Content
Pale tomato seedlings are a problem that many gardeners face. If measures are not taken in time, the plant stem will quickly shorten, which will affect the quality and quantity of fruits. Therefore, it is important to understand why this happens and what to do about it.
Why do tomato seedlings have pale leaves?
There are enough reasons why the seedlings suddenly turned pale. Green color, as is known from biology, characterizes chlorophyll. With its help, the tomato receives nutrients from sunlight. Pallor appears when there is a deficiency of these cells.
Nutritional deficiencies
The first thing you should pay attention to is lack of nutrition. A lack of even one trace element can cause yellowing. You can understand what a plant lacks by external signs.
Often tomatoes become pale due to infections - fungi
A common cause is nitrogen deficiency. When starved, tomato seedlings will begin to lose their green color.The lower parts of the plant will be affected first, then the upper parts. As a result, the culture will slow down its growth and become greatly weakened.
When the border turns yellow, it is probably due to potassium deficiency. In this case, the tomato seedlings become covered with burns, but the central part of the foliage still remains green.
If the upper leaves become pale, this is due to a lack of iron. Over time, the seedlings become lethargic and their immunity weakens.
When pale specks appear, it is necessary to add more manganese to the soil.
Improper watering
When tomato seedlings have light green leaves, this may indicate improper hydration. Don't water tomatoes too often. It is unacceptable to irrigate every day, since the soil does not yet have time to dry. Therefore, it is better to underfill than to overfill. To moisturize, use warm water.
Lack of lighting
Tomatoes are planted in open areas because they love light. If the seedlings are in a dark place, the leaves will begin to wither. Gardeners note that in some cases the plant grows rapidly upward, and the lower foliage becomes pale.
If there is too much light, especially in summer, this can also harm the tomatoes. As a result, burns will appear on the leaves. Under the bright sun, the crop always gradually turns yellow.
Planting density
In an effort to plant more seedlings, people forget that overcrowding can be destructive. The culture has nowhere to grow because there is no free space.In addition, competition begins between tomatoes for the possession of nutrients and liquid.
Botanists recommend using “Rich” as a top dressing; it is pre-dissolved in water.
Under such conditions, most samples turn yellow and only a few retain a healthy appearance. As they grow, the stems become thinner. At the same time, the light green leaves of the tomato seedlings curl and become diseased. If you violate the frequency of watering or oversaturate the soil with fertilizers, the tomatoes will quickly die.
Unsuitable temperature
For tomato seedlings to grow healthy, they need a certain temperature. It's good if the room is about 20 °C. Then the plant will not have problems. The main thing is that the thermometer does not show a value of 15 °C; such a temperature is uncomfortable for it.
This also includes landing time. If you do this too early, the seedlings will stretch upward due to lack of solar heat. In turn, this will affect the thickness of the stem and the amount of chlorophyll.
Some believe that the warmer it is on the windowsill, the better for the fruit. However, this is a misconception. Botanists do not recommend growing a plant in such conditions unless the owner wants to verify this from his own experience.
Unsuitable soil
Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic soils. If the soil is acidified, the roots will suffer from a deficiency of substances. Based on the first point (lack of nutrients), the leaves will become pale and then dry out completely.
Incorrectly selected soil will cause the stems to grow in length. This will not have the best effect on the health of the seedlings. However, if you notice the symptoms in time, pale tomatoes can be replanted. Soon the plant will stabilize and restore its appearance.
Root damage
An oversight in picking can also cause pale seedlings. Deformation of the roots will weaken the crop, and the leaves will become covered with light spots. The latter will gradually grow, covering the entire surface. As a result, the foliage dries out.
Chlorosis
If some leaf blades turn yellow and others turn pale, it means that the seedlings have undergone chlorosis. The disease may be associated with infection or due to biological causes.
You can cope with chlorosis with the help of the drug "Ferovit"
What to do if tomato seedlings are pale green
Once symptoms are detected, the cause must be determined. Depending on this, specific measures can be taken. It is important to eliminate the problem quickly before the disease takes over the entire plant.
How to feed pale green tomato seedlings
When the soil is depleted, it is necessary to apply fertilizing. The soil is saturated in the following order. After 2-3 leaves appear, the first fertilizer is added. After 1.5 weeks, feed a second time. The next addition is also added after 1.5 weeks. The latter is carried out 10 days before landing at a permanent place.
In this case, it is necessary to water according to the instructions. If you sprinkle the moistened area with soil, you can improve the condition of the additive. This applies to organic matter. There is no need to do this with mineral ones.
Nutrients can be fed not only to the root, but also to the pale leaves. To saturate with nitrogen, place manure in a bucket and fill it with water at room temperature (1/3). The liquid should be allowed to brew for 2 days.Next, the solution is diluted again in water in a ratio of 1/10. After this, the liquid is poured into a spray bottle and the pale leaves are irrigated.
Eliminating care errors
If the roots are damaged, the problem can be corrected quickly. It is enough to add a root formation stimulator to the soil and water it well. Soon the seedlings will return to normal and begin to produce tasty tomatoes.
Light green tomato seedlings always indicate increased stress
An incorrectly selected substrate can be replaced with a new one or processed. Speaking of the latter, alkaline soil is watered with nitric acid. To prepare, 3-4 ml of suspension is diluted in 10 liters of liquid. When the soil is too acidic, add wood ash.
If the owner accidentally flooded the tomato seedlings, the soil needs to be dried. To remove moisture, several holes are made in the pot - in the center and around the circumference. If the tomatoes still remain pale, add additional fertilizer.
In poor lighting, pale seedlings should be placed on the sunny side. The main thing is that the tomatoes do not get burned. If the sun shines weakly, you can use a mirror or reflective material. It is placed opposite the window behind the seedlings. In bad weather, the amount of light needs to be increased. As a rule, this is enough for the plant to recover.
When the tomatoes have become pale due to burns, they are moved to a lighted place where direct light does not penetrate. After eliminating the problem, the seedlings can be returned to their original site. However, it is periodically removed from the sun so that burns do not reappear.
In case of dense planting, seedlings are separated from each other.If the size of the container does not allow this, they are transplanted into separate ones or into one more spacious one.
Sometimes tomatoes turn pale due to lack of oxygen, in this case you need to loosen the soil more often
Prevention measures
To prevent tomato seedlings from developing pale leaves, you need to follow preventive measures. This will allow you to cope with the disease before it appears. To do this you need:
- Feed the crop 15 days after picking. Use mineral fertilizers with a high content of nitrogen elements.
- Water the seedlings moderately. The earth is moistened when the top layer of soil begins to dry out.
- Monitor the light level. You need to maintain a balance between the sunny and dark sides.
- A day after watering, loosen the soil. This prevents the formation of a crust, which impedes oxygen access to the roots.
- Keep the air temperature within 20-22 °C. A deviation in the negative direction of no more than 5 °C is permissible.
- Use store-bought substrate. Purchased soil is sterile and does not contain harmful fungi that weaken the immune system.
The more attention the culture receives, the lower the risk of disease.
Conclusion
Pale tomato seedlings are a consequence of violation of the rules of care. Like any plant, tomatoes need care from the owner. Fortunately, the problem can be dealt with if you notice it in time.
A gardener shares how he deals with pale leaves on his tomato seedlings.
