Transplant Shock?

[newbiepepperguy]

I put all my plants out into raised beds on Saturday morning/afternoon, and watered them. That evening, they looked pretty rough, but by Sunday morning, they were all looking good. I think they rebounded because they were a little thirsty when I transplanted them, and the water helped them bounce back.
 
The problem is, I got home yesterday, and now most of the plants look pretty terrible. Like, the small ones are pretty shriveled and not all that lively. They're not brown, and the stem isn't bent over or anything, but the leaves on the small ones look like they might all fall off. The big ones look a little better, but pretty awful all the same. Some of my biggest plants seem to be doing much better. Not sure why that may be. It's mostly my sweet peppers that are affected the worst, but a couple of the hot peppers are right there with them.
 
I hardened them off for 2 weeks before transplant, and they spent the entire last 3 days (nights included) outside in full sun/wind before being transplanted. They looked fine prior to transplant. They're in raised beds now, covered with a weed barrier. They got water on Saturday, and again last night, but this morning the sweet peppers (all in bed #1) look pretty much the same level of horrible. The hot peppers (all in bed #2) look at least a little better.
 
All this to say, I'm pretty sure it isn't overwatering. The way the leaves are curled down towards the plant and almost crunchy makes it seem like it could be severe underwatering, but if that was the case, I'd expect that a night of no sun exposure and 8+ hours to soak up the water should have made them look a little better this morning, but they looked the same.
 
Is this just extreme transplant shock? If so, how long should I wait before giving up, pulling the bad ones, and planting some of my extras?
 
 

 

[b3rnd]

Hard to help you out without some pictures brotherman. Did you harden them off before transplanting them?

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[ako1974]

Can you post some pics?
 
Did the plants show any signs of distress before transplanting? Even the beginning of discoloration, wilting, etc?
 
Did you grow them from seed or buy them?
 
At any rate, I hope they turn around. The biggest transplant shock I've ever had was either wind/sun/cold burn. I've lost a few plants here and there, but I try to harden off for a long enough time that they shouldn't be affected.

 

[newbiepepperguy]

Hard to help you out without some pictures brotherman. Did you harden them off before transplanting them?

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 
Yep. For about 2 weeks. They hadn't been inside at all for 3 full days before they were put into the beds.

 

[newbiepepperguy]

Can you post some pics?
 
Did the plants show any signs of distress before transplanting? Even the beginning of discoloration, wilting, etc?
 
Did you grow them from seed or buy them?
 
At any rate, I hope they turn around. The biggest transplant shock I've ever had was either wind/sun/cold burn. I've lost a few plants here and there, but I try to harden off for a long enough time that they shouldn't be affected.

 
No, they looked fine before transplant. They were grown from seeds. The hottest ones I started in early February. The sweetest ones I started in early March.
 
I'm pretty sure that 2 weeks of gradual hardening off, culminating in 3 entire days of no inside time at all should be sufficient hardening off, right? If so, I'd imagine that any transplant shock would more likely be a root issue. Maybe the relatively dry nature of the soil in the pots at transplant caused more disturbance to the roots, and the bigger ones did better because the root ball held the soil together better, which caused less disturbance?

 

[willard3]

¡¡¡Fotos!!!

 

[newbiepepperguy]

¡¡¡Fotos!!!

 
I'll try to take some when I get home from work. The sweet peppers really do look absolutely horrible. I'd liken it to underwatering symptoms (droopy leaves, etc) but much more extreme, and minus the droop in the main stem.

 

[moruga welder]

how did you harden off ?

 

[newbiepepperguy]

how did you harden off ?

 
1st day: 1 hour in evening sun, shielded from the wind
 
2nd day: 2 hours in the evening sun, shielded from the wind
 
3rd: 3 hours, a little more into the wind
 
4th: 4 hours, a little more into the wind
 
etc...
 
until the end of 2 weeks or so, when they were out for all sunlight hours, and the last 3 days they weren't brought in at all, even at night.
 
They were fine after that, and before transplanting.

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

No, they looked fine before transplant. They were grown from seeds. The hottest ones I started in early February. The sweetest ones I started in early March.
 
I'm pretty sure that 2 weeks of gradual hardening off, culminating in 3 entire days of no inside time at all should be sufficient hardening off, right? If so, I'd imagine that any transplant shock would more likely be a root issue. Maybe the relatively dry nature of the soil in the pots at transplant caused more disturbance to the roots, and the bigger ones did better because the root ball held the soil together better, which caused less disturbance?

 
 
I'm thinking transplant shock as I believe your hardening off routine pretty damn thorough. See pix below for a plant I was converting from potting media to DWC that was fully hardened off (None of the 23 other plants from same provider exhibited this issue.), the leaf drop didn't happen for two cloudy days then defoliated in 3 hours of off peak sunshine. 

And as far as replacing current droopy plants with spares, last two pix are from later in the season.
 

 ​

 

 

 

 

 
 

Yes, that's the same plant!

`
 

 

[grahamsprodigy]

Ok there is something you're not telling us here, are hydroponics being used?

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

Ok there is something you're not telling us here, are hydroponics being used?

 
Sorry, seems I added the confusion. OP posted below so I was illustrating how root disturbance may have caused transplant shock.........
 
`

If so, I'd imagine that any transplant shock would more likely be a root issue. Maybe the relatively dry nature of the soil in the pots at transplant caused more disturbance to the roots, and the bigger ones did better because the root ball held the soil together better, which caused less disturbance?