Are my tomatoes done for?

[Seagull]

My tomatoes weren't exactly world-beaters to begin with (rather leggy thanks to my lack of greenhouse/direct light sources), but earlier in the week I decided it was time to plonk them outside. It was a very hot, sunny day, and they promptly burned, with the leaves turning white and papery, and curling up.

Should I abandon them to the compost heap, or is there a chance they may recover? Presumably it's too late for me to sow more seeds and actually stand a chance of harvesting a tomato before the (inevitable) blight hits...?

[Snoop Puss]

What do the growing points look like? If there's still got some green in them, I'd hang on to them myself.

Keep them out of the wind and give them a bit of shade to give them a fighting chance. Make sure you don't get any water on the leaves. Personally, I wouldn't feed or pot them on for a bit: too many shocks all at once.

[greenishfing]

I agree. If the tops are okay they'll survive,

[craftymarie]

I wouldn't give up on them yet. Some plants can make really good recoveries with just a bit of TLC. As snoop says, don't give them any more shocks or put stress on them for now. Just water as normal, keep out of blazing hot sun - not that I'm sure that it likely with the upcoming weather forecast - and out of strong winds. Fingers crossed

[mothhawk]

Mine went like that, but from the cold nights, not from the heat. They'll be fine. They'll put on new growth and have flowers. Don't be tempted to cut off the damaged leaves, because even though parts are white, the green parts will keep feeding the plant. Wait until there are lots more healthy leaves first.

[Penellype]

I agree, leave them be and they will probably recover. If you can shelter them from the wind that would certainly help. I wouldn't ditch them unless they keel over and die.

[Potstubsdustbins]

And I they do start to keel over, cut off the growing point leaving about 2-3 inches of stem and at least one leaf.

Pop this in a bottle of water and hey presto two weeks later new plants ready to pot up.

[Seagull]

Thanks, everyone. There is fresh growth on the top, so it looks as if they may have a fighting chance. Fingers crossed!

[Kirk]

They will be fine I suspect, they are still green which is a good indicator. The "shock" of being ripped bodily out of a nice comfoprtable pot, plonked in soil and having sunlight on them tends to make them concerned for the first three days or so.

Give them a decent watering, that usually helps. In the initial sunlight the leaves will be evaporating water out that the roots have not taken up and transported top the leaves, so they wilt. Last couple of nights has been a little colder also.