Why do tomato seedlings fall off the leaves. Diseases of tomato seedlings and their treatment at home. Why do tomato seedlings turn yellow, wither and fall, grow poorly, thin and long, purple: what to do? Tomato seedlings turn yellow from heavy watering
Not all avid gardeners know why the lower leaves of tomato seedlings fall off, but meanwhile this symptom should by no means be ignored. Growing tomato seedlings requires the gardener to have certain knowledge, since only strong plants be able to survive a transplant to a new place and give excellent harvest. As a rule, leaf fall is not the only symptom of existing problems, because before that, the lower shoots may turn yellow, and then wither and dry.
Normally, in tomato seedlings, as the plant grows, only the first 2 unformed cotyledon leaves, which appear after the sprout hatches from the seed, should fall off. The fact is that these first unformed leaves contain a reserve nutrients, spending them, the plant forms new shoots and root system, after which the first leaves dry up and should fall off. If already formed shoots begin to dry and fall off, this may indicate the presence of serious problems.
Despite the widespread belief that leaf fall on seedlings is associated with damage to plants by pathogenic bacteria or fungi, this is not entirely true. Only in rare cases can an aphid attack provoke the drying of the lower shoots, but the whole plant is damaged.
In most cases, leaf fall is associated with a violation of the technology for growing tomato seedlings, therefore, first of all, you should pay attention to this very moment. The most common reasons for the fall of the lower leaves in tomato seedlings include:
- insufficient or excessive watering;
- excessively dry indoor air;
- lack of lighting;
- sudden changes in temperature;
- low nutrient content in the soil mixture;
- too small pot.
Tomato seedlings are quite capricious and, in the process of their growth, require the creation optimal conditions. Most often, the lower leaves fall off when growing plants on a balcony or windowsill, because in this case it is quite difficult for a person to create an optimal environment for the growth and development of young plants. Among other things, the reason for the fall of the leaves of tomato seedlings may lie in the improper hardening process, since taking young shoots outside under the open rays of the sun can cause small burns to appear on them.
When watering with such water, salinization of the soil is observed, which leads to the fact that the roots cannot normally consume nutrients from the ground, therefore, first of all, the lower leaves are shed. If in this case no action is taken, the death of the entire plant is possible.
Why the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow (video)
Troubleshooting
It is far from always possible to immediately determine why the leaves of the tomato seedlings have fallen off from below, but at the same time, if measures are not taken to improve their condition, the plants can be lost.
- First of all, watering should be normalized. It is best to keep the soil slightly damp after watering. It is worth watering the seedlings 1 time in 5-6 days, as this will protect it from getting wet.
- Do not water if the soil is not completely dry yet. In order for the seedlings not to get wet, water should not be allowed to accumulate in the pan on which the containers or pots with plants stand.
- Among other things, attention should be paid to the quality of the water, since when the soil is salted, you can lose all the seedlings.
- Water for irrigation must be defended for at least 1 week. Of course, you can use a water filter, but in addition it is still worth giving the water time to settle.
If the air is too dry in the room for growing tomato seedlings, it is necessary to spray the leaves of the plants with water using a spray bottle. In addition, to increase air humidity, it can be placed next to the containers in which seedlings are grown, open vessels with water.
If the seedlings are grown on a windowsill that is not located on the sunny side, it is necessary to move it to a more lit place. You should also pay attention to the volume of containers that are used for growing seedlings, since if the seedlings have already grown enough, its root system may be too crowded. Similar phenomenon often observed when growing tomato seedlings in small plastic cups. The only correct solution in this case is a transplant.
If, after top dressing, the yellowed leaves turn green, and the plants themselves begin rapid growth, accompanied by the appearance of new leaves and thickening of the stem, then the problem has been identified correctly and it is worth making mineral fertilizers at least 1 time in 2 weeks. Proper and timely treatment of tomato seedlings allows you to get a quality crop in the future.
Why do tomato seedlings dry and turn yellow leaves (video)
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The leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow for several main reasons: lack of nutrients, problems with the roots (for example, too little capacity), lack of light, and problems with watering. But how to determine why your tomato seedlings turn yellow? Let's try to figure it out.
