What have i done wrong? Wilting problem

[Filipe410]

Just wondering if anyone can explain my wilting problem?

I have 5 tomato plants out, a pumpkin plant, 4 chilli plants, 5 sweet corns and some runner beans.

All the tomato plants have completely wilted, the pumpkin plant also wilted, 3 of the chilli plants wilted, 3 of the sweet corn and 2 runner beans wilted.

What could have caused this?

i don’t over water, or under water.. Soil is moist, and they were doing well for the past week.

Could it have been the cold weather during the night? (No snow fell in London)

Maybe I’ve planted them out too early?

The plant were bought from homebase .

Thanks for any responses

[veggiechicken]

When you say you have the plants "out" do you mean planted out in the ground or in a greenhouse?

[Filipe410]

They are planted straight into the ground, should i have kept them in the greenhouse for a while?

[veggiechicken]

I thought that would be your answer, Filipe. Yes its too early to plant any of those outdoors yet. They are warm weather plants and cannot cope with the cold nights that we are having.
Also, they would need hardening off by putting them outside during the day and bringing them under cover at night for a few days as the Homebase plants would have been raised in a heated greenhouse.
Can you cover any of the plants with fleece or bubble wrap until the weather warms up. To be honest, I don't hold out much hope for them. If you buy more and you have a greenhouse, keep them in there until the risk of frost has gone. Sorry.

[Creemteez]

Oh dear, Filipe, I'm so sorry this has happened. It really is far too cold yet for ANY of your chosen vegetable plants to have gone straight out into the ground. All the pants you mention are quite tender little beasts and although no snow may have fallen in London, it might well have been frosty -which is a killer to all but the toughest of veg.
I don't think you should blame yourself too much. B and Q should be ashamed of themselves selling tender veg plants at this time of year, without making it very clear that they should be protected from the cold!
If I were you, I'd pop down to your local garden centre and buy yourself some seeds. There is still plenty of time to grow them like this - I've only just sown my french beans (in the greenhouse) - and a lot of folk on here won't be sowing them till much later. Going to a garden centre or nursery you will also be able to ask questions of people who KNOW what they are talking about - not the bunch of Saturday "Yoofs" who usually lurk around big DIY places.
You could try salvaging what has survived, but if it's cold again tonight they probably won't survive.
Try again! Don't give up!

[WendyC]

I suppose it's too much to hope that Homebase had a frost warning up with their tender plants. Is it a ploy to sell more plants?

[Filipe410]

Amazing answers, thank you!

I think i might just have rushed everything and wanted eveything planted as soon as possible, going to buy a few more plants and do a few seeds and just keep them in the greenhouse till it start to get warm.

Thanks again!

[Filipe410]

WendyC,

No frost warning in my local Homebase,

What really annoys me is that the plant do not have a 'when to plant out' date, just a simple distance between each plant, what's needed to plant them out and a simple description.

The elderly couple living next door have also had their plant wilted, so it a big shame (Bought from homebase aswell).

[WendyC]

Could you take them back and point out the lack of warning. Might be worth a try. Good luck

[veggiechicken]

The recent hot weather was very misleading! It was so tempting to think that summer had come!!
You still have plenty of time to start pumpkins and beans from seeds - probably sweetcorn and even tomatoes. Not sure about chilies as I don't grow them. Try growing from seed first as its cheaper, young plants will be on sale for a while yet!

[Creemteez]

It's disgraceful! Had a similar situation last year when B & Q were stocking FRUITING peppers and tomatoes - IN MARCH - at £5 a pop!!!. Lord knows how many novice veg growers bought them, took them home and, just like you, wondered what THEY had done wrong! Not to mention the "Six-Carrot-Seedlings-In-A-Module" for £3!!! (Just so as you know, carrots should be direct sown where they are to crop - and a WHOLE PACKET of seeds will be less than £2!!)
Oooh, I'm all up on me high horse on your behalf... Time to pull a cork I think....

[sewer rat]

I am very friendly with the owners of both my local garden centres and they are both constantly amazed at the number of customers who are looking for spring / summer bedding in March up here - because they were in Inverness and Homebase / B&Q etc had their stock in.
Given we had 4" of snow on Tuesday this week it is maybe a tad too early yet - especially up here - realistically the earliest I would think about planting anything out is the last week of April - although I have 150 onio0n sets and some garlic growing in the garden just now - and some of my show root veg in barrels with polytunnel covering over them

[Filipe410]

Recent hot weather was indeed very misleading, that was the only reason i put them out in the ground.

Never mind, just going to start everything again

[veggiechicken]

That's the right attitude! Good for you. Happy gardening

[Creemteez]

I wouldn't give Homebase any more of your hard-earned cash, though...
(.....goes off, muttering...)