So.... it's not too hard/stressful for the plants to get pelted with rain and totally soaked in their first day out? I don't care about getting wet when I'm out there planting, it's not like it will be continuous rain and I shouldn't need to step into the soil in the garden to do my planting (I have stepping stones/boards throughout the garden beds). I was just under the impression that the plants wouldn't transition well if they got inundated right at transplant time. Thanks for the quick feedback... I'll plan to get those cool crops in this afternoon and the tomatoes this weekend as planned!

I added a link for easy viewing. Yes, you have some problems. With basil, dark lesions at the soil line often indicated fusarium, a common soil-borne fungus. May want to start over. The generalized tip burn can be from over fertilizing, but more likely overwatering with tainted water. Switch to spring water next year when you grow your seedlings indoors. Warmth and outdoor life may cure several of the small problems. Peel off the peat pots as you set out the plants, because they really don't like them at all. Here is a link that might be useful: your photos

Asking about transplanting to garden is only theoretical. I am working with seedlings of Coreopsis, Salvia, Purple Palace, Bellflower, Lewisia and PowWow. I live in zone 6a and I was late in sowing the seeds in time to transplant them outside; so I am going to grow these seedlings to a height where they are suitable for transplanting outdoors into the ground (next spring) and when they have reached that height, I am going to place the seedlings in my unheated garage to overwinter them and hope that they go into dormancy. And so when spring comes, I will bring them inside, and once growth resumes, I will transplant them outside. Please let me know if there is anything wrong with how I want to proceed with things. And also answer my prior question. Thank you.

Last fall, I planted 30 STELLA D'ORO x STELLA D'ORO seeds, and they didn't begin to come up until this spring, after I had put other things in the bed and the seeds had been scattered a bit by lack of care. Now I have 4 or 5 little seedling fans. I would say go ahead and plant them in the dirt, and see what happens! Nate