Tomato seedlings turn yellow: what to do?
Tomato seedlings turn yellow due to nutrient deficiency
Nitrogen . Most often, when seedlings turn yellow, the following picture is observed: in tomato seedlings, the lower lower leaves (and not just veins) turn yellow, which eventually dry out and fall off. The plant itself also looks pale, thin. It - classical picture lack of nitrogen. Nitrogen could be low in, or it could wash out with excessive watering through the drainage slots.
In principle, there is nothing catastrophic in this. Of course, the plant will lag behind in development a little, but with your prompt intervention, significant losses can be avoided. If you have fertilizer for "adult" plants, you can use it, but at a concentration 2 times lower than for "adults".
For example, they take ammonium nitrate or urea (urea) and dissolved in water at the rate of 1 g per 1 liter of water (per bucket - 1 tablespoon). If we were talking about preventive feeding, we could get by with watering, but here it is better to water and spray the plants so that the plant gets nourishment faster. Please note that yellow leaves seedlings will not become green, but young ones will grow up healthy. But it is also not necessary to overfeed seedlings with nitrogen - so as not to. Top dressing is carried out several times with a two-three-day interval.
It happens that the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow from a lack of other elements, but this happens less often. In this case, it is recommended to treat the plants with complex mineral fertilizers, the range of which is widely represented on the shelves of gardening stores. In addition to nitrogen, their composition also includes vital micro and macro elements.
Specifically for seedlings, tomato leaves may turn yellow from a lack of:
- Iron. If the young leaves have green veins, and the leaf tissue between them has turned yellow, this indicates a lack of iron. Most often this happens if you are too "carried away" by potassium permanganate - it prevents the iron from being absorbed.
- Copper . AT purchased soils a lot of peat, because of which plants can suffer from a lack of copper. It looks, rather, not like yellowing of seedling leaves, but like their twisting, wilting, inability to straighten even after watering: due to copper deficiency, root rot, and the roots cannot provide nutrition to the plants.
-Phosphorus . In this case, the underside of the leaves and the stem of the plant do not turn yellow, but also change color: they acquire purple hue, and top part leaves turn dark green. The leaves become smaller, rust may appear on the roots. The reason for phosphorus starvation can be not only the lack of this element in the soil, but also too low temperatures, due to which phosphorus is not absorbed.
Tomato seedlings turn yellow from heavy watering
Lack of moisture is, of course, a serious reason why young plants may turn yellow. But in practice, it often happens the other way around - you do the seedlings a disservice, and water it too often. As a result, an unimaginable number of fungi and bacteria multiply in the earth, and the root system is oppressed, and, possibly, begins to rot. Very often the situation is aggravated by the lack of light and dense soil. In this case, the leaves brighten, turn yellow, necrosis (drying spots) appear on them. Wherein cotyledon leaves also turn yellow in tomato seedlings.
You can save these plants, although this is quite laborious. Carefully remove all the contents from the container, clean the roots from the ground and see if they are damaged. If seriously damaged - black, rotten, dark - it is unlikely that such a plant can be brought back to life. If insignificantly, cut off the rotten parts with scissors. If the roots are white - the root rot did not have time to get to your tomatoes.
Tomato seedlings are transplanted into a new soil - light, barely moist, and always in a spacious container. Immediately after planting, you can pour a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Provide the plant with enough light, and henceforth - do not flood. The soil should not be constantly wet - it is watered as it dries up, and it must be loosened from time to time so that a “crust” does not form on the surface, preventing air from reaching the roots. Otherwise, is it any wonder Why are the leaves of tomato seedlings turning yellow?
Tomato seedlings turn yellow: other reasons
-small capacity . When the seedling outgrows, its root system becomes crowded, and it cannot properly “feed” the seedlings. The plant needs to be planted immediately permanent place, or transplanted into a more spacious dish.
- lack of light . With a lack of lighting, especially accompanied by low temperatures, tomato seedlings may turn yellow. Tomatoes need to be illuminated in the morning and evening, or the seeds should be planted a little later - when the daylight hours become longer.
