the white leaves on tomato plants is most likely weather related. Did you harden off your plants after starting them inside? Even if you damaged them from not being hardened to the outdoor climate they will still be fine...of course this week is rain all week so not a great week for any heat loving plants to be real happy but still plenty warm out. I planted my tomatoes in the garden last weekend and so far so good...

The white leaves may have developed under low light conditions in the house, and then were damaged by the full sunlight outdoors. New leaves that develop outdoors will probably look normal.

I might not have. I took them outside to climatize them to the outdoor sun over the course of last week, instead of getting sun through the windows. Other than that, I didn't do much.

I follow my grandpa's method of planting tomatoes, except he doesn't have raised beds, so I thought that might have something to do with it.

The cucumber leaves (now that my wife said something) were starting to turn a little 'bleached' she said, before they went outside. She planted those in the garden, so I didn't really pay much attention.

I guess if nothing else, I have more seed, I was just worried that either I planted them outside too early, or I messed up with the soil that I bought. We got a good garden mix from a local nursery, he said to just mound that up and plant right into it. Since we can't work the ground where I'm at (it's a layer of sod and then gravel), I mounded it and planted right into it.

They burned from the sudden change in light exposure. Tomato plants in particular also likely to have been chilled by cool nights (Extension used to recommend setting out tender vegetables like tomato plants first week of June in this climate--maybe they still do), tropical origin vegetables (tomato, basil) need nights to stay in 50s to be happy. You should probably start over with transplants from a nursery rather than wait perhaps all summer for your own to bounce back and amount to something. Look for some that have been handled properly, avoid those with yellowish growing poits (tips), these have probably also been exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees F. and chilled.

Thanks for the tip bboy. I was thinking of trying a little miracle grow on them, but I might just get some new starts out there.

It's the first time we've done our own tomatoes, so I'm not surprised that I would have done something wrong. I may even let them hang out in the corner of the garden they occupy, just to see if they do spring back.

If nothing else, they might make for a good late crop.

I start tomatoes in mid February and plant out under tunnels starting in April, continuing until I get all the plants out- I'm growing about 130 this year. The tunnels work even with frost or snow and keep the temperature from dropping at night. I planted a few tomatoes out last week without tunnels and they are doing great. I harden off by taking starts that have reached my lights, about 11" tall, and putting them on my east-facing front porch where they only get a little early morning sun and are on concrete which keeps them a little warmer. After 3-4 days I figure they are hardened off enough. I wait until closer to June 15 to plant squash out unprotected, but I put them out earlier last year under the tunnels and they did fantastically better than others not under tunnels. The white leaves are like a sun burn from the harsher wavelengths of the sun that had been cut out by window glass hitting the plants. Hardening off only works in partial shade, not full sun. Tomatoes being very tough they might grow out some new green leaves.

Yeah, there's already a few new leaves showing up. I started these about 6 weeks ago in peat pellets, and they were about 4 - 6" when I moved them outside.

One thing I'm finding is that I did mess up in not planting them deep enough into the ground. I put the root ball about 1/2" below the surface instead of burying them down to the first leaves like I think I was supposed to do. I could be wrong on that one, though (it was something I read over the last couple days in researching the white leaves).

In regards to the tunnels, how do you build those? I'm doing a raised bed and am looking at building a portable greenhouse over one of the beds and letting the other one stay open weather. Each year, I'll just place the gh over the opposite bed (or as I get more beds done, I'll rotate around).

I set my tomato starts out on May 5 in Wall.O.Water's. They are going great guns and no damage. I have two that are still in the makeshift coldframe next to it that aren't doing as well.

I start my tomato, pepper, eggplant seed in February. I also use WOWs with great success. If I had a big enough space to build a hoop house, I would do that, as I know some who have used them with great success.

Yes, I would plant the tomatoes in deeper holes, but it sounds like that could be difficult for you. If the gravel is native gravel that's been there for centuries, well, I have neighbors who have been picking out rocks from their garden for over 40 years. At least, that's what they tell me. And they have a beautiful and productive garden.

It might be a good idea to look into raised beds. Or you might remove the sod and gravel and try sheet composting in that space. Or leave it and try composting over it. Perhaps some layers of newspapers, then on top of that some leaves, followed by some grass clippings and food scraps. Let that sit for a season. Next year plant in it.

I have a neighbor down the street who killed the grass in her front yard and then put compost and soil where she wanted to create garden space. Then she planted in it.

I also plant warm weather crops in pots and even hanging baskets. Sometimes they get planted with flowers and can look quite beautiful. The neighbors have gotten used to me planting warm weather vegetables in the front yard. Not one peep. So far. Knock on wood. (Grin.)

The white leaves have been addressed. I agree that the leaves were burned. Hardening off may take a week or more for me. It depends on the weather. If it rains like heck, then plants stay on the covered patio until the weather is better and the beds dry out. It gets a bit easier every year when it comes to drying out the beds. I try to add organic matter to the garden space every year to build soil and get better drainage.

Some like planting green manure crops, but if I did that, I would never get to plant veggies.

Best wishes and hope I have given you some helpful suggestions.

Mary

These are in raised beds, approximately 9 - 10" high in the middle and 8" high on the outer edges. I have them in mounds, without frames, but will be framing it out over the next year. For now, though, the mounds are working, and I do have other crops coming up.

I'm still learning, so I'm sure it will take me a few years of different techniques to get it right.