Try some manure tea it perks everything up .I add alittle coffee grinds and some liquad sea weed make it super mild.

I'm in Sacramento and have been growing tomatoes from seed this year. I won't be planting them in the ground till the end of April. I'm no expert, but I have planted a lot of tomatoes, and I think the ground is still too cool. I'm sure someone with more expertise will have a more technical answer to your question, but that's my two cents.

I think the ground is still too cool

That would be my guess too. What is your soil temperature running? They will just sit there and not do much until the soil temps are at least 65-70 degrees or better. Yes, I'd remove the flower buds - they are too young and too stressed as it is.

leaves are crisping on the tips and there are small tiny yellow blotches a few of the leaves

Wind burn can cause some of the damage you describe and so can over-watering.

Dave

I'd say the soil is warm enough here to plant out, but I'd go with what Dave says about the windburn. We've had quite a bit of windy days lately here in the San Joaquin Valley, so that might contribute to your problem. Give them a chance and they'll get going in no time.

I'm planting mine out today.

Elaine

What about yellowing spotty cotyledons on a 6-7 inch healthy seedling? Is that nutrient lack? Peace - Steve

went through that last year. was losing my mind for the first 21 or so days after i set em out. Temps seemed fine, etc...hit em with little bit of food before i took em out of beer cups etc...thought was nutrient toxicity, overwatering, underwatering, etc...etc... When their root mass isn't super developed and the soil is really heavy it is much harder for the little roots to grow. They aren't "searching" for water so they are less motivated to grow...air helps, loose soil helps etc...

i think they could just be going through transplant shock. I have faith that they will get better. just water less and less often for a bit (like a beer cup every day or two at base of plant to make sure it has enough H20 to sustain life) temps matter and RH as well in regards to how much H20 they will actually use so i can't say "how much to water due to that". you can foliar with seaweed to help with nutrient issues if that is what it is.

I would breathe easy and let mother nature handle it. just my 2 cents, could be wrong, been before but patience and faith are good traits for gardening. good luck

According to the garden guy in last saturday's Sacramento Bee, tomatoes should not be planted until the beginning of May. He said that if they are planted now they would sulk but be OK in the end. Peppers and eggplants on the otherhand would be forever stunted with limited yield if planted this early.

This is what I meant by yellowing cotyledons on an otherwise healthy plant...

{{gwi:40588}}

It's is normal for the cotyledons to yellow, die and then fall off - happens faster with some varieties than others.

These have the classic look of too much water but the color of the whole plant - if it is accurately rendered by the camera - is anemic looking too so it could be in need of feeding plus less water.

Dave

Ok, cool...thanks...I'll cut back on the water a little (these were watered a few minutes before the picture was taken) & give them a fertilizer boost sometime soon. I'm not too worried about them though as they are huge for only being 4 weeks and 1 day from seeds. :)

corky,
What was the origin for that article? If you wait until May, you're running into the beginning of the heat. The commercial guys started planting tomatoes and peppers two weeks ago.
Unless you're up in the hills above Sacramento, May would be to late, IMO.

I think they got that article from someone not from the area.

Elaine

I live in Tennessee. The month of may in tennessee this year has been very very very very rainy. I kept thinking everything in my garden this year would be washed away. But luckly nothing did because it was all on mounded centers. Now back to my problem with my ailing tomato plants. This year we tried buring them sidways with rootball along with part of the stem under the durt so that they would develop a stronger root system. As fair as i know that worked well. However the problem has persisted as the plants got older. The tops look almost dead wilted but still green. Not much leafing out is going on at the top part of the tomato plant. The lower leaf sets are doing pritty well. However they are starting to develop holes in them due to? What i dont know eather. Along the stems 1-2 feet off the ground r developing zitt like bubles and nodulars. I dont know if this is a pest problem or a water problem or a virus problem. Or a combination of all of it togeather we have about 25 plants and all are exibiting the same simptomes. I am new to gardening only my third year this one apearing to be the wetiest so far.

Any help or advice would be greatly apreachiate with my tomato problem