- Stress. After transplanting (picking, or to a permanent place), seedlings may turn yellow as the root system is rebuilt to a new habitat. This is normal, but the plant can be helped by feeding it with a growth stimulator (Epin, etc.). And even before moving to a permanent place, it is better to harden the seedlings - this way it is easier to adapt to the new environment.
Tomato seedlings turn yellow- this is an alarming, but not the only signal that something is wrong with the plant. , - all this can happen if you do not follow the agricultural practices of cultivation. Often, the cause of yellowing or wilting of tomato leaves can be difficult to determine, since there are several causes, and they exacerbate each other (for example, cold soil and excessive watering, lack of nitrogen and lack of light). That is why it is easier to take care of preventive measures than therapeutic ones: feed seedlings in time, treat pests, protect from drafts, and most importantly, respond in time to the slightest signs of poor health of your plants.
Tatyana Kuzmenko, member of the editorial board of the Sobcorrespondent of the online publication "AtmAgro. Agroindustrial Bulletin"
7 rules, following which you can get excellent seedlings and big harvest tomatoes.
Any plant cannot live without heat, sun, water and soil. Tomatoes are no exception, they are for normal growth needed:
- quality seeds
- fertile soil
- Sufficient light
- moderate watering
- Optimum temperature earth and air
- Protection against diseases and pests
- Top dressing with mineral fertilizers
If you have completed all the necessary conditions, then the plants will delight you with their powerful appearance and rich harvest. If you make a mistake on at least one of the points, they will upset you with frail shoots and a meager, if any, harvest.
What to do if the tomato seedlings are very stretched out, become thin and long?
After the shoots have appeared and pleased their owners, the most milestone in plant development. At this stage, the plants must receive an acceptable temperature for growth of the earth, air, a sufficient amount of light and moisture. What happens if optimal conditions are violated?
If the ground in the seedling pots is too cold, and the air temperature is either too low or too high, the plants will not be able to fully develop.
Also, they will not be able to develop normally if they receive too little light. If the seedlings stretched out from a lack of light, you can save it by giving a sufficient amount of it.
Why are tomato seedlings purple and growing poorly?
Why in a relatively warm house, if you grow seedlings on windowsills, the ground remains cold? Because often and thickly, the cold that comes from the windows cools the seedling pots excessively. For the experiment, put a room thermometer on the windowsill or on the soil of your greenhouse if you are growing seedlings under a film, and measure the temperature. The optimum soil temperature is from 16 to 18 degrees. If the ground is cold, the plants will not grow well and the color of the seedlings may turn purple.
Why do the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow: what to do?
The air temperature for seedlings should be from 25 to 28 degrees. Plants will be stunted if the temperature is above or below these values. Separately, I want to say about the illumination of plants.
If there is catastrophically little light, seedlings can stretch out in just a few days. It will have a yellow color and thin elongated stems. You can only expect a good harvest from such seedlings if you can give the plants enough light.
Why do tomato seedlings wither and fall?
Unfortunately, on the windowsill without additional lighting, even if the windows face sunny side plants will not be able to get enough light. The only way out in this situation is to use artificial lighting. These may be special lamps that are used in industrial greenhouses and which are expensive or inexpensive fluorescent lamps.
The same failure may lie in wait for those gardeners who sowed seeds in greenhouses with film shelter. Because in early spring sunlight, which can be lost when passing through a dense film is not enough.
Mold on the ground in tomato seedlings: what to do?
When watering seedlings, it is better not to add water than to give it in excess. It happens that gardeners are so keen on caring for plants that they begin to water them every day or even several times a day. They water it because they noticed the drying of the top layer of the earth in pots, while inside there is an excess of moisture.
Black leg at tomato seedlings: control measures
Excessive watering leads to inhibition of plants, creates fertile ground for the development of fungal diseases of the root system and, ultimately, the death of seedlings. How do you know if plants need watering?
The easiest way in such a situation is not to water the plants before you notice some wilting due to lack of moisture. The leaves in this case are less elastic and somewhat lowered down. Plants need to be watered warm water. If you are using chlorine tap water, remove chlorine from water.
To do this, it is enough to draw water into a bucket and let it stand for 2-3 days. Chlorine is a gas and is lighter than water, so it will completely come out of the liquid in this time.
