I don't know what is happening here.. my seedlings don't look so healthy. What do you think? One is like is too floppy, the others have dry tips.... I'm not watering much because this kind of soil is always humid under the surface but I will check it better now. Its not raining here. I'm afraid of losing them!





Many thanks!

It may be just a transition from indoors to outside, but what's the blue stuff?

The one that looks floppy looks like in its way to rot.... The blue stuff is for keeping away slugs and snails.

I agree with Sue.

You are giving me hope! I'm really afraid they aren't well! I don't see any sign of new growth apart a new leaf on one of them. It's day 6 since they are in garden.

How did you transplant them? Did they still have "soil" totally surrounding the roots, or did it fall off?

Two were in potting mix, I moved it until roots were loose but not much of anything was around them. The others were in vermiculite, same thing, I gently shaked the container and took the seedlings out.

OK, so you'll most likely have some root damage then. In that case I would cut off the drooping seedling/s to about half their leaf length. Not only are they transitioning to the outdoors but they don't have as much functioning root as they did indoors. That means they don't have the ability to take up enough water to keep the leaves from wilting. Any that are not wilting you could leave alone but just keep an eye on them and if they start to droop then shorten their leaves too. Shortening the leaves reduces the amount of water the plants need to take up.

What is the temperature there right now? If it is warm and the sun is strong in the afternoon maybe you could invert flower pots over the seedlings to give them a bit of shade for the hottest part of the day. They'll start growing when they've got over the change in environment.

Thanks Sue, as far as I can tell no roots were "broke" because I didn't have to tear them out of their medium. but I must say roots were not big. There's no much sun is always a bit cloudy, with a high of 20°C. From tomorrow we should have rains and lower temps. I'm going out to check every leaf. Many thanks!

Edit: they are now wilting a lot. There's only the one that's floppy that it really seems about to die. leaves are completely on the ground and they look like too soft to stand.

If they are getting too much sun (even with some overcast) maybe nail a piece of cardboard to some stakes and place it over this location. If that's too much work, maybe just prop a piece of cardboard to shade the babies. OHHHH ... what about stretching a sheet over them to provide high shade?

Sabrina, you wouldn't necessarily see broken roots, firstly being in the air during transfer, unless it was very quick, can dry out the little hairs on the roots, and secondly when you firm the soil around the seedlings it can further damage the roots. Unless you plant with a rootball adhering, you're inevitably going to have done some damage to the roots.

Are you sure they don't need watering? Cutting the leaves back would be the best thing, and shade either by my method or Arlene's. You're more likely to lose them if you don't cut the leaves back.

Thanks again for advice. Soil is humid. If you look at the pics at the start of the thread the only one I feel it's in trouble it's the one in the first picture. The leaves are like wet paper. The other seedlings have some dry parts but the leaves don't bend too much.

The sun stays over the garden for just a couple of hours and I don't think with these clouds it's so strong, I can't feel it when I go out. Sure I'm not a little seedling

@florange sorry I will be back to you as soon as I can!

The sun is still very strong as far as seedlings that have been indoors are concerned, especially if they were not under very bright lights.

They were under red/blue LEDS lights.
I cut a bit some leaf, gave a bit of water (I found my hygrometer and checked the soil) but still I didn't manage to find a sort of cover for them. Starting from ths afternoon weather should change, it should rain and temperature should go down to 15°C.
All the seedlings seem to do quite fine, except for that with wilted leaves. It really looks more there than here (a sort of italian saying to say that it looks more dead than alive).

Yes, I remembered about the lights but sunlight is still brighter and there is a higher temperature and some wind outdoors which increases the need for water. Does the very sad one look any better in the early morning as compared to later in the day?

No, Sue, it looks the same. Today no big changes I thought I'd found it dead but it's still as it was yesterday. I'm still in doubt for water because though I see the soil dryes quickly forecast call for rains in a couple of hours.

Those look like they are planted pretty deep. Can you just take you finger and move a little soil away from the crown, let it get some air. I have terrible problems with mine pulling themselves down. I only grow in sponges, altho every year I swear Im going to stop that.

Sabrina, on that first one there seem to be some speckles on the leaf on the right. Is there any chance it has spider mites? I can't quite make it out well enough.

How much rain are you expecting? If it's only a little and it just wets the surface it will help somewhat by reducing transpiration but there still may not be enough at the roots. Looking at my weather radar app there's no organized rain headed your way, just scattered showers. There's one slightly heavier one around Turin. Does the geography increase the chance of rain where you are because there's not much going on there now if the app is correct. If you think it needs watering now, water it now is what I would say.

Pam, I will move a bit of soil I thoght I had planted them right but I will check this too.

Sue, no rain has come. You were more on the point than our experts I don't know about spider mites, I don't see any on the leaves.
I will move soil and give them a bit of water. I will check with my tool first.

Many thanks for all these good advices to everyone!

No water. Soil is wet. One definitely died, while moving a bit the soil the two leaves fell on the ground and roots are missing. It was the shorter one. The other with wilted leaves seems too lose to have good roots but I left it there untouched.