You're probably going to hear this from several others, but it looks over watered and oversize. There is a certain university here in SLO that has a big tomato sale every spring and sells plants that size and larger. Every year people line up to buy. They all look more-or-less like yours when they get transplanted. Large plants go through more shock when transplanted. Compounding matters, typically large transplants like that are grown in greenhouses or under plastic and go through yet another shock from being outside. Here on the Central Coast its been windy and cool and the nighttime temps regularly drop into the 40s. Which can be a yet another shock for a sheltered, potted plant.

So I don't know how much of that applies to your case, but from the photo it does look like a large transplant that may be suffering from some of the same issues.

Only the first one looks in rough,rough shape ,I would cut off the bottom branches so the plant can concentrate on new top growth and see if it survives .The other two look as though they will pull on thru .

Thanks! I was most upset to see their sad state of affairs. I've already taken the bottom branches off the real bad one. Am prepared to replace him this weekend w/ the spare one if needed - probably will need it. All the others are doing great. They were already well hardened off - spending 24/7 outside for at least a week by transplant day and all my others are the same size. He may look big in the pic but they're all about 8" high. Don't know if that's too big for transplanting. Thanks for all the info!

I only transplant large tomato plants into my garden, typically in the eight to fourteen inch height range, and I never get transplant shock. I do harden my plants off outside for several weeks though. I also plant them typically two or three inches deeper than they were in the pot. I think the main thing is really water them as soon as you transplant them, maybe two gallons of water per plant, usually I put some potassium nitrate or miracle grow in the water too. I also use large four inch square pots filled to the top with Pro-Mix and pumice, so I have well developed roots. I tease loose any roots that are circling the pot.
But I grow 90% of my tomato plants from seed myself, and they are much healthier and stockier than anything one could buy locally, maybe that is why. I also sell plants, so usually start ten plants of each variety and keep one or two plants of the cream of the crop of each variety for myself and sell the rest.

You know what I find odd... a lot of sources of info (not here, thankfully) tell the gardener to water new transplants 'thoroughly' after they have been transplanted. The first year I tried that, my plants looked exactly like GM's- wilted, rough, yellow, splotchy, etc. etc.

The best way to do it in my experience is to water the plant thoroughly BEFORE transplant, and if the ground is already damp, do not water them or the planting hole when you transplant. Wait several days until they seem to be over any transplant shock, then water them.

I don't know why I see the same piece of bad advice ("water thoroughly after transplants") on so many sites, and even published books.

I suppose that if the ground is bone dry you should do some watering before transplanting. If the plants look thirsty before transplant, give them a healthy watering. But right after transplanting them, take it easy on the little guys.

Anyway GM, if the weather is nice and warm I am sure that the last two plants will recover. Mine did, anyway. I remember my plants (all 7) looked worse than those, and they got better... I think it just set them back a week or so. Good luck!

The idea of watering thoroughly after transplant is so that the soil fills any gaps around the roots. You don't want air pockets where the roots are. Water thoroughly doesn't mean water until the soil is the consistency of quick sand and If water doesn't flow through fairly quickly then your soil needs amendment. Drainage is very important. You can have water retention and drainage in the same soil.

Where are you in California, GM? If you are in the LA area, I have some great resources for heirloom tomato seedlings in case you want some replacements. Let me know and I'll send you my contacts. Fortunately, it's still very early in the season, so you can replace those plants if you need to.
Don

taz that explains a lot...

I have hard dirt so I need to be careful of air pockets.

I learn something new everyday on this board :)

Garden Mommy, I hope the plants recover. I bet they will I have some I bought at a garden center for 50 cents that looked terrible but with a little care they are getting better.

Karen

#2 and #3 don't look too bad. I don't have the patience for a proper hardening off so most of my plants look like that or worse yet always pull through.