Feed seedlings with mineral fertilizers. This should be done no more than once a week. complex fertilizers. Caution should be taken with dressings like saltpeter. Due to the high content of nitrogen in the soil, plants can stretch out a lot.
Treatment of tomato seedlings from diseases
Keep seedlings free of pests and diseases. Since disease infestation in a greenhouse or when growing seedlings on windowsills occurs mainly due to contaminated soil, use only healthy soil for this purpose. If you take it in your garden, then take it from the beds where tomatoes and related crops did not grow, say potatoes.
Phytophthora on tomato seedlings: the fight against it
Phytophthora is considered a disease open ground and favorable for its development are rainy and cool weather. In order for plants to fall ill with late blight, they need to be affected by adverse weather conditions within 3-7 days.
If tomato seedlings are under cover or in the house, the likelihood that they will get late blight is very small. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to prevent water from getting on the leaves of plants and water only the ground. If brown spots still appear on the leaves, treat them with fungicides from late blight.
White spots on the leaves of tomato seedlings: what to do?
White spots on the leaves of seedlings can be the result of sunburn or lamps that illuminate the plants. So, if the seedlings that are not used to sunlight are transferred to the beds or put the pots in the sun, the plants will not cope with the load that has arisen and will get burned.
Preventive measures against burns can be the gradual adaptation of plants to a new light regime. If burns have already occurred, the affected leaves can be cut off. The plant will gradually bounce back and give new leaves.
The leaves of tomato seedlings twist, wither and dry: what to do?
If the seedlings have leaves twisting, this can be both the result of diseases and the result of oppression of the plant by pests. What to do if the plants are sick and appearance you can't figure out what's going on with them?
The only way out in such a situation is to try to correct errors with temperature regime, plant lighting, watering and treat them with fungicides for diseases and pests.
Whitefly - white midges on tomato seedlings: how to fight?
Maybe someone will be surprised that plants on the windowsill or under the film cover may have pests.
They are, sadly, if the land infected by these pests was used. In particular, the whitefly and its larvae can cause enormous harm to tomatoes, which in a matter of days can turn green plant in stunted and feeble. They will help to cope with the problem of spraying leaves with remedies for this pest.
Aphids on tomato seedlings: how to fight?
Aphids can appear on tomato seedlings if soil contaminated with this pest has been used. You can fight aphids by spraying plants chemicals from aphids. Such as tanrek, confidor, spark bio and others.
Unfortunately, it happens that all efforts to improve the plant are in vain. This may happen if improper care behind the plant, the disease or the oppression of the plant by pests was too long. The only way out of this situation can be reseeding seedlings.
How to choose tomato seeds?
Sow only proven, high-quality seeds. If you buy seeds in stores, use only trusted outlets. Because fakes in the seed market have reached catastrophic proportions due to the fact that selling quality seeds has become simply unprofitable.
Quality seeds are half the success in growing tomatoes If you collect seeds from your tomatoes, choose only healthy and powerful bushes for this purpose, which gave good harvest. Sometimes disinfection of seeds is required. Because they can be infected with pathogenic viruses. Decontamination, if done correctly, does not affect seed quality, but may reduce germination. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the number of seeds sown.
In what soil do tomatoes grow best?
Sow seeds in ideal soil for this crop. The soil for seedlings should be neither too light nor too heavy. It must be said right away that the land taken from the garden bed will be heavy if your garden is located on black soil. And the soil bought in stores which is called "for seedlings" will be too light due to the high content of peat in such soil. Therefore, this option would be ideal: mix 50% of the land from the garden bed and 50% of the soil for seedlings thoroughly and fill cups for seedlings or pallets with this soil.
Beforehand, you need to think about what excess water after watering the plants should be free to leave the cups. This means that they should have a sufficient number of holes at the bottom to drain excess water.
All these wisdoms are easy to remember and use them when growing tomato seedlings. And most importantly - if you still failed in growing seedlings - do not give up, but roll up your sleeves and correct your mistakes, grow new beautiful, healthy and powerful seedlings.
VIDEO: How to grow healthy seedlings?
When growing tomatoes, many amateur gardeners often face such a problem: the leaves of tomato seedlings fall off. You need to figure out why this is happening and figure out how to deal with it.
