It is going to be in the 80's tomorrow. Should I be sheltering them from the sunlight?
From your guys/gals experience, do you think they will recover from this?


Thanks.

[rnewste]

For some reason, I can't see your photos but can you stick your finger down into the Mix to see how wet/dry it is?

Raybo

[Quickstrike]

It feels damp. If you squeeze it between your fingers and palm it just leaves a little moisture on the skin.

Kind of hard for me to tell if they are over watered, under watered, or just plain stressed from the transplant and heat.
To me they kind of look like yours did when you were experimenting with the potting mix and the plants were too wet.

The root balls filled the entire 3 gal containers. I just very lightly loosened the ends of the ball with my finger tips [during the transplant]. Perhaps the root ball, full of old soil, hasn't found the new damp mix yet?!

After I planted them, I added 500mL of a diluted liquid starter fertilizer. That is the only top moisture that they have gotten [because after applying the fertilizer the top soil was wet, and the surrounding soil was damp].

I will attach the images this time.. hopefully they show up for you.



TIA.

[rnewste]

I think you are in new territory here, as I've not transplanted anything as large into EarthTainers. The half-Litre of fertilizer may have shocked them a bit. I've found that "less is more" in terms of shocking plants when transplanting.

Best thing you can do is to not add any top-watering, and let everything stabilize for a week or so. While you are waiting there, what Step would your Mother make you do, as per the Guide??

Raybo

[dice]

You could pull one container back into the shade and see if
it seems to be recovering faster than the others.

If so, pull them all back, and then gradually out into more and
more light over a week or so until they are getting full sun again.