Knowledgebase
Tomato #867003
Asked May 04, 2024, 11:39 AM EDT
Sherburne County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for reaching out to ask2.extension.
My guess is too much too fast. could be sun or wind. Greenhouses are the perfect environment. They should be ok once they are in the ground.
In the future, allow the transplants to languish in the shade for a few days and/or move them outside on a cloudy day, then gradually place them in the sun for a couple of hours each day over the course of one or two weeks. This is called hardening off. Either of these gives the plant time to acclimate to its more radical environs.
If hot, dry winds are an additional issue, try placing a windbreak around the transplants, or relocate to a protected area. With either issue, if the windburn or sun scorch is not severe, the plant will likely recover; remove any afflicted leaves to discourage disease.
You may lose some of them, but most should be ok once they establish in the ground. Next year try exposing them to cooler air first by opening the doors of the greenhouse first, and then moving them outside into shade and then into the sun slowly.
Hope things work out,