At the tomato seedling hypersensitivity to fluctuations in the level of humidity both in the soil and in the air. Compliance with the moisture regime of these components, illumination, sowing density and much more - these are far from all the factors that can lead to drying and leaf fall. In order to understand why they fall, and to be ready to solve these problems, you should familiarize yourself with the main causes of this phenomenon.
Tomato seedlings have an increased sensitivity to changes in humidity levels both in the soil and in the air.
Seedlings sometimes behave not like a tomato, but like cereal plant, that is, the sprouts stretch upward, becoming narrow at the same time, with a small number of leaves, which are also small in size. It's all about the lack of light, this situation occurs if the seedlings are planted very tightly, the stems in this case block the light from each other, and, naturally, each of them tries to quickly reach the sun and stretches upwards.
You can solve the problem simply - plant the sprouts away from each other, grown tomatoes should not pile up on neighboring bushes. In addition, if cultivation is carried out at home or in a greenhouse, it is important to establish additional sources light without relying on the meager rays of the sun coming through the windows.
When growing tomatoes, many amateur gardeners often face such a problem: the leaves of the seedlings fall
The temperature in this case should not exceed + 20-25ºC, a decrease to + 18ºC is permissible. This is necessary so that the seedlings do not become a greenhouse flower, sick and dying at the slightest temperature drop. For the same purpose, it is impossible to accustom seedlings to abundant watering and top dressing.
If the seedlings turn yellow, the leaves dry and fall off.
Excessively moist soil and lack of sunlight leads to this result. Tomatoes cannot grow in a swamp, and in this case, that is exactly what is happening. The container with seedlings should be placed in such a way that it is constantly in the sun.
If you are growing tomatoes on a windowsill, then the pots of seedlings will have to be moved from one to another during the day, following the sun.
The stalks of tomato seedlings, if they turn yellow, can still be saved by transplanting them into fresh soil and exposing them to the sun. You need to transplant correctly. First, completely free the roots from old earth and check their condition: if they also turned yellow or blackened, then the plant died. Secondly, transplanted sprouts should be watered with a small amount of potassium permanganate solution and left in the sun.
If all the measures taken do not help and the stems remain yellow and lethargic, you should try adding mineral fertilizers to the plants, since, most likely, they lack some substance for normal growth. Using the sampling method, you will select exactly the drug that will bring the seedlings into the proper form.
Excessively moist soil and lack of sunlight leads to this result.
If the tips dry
If you notice that the edge of the leaf is drying at the seedlings of tomatoes, first inspect the rest of the plants in this room. If the inspection showed that the leaves of all plants are in a similar state, then the air is too dry. In order to moisten it, it is enough to put a basin of water next to the plants.
The second reason for this problem is the high salt content in the soil. This can be seen from the white spots on the surface of the soil. In this situation, it is necessary to remove the salted soil and add fresh earth, without salt. After that, the tomatoes should be poured with melted or distilled water and no top dressing should be added for 2 weeks.
If there is no salt on the soil surface, it should be assumed that the plants lack potassium. It can be isolated from ordinary ash. This is done simply: 1 handful of ash is brewed with 1 liter of boiling water. After the water has completely cooled down, you need to dilute it with 5 liters pure water. The resulting product should be watered tomato seedlings every other day for a week.
Leaves are stained
If spots appear on the leaves of seedlings white color it's most likely a sunburn. Most often it occurs in plants that have weaned from sunlight. You can help seedlings to transfer this disease by covering the plant with a sheet of paper. But you don’t need to completely remove it from the sun, tomatoes do not grow without sunlight.
If the spots on the seedlings are not just white, but have a dark border, then this fungal disease the plants will soon die. This fungus gets on the leaves of tomatoes from the soil. To prevent this from happening, you should heat treatment soil before planting. It can be frozen or, conversely, heated strongly, for example, in the oven. anyway they will die.
plant blackening
Plants become weak and black. Moreover, blackening is visible only near the ground itself. Such plants soon fall on the ground and die. In order to save the rest of the plantation, it is necessary to remove the dead seedlings, and change the soil with a healthy one. Calcined sand and ash should be added to fresh soil.
