Yeah they can be a pain at times...never had a problem w/ hardening them off...are you taking them out for say 20-30 minutes each day then working up from that? Whats part of Florida? Would have though those babies would have been in the ground already...

TomatoFrank,

It's been a winter season down here in Panama City that's been colder than it has in several years. We've had several days that were below freezing. My plans are to plant in the ground the last week in March.

Now, on the pretty days that we have had, I have taken my plants out while I worked in the yard. Seems to have worked well with all but the Brandywines.

I'm thinking that I may have sown these puppies a little too early. The grape tomatoes have fared extremely well.

Oh well, you live and learn.

Bob, I've never had problems with hardening off Brandywines, or any other variety, actually.

How big are they compared to you grape tomatoes and how are they dying, re your comment about high mortality rate?

I don't put out plants to harden off until they are about transplant size, smaller than that and they don't do all that well. And I don't take them in and out. Once out they stay out unless high winds or drenching rains or frost/freeze is predicted.

Peppers are much more sensitive to cooler temps than are tomatoes, so I'm curious and wondering if it's the size of your Brandywines that might be the problem.

Carolyn

Bob,

In 2006, I lost some potato leaf seedlings hardening them off in cool, windy weather. When I put them out, everything was fine ... warm and sunny. But I took a trip to town and back, and the weather turned breezy and cooler mid-afternoon. I had them screened from the overhead sun, but not well enough screened against wind.

It didn't affect the regular leaf seedlings nearly as much as the potato leaf seedlings. I totally lost the Bloody Butchers and most of the German Johnson PLs. Some of the others got very wilty looking, wind-burnt leaves.

I wonder if was because the wind resistance is greater on the large, unserrated potato leaf shapes ... you know ... they just capture more wind like a sail. That's all I can think of ... watch that cool windy weather.

Bill

Brandywine can be very iffy sometimes. I've given up on it.

Carolyn,

It may be their size as you suggested. The grape tomatoes were a bit larger.

My plan was to bring outside to the hardening off area I have and then we had high winds and 6 inches of rain. I brought everything in prior to the weather event and now I've got everything inside again because of the cold front.

Wierd weather...

I lost about 60% of the Brandywines and none of the grape tomatoes or the peppers.

So, I may get to experience growing at least a couple of these new tomatoes (for me) after all.

Thanks for your interest....