My plants nearly always just sit there awhile while they are getting their roots established, but no where near that long. I would say that I see some greening and new growth within a week to ten days, especially if the weather is warm. Has it been unusually cool where you are?

If you are confident that you have good soil and growing conditions, are not over watering etc. about all that I can see to do is give them some more time.

There is another thread on here about "once a runt, always a runt?" . I do not think ALWAYS, but I think MUCH of the time they are always stunted, but I would have to think that wouild be genetic in nature. If not, we can do something about the other circumstances, soil, light, air, moisture and fertility etc. If there is a place nearby to buy a few good plants, you might stick them in there as a comparison to see what is going on with them. I also think that it is possible for a very small plant to be stressed by something that makes it almost impossible to recover well and grow normally. I have had some just decline till they die. I have found that it is better to just go ahead and replace those that show those symptoms.

Best of luck with them and let us know what happens.
Bill P.

I bet it's just been too cold for them. I'm in VA too and my plants pretty much stopped growing since I put them outside.

Bart

I have had peppers get stunted by cold weather but never tomatoes. I don't know if it is even possible for tomato plants to be stunted. Sure they can sulk during cold periods but when the weather settles they always start growing again. Pepper plants can actually get stunted meaning they will grow very little the rest of the season.

Bigdaddy, What counts as cold? I planted out my peppers a few days ago and wouldn't you know our temps have dropped into the 50's and 60s! It's mid May for crying out loud in zone 7b/8a!

Just4fun, I was going to say your tomatoes are probably sulking due to weather if you've been a having anything like we are here in northeast NC. I planted my tomatoes out in mid to late April and while they are very healthy looking and have grown, the growth hasn't been a lot.

My plants also seem to get a yellow tint to them when we get these cooler temps but when the high 70's-to 80's return they seem to get greener again. Not sure if that is my imagination or not. Just my observation...

Michelle

I think your peppers will be fine with 50s and 60s. I had a few stunt on me one year when temps went into high 30's at night and only 40s during a few day stretch of cold and drizzle and no sun. I also plant mine out a little early most years and really shouldn't. But I get away with it 95% of the time. had I known I'd get that weather I'd have waited. It's rare here in zone 7A where I am to get that awful weather after May 1 but that year id did happen. My peppers are doing great this year and I planted out about April 25.

just4funsies - Hi, you sound as impatient as I am. I haven't even set my plants out yet and I'm dreaming of the first ones. If it's chilly there your tomatoes will just sit and wait 'till it's warmer. Whatever you do, don't pour on a bunch of fertilizer or water. Feel the ground during the day. If it's cool then you'll have to just wait. If it's warm then you may have another problem. A picture would help immensely so hunt down that camera cord (smile).

Thanks for the advice everyone...I am in Smithfield Va, and yes, it has been unseasonably cool. I guess I will just have to wait a little longer. Still trying to find that damn camera cord...electronics, LOL.

Hi Just,

I think we might be neighbors. Smithfield, VA as in near Hampton Roads, Smithfield? If so, I'm just over the VA line in NC. And yes, we've been having some whacked out weather! It was down right cold today up until sometime this afternoon. I sat out at my yard sale this morning in jeans and a sweatjacket. When that sun went behind the clouds and that wind hit, oh my, made for a cold sale! lol

Bigdaddy, So far my peppers are looking good too. They don't look like they've grown at all in about a weeks worth of being in the ground but we have been chilly and windy. They look green and healthy though so I'm hopeful.

Now if it would just warm up so I can plant my gourd seeds!

Michelle

I'm with you all- it's been too darn cold! I am in zone 7b and most of my tomato plants are just sitting there (for 3 wks!), though my BrandyBoy is growing but they have been poor producers the last 2 summers (probably due to the soil). My other tomato plants are only about 6 in. tall and some of them have blooms! I'm wondering if I should remove the blooms- it has been in the upper 40's (!) and in the 50's here at night and even chilly during the day. I'm surprised they have blooms! My peppers look really scrawny and yellowish. But I am still trying to get the soil where it should be (all sand here), so that's likely part of the problem.
At the strawberry farm today, the farmer told me that the commercial blueberry crop in NC is completely a 100% loss!
And my blueberry plants are only a couple feet tall :(
I think it is just going to take patience to see any tomatoes this summer. Brandy

she11va

Yep, Smithfield near Hampton. It needs to warm up and quick. I just can't believe how cold it's been. Just have to wait and see, and that sucks ;(

Well...its 2012 and seems nothing has changed since these posts were made in 2007. We had such an early spring OR SO I THOUGHT that when I saw my 5 fave mater varieties at the local hardware I grabbed them first week of April. They were good sized and I knew it was way too early to plant so kept them in the sun and watered and when the temps plummeted brought them in the garage. All was well and they got flowers so first week in May I decided to plant them. OF course it got cold (not freezing but cold) so we covered them with 5 gal buckets at night. They still looked ok. We had a few more cold nights but not that cold. Two of them look sad and are not growing and one even has a tiny tomato on it. They are early girl and better boy and are brownish green and the leaves are kind of stiff but not dead or at least I don't think so. The others are doing fine. Should I go ahead and replace them before time slips away? I gave them a shot of Miracle Grow today. I have never lost a tomato plant so am concerned.