Could they have got frosted?
I move tom seedlings from raising mix to potting mix when tiny, and then often move them them to bigger pots before they go into the garden without problems.
But if they get a touch of frost on the leaves they look terrible. Sometimes they recover and sometimes they don't.

Hello Reilly

I am no expert by any means, but have seen them looking pretty miserable (spindly and purplish) from being cold and/or too wet - maybe put them somewhere warm and sheltered for a bit and see if they pick up?

Jen

My guess is a temperature problem as well. I would plant into the ground or patch a couple of those varieties for which you have spares. I did that and mine pulled out of the purple stunted blues within a week or two. I suspect big temperature fluctuations in the little pots affect the roots' ability to take up nutrients. When planting out add some seaweed solution. Half strength Miracle Grow can also turn your little seedlings around. And don't overdo the watering. It's good for them to get quite dry in between watering to harden off.

I have planted (seedlings I raised in egg cartons with part of box)two lots of toms some time in September. One went straigt into the ground where they are supposed to grow and these ones are strugling, it might be that the soil is still too cold, the other one went into a compost bin, I mean I planted them into a bin with all the compost in it. If you dig deeper it is still warm and these are tall, healthy and they are flowering their heads off. I think the compost is keeping their roots warm (?).

David, thank you for the seeds :-)))))))). The next lot will go into compost and potting mix in bottomless pots. Our soil is very sandy so I am worried about nematodes.

Probably temperature, windchill perhaps. If the ground is warm enough, and it should be, plant them out.

I think that sometimes potting mixes are so variable that it affects the young seedlings once they are potted up. Mine were looking kinda yellow-green rather than a healthier green, and so I gave them half strength Osmocote once, a few days later I gave them half-strength seaweed and fish emulsion, and they quickly improved.

Once they get into the ground I think they'll probably look a lot better. Don't worry - tomato plants are generally pretty tough, and even come back after bits get broken off or eaten off etc. It's amazing how resilient they can be!

PP

It could easily be a bad batch of potting mix.

My last batch of seedlings were potted up exactly the same way as all the other very healthy ones, and turned yellow very quickly. I suspect the new bag of potting mix was to blame as they responded well to weak fertiliser.

They should be fine. My weakest seedling this year, a Red Brandywine is now one of my strongest plants.

You could try potting them on into some black plastic pots and putting them outside to toughen up. The black pots will heat up and get them going. Then in a couple of weeks plant them out.
Good luck. Mantis

Many thanks everyone. I put half of them into the ground over the weekend and shifted the others to a more sheltered spot. Penny, we only had 1 very light frost here midwinter so it wasn't quite that but I think it may have been the combination of cold at night and wind. So they're in, Seasoled as instructed, so we'll see how it goes.

Jen - yours are just coming up now :).

Hi reillyoz007

an idea for next time might be to try the peat pots - the type that come compressed and dried and look like a large flat button. You pop the seed in the depression on top of the peat and then place the peat pot in water. It expands and provdes everything the seed needs to grow. Once the roots poke through you plant it where you want to grow it.

Much easier than seed raising mixes, repotting and transplanting.
The little plant will tell you when to plant in the final spot by the roots showing.

cheers