In this case, the problem can be avoided only by preparing the land for planting, that is, calcining it and adding a little ash to it. After transplanting tomatoes into a new soil, spray the plants with Fundazol and do not water them until the earth is completely dry.
So, so that the leaves of the tomatoes do not dry out and fall off, it is important to pre-prepare the ground: not only fertilize it, but also conduct a heat treatment against the fungus. In the future, do not flood the plants with water and take care of sufficient lighting for them. You should not grow tomatoes in too hot climates, the temperature of + 20-25ºС is optimal for them. By following all these recommendations, you will get a healthy and strong seedlings, and in the future, a rich harvest of tomatoes.
Tomato culture is very ancient. There is evidence that they were grown back in the 8th century AD, the ancient Aztecs did it. Only hundreds of years later, vegetables came to Europe, while the ancestors considered tomatoes to be a big berry.
What do tomato seedlings need to grow?
newcomers to dacha affairs often make many mistakes, which lead to negative result. In order for seedlings to grow from year to year and not disappoint, you need to gain experience and knowledge. It is not enough to plant seeds in the ground from the garden to get seedlings. It is necessary to observe all the methods of agricultural technology from the first stages.
Things to consider:
- soil nutrition - it gives strength and immunity to future seedlings, which means that it is less affected by diseases, that is, tomatoes will not turn yellow, wither, blacken;
- light - still school course biology, we all know that plants need light, otherwise they simply die. This is one of the main rules. There is not enough light - lamps are needed so that the lighting is at least 10-12 hours a day;
- watering - even a child knows too. If flowers or horticultural crops do not water, the result will not keep you waiting. Water must be settled so that the soil does not accumulate heavy elements. Also, it should not be icy so that the roots are not stressed;
- top dressing - it’s not enough just to plant seeds in nutrient soil, since the seedlings will soon take everything from the soil. Then there will be a nutritional deficiency, hence the immunity falls, and the seedlings will start to hurt.
What can be concluded from the above? If you do not know why the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow, then it is worth reviewing all agricultural technology and identifying shortcomings. If measures are taken in time, then the seedlings can be easily saved and get a good harvest in the future. Let's take a closer look at everything in the next section.
Causes of yellowing of the leaves of tomato seedlings
Feeding errors
As you already understood, any culture is very sensitive to the nutritional value of the soil. Tomatoes respond well to feeding, they love them. It is especially important to give regular fertilizers to those varieties that grow tall and have a powerful root system. Fertilizers must include a complex of elements in order to fully compensate for the entire deficiency. If some mineral is missing, then problems begin, including yellowing of the leaves of seedlings in tomatoes. But beginners will immediately ask the question, how to understand what exactly the seedlings lack? Everything is pretty simple.
Any problem is better to prevent than to deal with the consequences. Therefore, before starting holiday season buy not only elbows for seedlings, seeds, but also immediately various fertilizers, additional lighting.
The main elements that are necessary for tomatoes are potassium, nitrogen, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorus. They must be in the optimal combination - of course, it is difficult for you to make the perfect top dressing yourself. But a complex preparation is easy to buy at a gardening store. You can also solve the problem when you have already understood which mineral is currently in short supply - fill it with the appropriate fertilizer. There will be a separate section on them. So, how to determine why the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow.
Element deficiency:
- if you notice that the foliage of the seedlings has begun to lose its green pigment, it turns yellow, falls off regularly, and new leaves form small, then most likely the reason is a lack of nitrogen in the soil;
- if you see that the young leaves on the seedlings begin to curl, the old ones lose their color, appear yellow spots, then this is most often a lack of potassium in the soil;
- magnesium deficiency may indicate yellow along the veins on the leaves;
- if the leaves turn yellow at first, then even become white, then this is an iron deficiency;
- on seedlings you see two types of spots - brown and yellow, then this is a lack of zinc;
- the following fact can suggest a deficiency of manganese - the leaves turn yellow here and there, often in a checkerboard pattern, moreover, the process starts from the base.
These signs, upon careful examination and observation for several days, can be seen even by a beginner. As soon as you understand which element is in short supply, you need to make up for it with top dressing. As a rule, the situation begins to change rather quickly in better side, because we repeat once again, tomatoes are a very responsive culture to fertilizers. But is it only a lack of fertilizer that can cause a problem when the leaves of tomato seedlings dry. Of course not. Perhaps the reasons are much simpler.
