If I had to guess, I'd first look toward a poor soil, and/or over-watering, and/or over-fertilizing for the answer, but we'd have to have more of a dialog before we could think about pinning it on something more definite.

Al

So you don't think the suddenly dying could be related to the sun exposure? I read that you can't add too much fish emulsion to a plant. Is that true? It has been hot here in Riverside, CA lately.Thanks

Not even close to true.

I suppose the sun might have had something to do with it, but if they were in partial sun before, it shouldn't have made a difference that dramatic unless there were also other issues in play.

Al

Leaves suddenly drying up and falling off sounds like sunburn to me. You need to move plants gradually into full sun. Just like people, you could have a nice tan walking around but go to the beach without protection and your tan turns to sunburn.

Move your plants slowly into full sun by moving them into increasing light over a few weeks.

Jane

I have the corn in partial shade now. Should I keep them there and put them in the ground or gradually get them used to more sun and put them in the ground there? They really don't look very healthy now. The corn I planted just lately in the ground is doing much better and growing pretty good. Looks like they will pass the other corn soon. But having said that. Not all of the corn I put in pots is doing bad. I still have some corn on the porch, that's not doing to bad and has gotten pretty big already. It might have gotten more sun?...THanks

So I need to harden them off? I just read on a garden site to withhold water before transplanting until they wilt and then do it again? Is that correct? If yes, why?
So I put them at the new spot for ca 2-3 hours and then increase every day a little bit more? Thanks

I never heard that before. I always make sure my plants are in good shape for transplanting and would never withhold water until wilt. Makes no sense to me. Hardening is gradually getting the plants accustomed to outside conditions which is very different from indoor. Higher light levels, wind, rain, hot temps. Just do it gradually and the plants will adjust. No need to allow your plants to wilt.

2-3 hours sounds fine unless the plants have had little direct sun. You want the leaves to have time to adjust to the higher light and hotter conditions. Moving too fast will burn the leaves and stress the plant.

Good luck,
Jane

bless578

Two years ago I raised 12 cucumbers in 12oz cups. They had grown great under the lights for three weeks. They were set out for three days for a few hours before planting. I planted them in the evening on a mid seventy degree day. The next day the temp hit high eighties with sun all day. I noticed that evening the leaves were losing their green color turning white. The sun burnt them all, almost all the leaves turned white, but four plants lived. I didn't make the same mistake the following year.

This years I raised about 36, two in a cup, 18 cups. This year when the plants were about an inch tall, they were set out (it was cool at the time) each day where they got morning sun until about noon and left in the shade until evening when they were brought inside (our cold frame was full). The following week the plants were set out where they got sun all day and left out since the night temp stayed above 50* that week.

These are the plants below. All doing well.
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Last years vine patch in the same location. Our 9 rows of Honey and Pearl corn in the background.
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It seems that some gardeners over water and over fertilize. Lightly moist potting soil is good, wet not good.
We might give seedling (tomatoes, peppers) a 1/2 strength miracle grow watering a week or so before repoting to 2 quart pots. A week after we repot we give them another 1/2 strength drink of one cup each. The day before we plant to the garden (several weeks later) we give them one cup of full strength miracle grow mix and more water if needed.

The cucumbers and watermelons in the pics did not receive any miracle grow. They were only in the 12oz cups for three weeks and were about three or four inches tall when planted (I looked through my pics folder but it seems I did not take any pics). Before planting I till the area. I then dig about a 12" wide buy 8" deep hole. We mix together about 1/3 well composted horse manure 2/3rds soil and a good sprinkling of 10-10-10 fertilizer, place the plants and water. A week later we dress all around the plants in a 12" circle with more 10-10-10 and cover the fertilizer with a little loose soil.

Corn wants sun right from the git go. Last year in the pic above with the corn, I started the first three lower rows in three boxes with soil from the garden. I scratched in the soil (2" deep) a 1 1/4" grid and pressed a seed in each square with a unsharpened pencil about 1/2+" deep . Since I had soaked the seeds in warm wet potting soil (about 26 hours in a plastic container in a warm place ~80+*~ with a lid, one cup potting soil soggy wet, 340 seeds). I could actually see the tiny sprouts coming out of some of the seeds after the 26 hours. I planted the seeds and had plants nearly a 1/2" high under my grow lights in a week, all but about eight sprouted. A week later they were nearly 2" high and I planted them out. I took a table spoon and scooped out each plant and planted them, three 50' rows.
Even at only 2" high the roots had started tangling with one another. I thought it would take me about an hour and a half to plant them, it took me over three hours. I even had to tarp cover them one night because of frost(not fun). Even though I had sweet corn three weeks before anyone else in the area I would never do it again. It was an experiment and it worked out well. Almost all the plants lived but I had deer that decided they wanted a sample so I had to replant some areas in the rows.

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I'm an experimenter and just a novice weekend gardener with little experience but I hope that info helps. I have no idea what I'm doing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mom's Garden Pics and Info

Thanks for all the info. I did put the troubled plants in the soil and the soil was very wet. That could have been part of the problem. Is it actually easier to over water plants in pots then plants in the soil? I am making sure that I let my plants get used to the new spot slowly. Thanks so much for that info.

If I use plates underneath the pots, do they have to be dry until I water again? Can I still overwater if if I use these

bless578

Is it actually easier to over water plants in pots then plants in the soil? .. Yes it is.

If I use plates underneath the pots, do they have to be dry until I water again? Can I still overwater if if I use these .. I would look at the plates underneath as just traps in case you over water from the top.

I found out the hard way several years ago that watering seedlings from the bottom up tends to over soak the soil and will stifle the growth of plants. Try letting your pots dry up until the soil is almost dry to the touch and then water from the top. The top may feel almost dry but the soil down where the roots are still has moisture. I have found that in a two quart rather dry pot that a cup to 1 1/2 cups of water on the top is enough in a rather dry pot. If you get a couple drops of water coming out the bottom of the pot you have given enough water. How much water you add also depends on the size of your pot and the temp each day and if the pot is inside or out. If you go to the link below and to 6/20/2010 link you will see in the first pic a tomato plant in about a 3 1/2 gallon pot(guessing) that on a 90* day may get up to three or four quarts of water. The pot should have been a light color instead of black which also makes a difference and I believe the pot is filled with half potting soil and half garden soil and gets a small watering of miracle grow once a week. If that plant needs water the leaves will start to droop. When given water they perk back up in twenty minutes...like a built in alarm. That plant is not my project, I just placed the stake in the pot.

GLTY!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mom's Garden Pics, New Pics 6/20/2010

Thanks, I'm changing my watering habits