Insufficient lighting
This problem is easy to identify and solve. We all know that where there is a lot of sun, places, moderately humid, all plants - whether cultivated or just weeds, are fragrant. And vice versa. Tomatoes are very photophilous, of course, they can suffer from sun rays. It is optimal to put seedlings on the southeast window, the east one, or put it next to it, creating a light lacy penumbra.
If the window is south, there is a lot of sun on it, which starts to burn strongly in spring, besides, the region is warm, then the seedlings may begin to turn yellow, because they are hot. In addition, direct rays can burn tender seedlings, especially if they also lack moisture. The easiest way to solve this problem is to remove the boxes of tomatoes to another window or put them next to the table so that there is a light shadow from the curtains, also watch the watering, the soil should not dry out and even more so lag behind the walls of the pot.
But the situation is different - what to do when tomato seedlings turn yellow from lack of light? Make additional lighting.
Lighting lamps:
- sodium - include an optimal spectrum for seedlings, they help seedlings grow very well. But such lamps require space and are not cheap;
- phytolamps - ideal for plants in the spectrum, used both in greenhouses and at home, suitable for growing for sale. But this light is also not cheap, and also has pink color which irritates the eyes. Optimal for those who grow seedlings in a separate room;
- fluorescent lamps are cheap and quite well suited for small-scale seedling cultivation. The lamps are economical, but they emit little red spectrum, and are also dangerous if they break. Also a minus is a small coverage area;
- diodes are very a good option but not cheap. Diodes can be bought in any color, they are economical, safe and durable.
If you have now asked the question, is it not easier to put a simple incandescent lamp over the container, then do not rush to draw conclusions. No - incandescent lamps are extremely unsuitable for seedlings, they do not emit the spectrum it needs, they spend a lot of energy and, moreover, threaten to burn delicate seedlings. Which lamps to choose, you decide. If you plan to deal with seedlings all the time, then it’s better to spend money once, but buy high-quality lighting. If you are a beginner and just trying yourself, then take simple lamps daylight.
All lighting can be bought at gardening stores, hardware stores, online stores. In the latter case, make an order in advance, as delivery is often delayed.
Consequences of close planting seedlings
Well, everything here is simple and easy to solve. If you often sowed seedlings, dived after not into separate cups, then it is quite possible that the seedlings are suffering from their own brethren. Its roots are closely intertwined in the ground, which is important to take into account in the future when transplanting, so that there is no injury. A lot of seedlings in the tray also take a lot of food, but we have already told you about the lack of elements. In addition, seedlings shade themselves, and we also just mentioned this.
An excess of plants often leads to an excess of moisture in the soil, then diseases can begin to develop there, and the roots rot. The latter directly affects the leaves - they turn yellow, fall off, the seedlings wither and die. The solution is simple - plant the seedlings more freely, but rather in separate cups with new clean soil.
The soil
Of course, seedlings need a lot good ground. About the fact that it should be nutritious, you already understood. But that's not all. The earth must pass air well so that oxygen enters the root system, then it will develop well, nourish the entire above-ground part. If the earth is heavy, you can hardly loosen it, then it is better to replace the soil with a new one before it is too late. The mistake could be that you just took the soil from the garden, and it is not suitable for you. It is not enough to just add top dressing to the ground, you also need to add sand, peat or perlite to it for breathability. It also affects the content of excess water.
An important factor is the acidity of the soil. It is tested using litmus paper, which is sold in pharmacies, garden stores or on the Internet. Tomatoes do not like acidic soil, like many crops. Normal pH is 6-6.5. If the soil is acidic, that is, the indicators are much lower than 6, then lime, chalk, fluff, dolomite flour, mix and check the indicators again with paper.
If you did not find litmus paper, then you can understand that your soil in the area is acidic by the vegetation that grows wildly on such soils - horsetail, hosts, heather, plantain.
But not only acidic soil has a bad effect on seedlings, but also salty. You can understand that you are using salty soil, and it has a bad effect on seedlings, by the fact that white or yellow plaque. Seedlings are best transplanted into new soil. If you can not pick up the soil yourself, then just buy ready-made.
Wrong watering
Another most common and easily solved reason. To understand that you are flooding the ground heavily, you can by the fact that your soil almost does not dry out, mold has appeared. Also a clear sign of the bay is the cotyledon leaves of the tomato seedlings turn yellow. From excess moisture, a pathogenic environment begins to develop, which leads to diseases, rotting of the roots. You need to water the seedlings as the soil dries out, every day it should be only slightly moist and well loosened. You can neither pour seedlings, nor, conversely, let it dry out when the soil moves away from the walls of the trays. Water must be defended for a day.
Diseases
Of course, one of common causes the appearance of yellow leaves on fragile seedlings may be a disease.
- Rot that occurs against the background of excess moisture. The solution is to reduce watering or transfer to new soil. Also keep an eye on room humidity and temperature.
- Fusarium. It can also occur against the background of excess moisture and in the cold. Adjust watering, temperature. The seedlings are treated with "Fitosporin" twice in a row, after which they take a break of 14 days and repeat the treatment again.
- Late blight. If the leaves begin to turn yellow and brown spots appear, then immediately spray them with a salt solution - 1/2 tablespoon of salt per liter of water. You can apply a solution of the drug "Trichopolum" in water. 10 tablets per bucket and pour 15 ml of brilliant green here. The same tool can be used to prevent diseases during flowering.
What to do if the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow
Let's summarize all of the above. You already know why tomato seedlings turn yellow, you could also understand what to do. We will talk about replenishing the deficiency of one or another element in the last section, but in all other cases everything is quite simple.
- If you have flooded seedlings, then it is advisable to remove the seedlings from the ground and assess the damage on the roots. Then transplant into a new, well-drained and nutritious composition.
- Keep the temperature in the room within 23-26 degrees.
- If you notice yellowing, then you can immediately feed the seedlings with a complex preparation, if you know for sure that the reason is not in acidity, not in the bay.
- If the earth is acidic, then you will have to transplant it into a new soil, having previously checked it with litmus.
- If the seedlings began to turn yellow after picking, then shade it and only occasionally water it, let it get stronger.
- If the seedlings are crowded, then rather divide them, and remember that the light needs to be thought out in advance.
Top dressing for tomato seedlings
Urea
This tool will help to form a good aerial part or simply green seedlings. The thing is that urea contains a lot of nitrogen - more than 45%. They begin to feed her seedlings after germination, then every 14-20 days. After picking, they stand for 10-14 days for seedlings to take root. Sold in stores in the form of white balls. Approximate consumption - 20-30 grams per bucket of warm water.
- affordable price;
- high concentration of nitrogen;
- very fast effect;
- simplicity and versatility in use;
- disease prevention;
- the possibility of using for foliar feeding.
- nitrogen should not be given to plants during flowering and after, otherwise fruits will not be set;
- it is important to observe concentration, as seedlings can get burned;
- slightly acidifies the soil.
Manganese solution
They can make up for the deficiency of manganese in the soil. It is used as a foliar spraying - once every 7-10 days throughout the growing season. The solution should be slightly pinkish.
- serves as an excellent preventive measure;
- budget tool;
- disinfects;
- can always be used, and also for soil dressing.
- high concentration can lead to the death of plants.
Ash
One of the oldest and most popular means. wood ash includes several elements at once - potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and others in smaller quantities. The recipe may look like this - a glass of ash is dissolved in a bucket of water, kept for 2 days. You can shed the area and use for spraying.
- cannot be used as a complete feed, it is better to combine ash with organic matter;
- the effect of top dressing is quite short, you will have to make it often.
Potassium nitrate
This top dressing contains not only potassium, which is needed by both seedlings and future fruits, but also phosphorus and nitrogen. They feed with saltpeter and seedlings, and bushes in the beds. The norm is 1% solution, top dressing is combined with watering. Dilute 10 grams per bucket of water.
- well helps to fill the deficiency of elements;
- can be used throughout the growing season;
- affordable price;
- disease prevention.
- you must strictly observe the concentration and precautions, as you can get poisoning.