Content
The leaves of eggplant seedlings turn yellow for a variety of reasons: from excessive watering and hypothermia of the soil to excessive sunlight and nitrogen deficiency. This is mainly due to improper care. Therefore, in most cases, the problem can be solved in just a week.
Why do the leaves of eggplant seedlings turn yellow?
Seedlings may turn yellow for various reasons. Most often this is a reversible phenomenon, which is associated with improper care. For example, plants may turn yellow due to lack of nutrients, improper watering, or overcooling of the soil. Therefore, it is enough to create the right growing conditions, and the seedlings will be able to recover.
Nitrogen deficiency
Often eggplant seedlings begin to turn yellow due to nitrogen deficiency. A deficiency can be determined by a number of external signs:
- seedlings are noticeably behind in development;
- the foliage begins to turn yellow and partially turn pale;
- shoots become thinner;
- stems become small;
- the inflorescences also become smaller;
- fewer leaves appear, their sizes are smaller than usual.
You should not violate the dosage, since overfeeding is no less dangerous than underfeeding.
Exposure to sunlight
Eggplants are demanding on lighting, but sometimes gardeners make a mistake and leave them in direct sunlight all day. Due to excess light, tender leaves begin to turn yellow. This happens due to the breakdown of chlorophyll.
As a result, photosynthesis processes are disrupted and plants lag behind in development. The surface of the foliage becomes pale, yellowish, the tissues partially die due to sunburn.
To verify this, it is enough to carefully examine the seedlings. If yellow spots on the foliage appear in the upper parts that face the sun, then the cause is indeed related to the sun's rays.
Improper watering
Eggplant seedlings turn yellow at home and due to improper watering. Young seedlings should be given water regularly, at least twice a week. But at the same time, the soil must have time to dry out, remaining only partially moist. It’s bad to either underfill or overfill. In the first case, the seedlings will turn yellow and lag behind in development, and in the second, their roots may rot. Also, due to waterlogging, there is a risk of developing blackleg and other dangerous diseases.
Due to irregular watering, the foliage will quickly turn yellow.
Diseases and pests
Another reason why eggplant seedlings may wither is due to diseases and pests.Most often, summer residents encounter the following: fusarium, verticillium, spot, late blight, mosaic.
The most dangerous pests are spider mites and aphids. They must be combated with chemicals.
Soil hypothermia
Another reason why the leaves of eggplant seedlings turn yellow is due to overcooling of the soil. Normally, seedlings develop at a temperature of 23-27 degrees. Those. the room should be warm enough, but not too hot. At night you can cool it to 20-22 degrees (room temperature).
It is quite easy to maintain such a regime indoors. But 2-3 weeks before transplantation, summer residents begin to take the seedlings to the balcony, loggia or open air for hardening. This is a procedure that allows you to adapt seedlings before planting in the ground or in a greenhouse.
But if you keep it in the cold, the eggplant seedlings will begin to turn yellow. To prevent this, it is recommended to harden gradually. First, the containers are taken out for 15-20 minutes, then the time is increased to several hours. The last time they are left overnight, and then transplanted into the beds.
Thickened planting
If you plant eggplants too close, the seedlings may turn yellow from lack of light. In addition, a tight fit promotes the spread of infections and complicates care. Therefore, when sowing, the seeds are distributed evenly in common containers with an interval of 2-3 cm. Then the seedlings are picked, planted in individual pots. They need to be placed at a short distance so that all the bushes have enough light.
Stress after a pick
After transplantation, seedlings may also begin to turn yellow. This is a relatively normal and reversible phenomenon that will pass quickly.To speed up recovery, it is recommended to apply foliar feeding with growth stimulants, for example, Epin or Kornevin. It is also worth replanting into new containers carefully so as not to damage the roots.
What to do if the leaves of eggplant seedlings turn yellow
To prevent seedlings from turning yellow, it is necessary to create suitable growing conditions. This is quite simple to do indoors - you need to maintain a consistently high temperature, protect from excess sunlight, and apply fertilizing on time. You will also need to water the seedlings regularly and periodically inspect them for signs of disease or pests.
If you maintain the temperature and regularly fertilize, the seedlings will be strong and healthy.
Proper feeding
To prevent eggplant seedlings from turning yellow, it is necessary to regularly fertilize:
- The first time was on the eve of the pick.
- Then - a few days after the transplant.
- The third application is on the eve of transfer to open ground (this is not necessary; fertilizing can be done after transfer to the beds).
The first fertilizer is made up of the following components (per 10 liters of water):
- ammonium nitrate – 7 g;
- potassium sulfate – 10 g;
- superphosphate – 15 g.
For the second time, it is recommended to feed with urea (15 g) and superphosphate (30 g) per 3 liters of water. Instead, you can use complex mineral fertilizer, for example, “Kristalon” or “Osmokot”. If the eggplant seedlings begin to turn yellow, at the same stage it is recommended to apply foliar treatment with Zircon or Gummi-Omi.
For the third time, add potassium salt (30 g) and superphosphate (20 g) to 3 liters of water. It is also recommended to treat with a weak solution of copper sulfate (0.5% concentration) before transplanting.This is a good preventive measure against many diseases and pests.
Proper watering
Eggplant seedlings will begin to turn yellow even with a short-term lack of moisture. Therefore, water should be given regularly, once every 2-3 days. First, the soil surface is sprayed with a sprayer. As soon as the seedlings appear, water is poured in a thin stream under the root. After picking, it is enough to water twice a week, making sure that the soil does not become dry. The water is preliminarily settled at room temperature. If it is cold, the seedlings may turn yellow due to temperature changes.
Proper placement of seedlings
In the early stages of growing eggplant seedlings, the sprouts are small and do not interfere with each other, i.e. do not create shadows. Therefore, seeds can be sown literally 2-3 cm apart. But after picking, the pots with young bushes should not be placed close together, but at a distance of 5 cm. They are lined up in rows so that everyone gets maximum light. Often seedlings have to be illuminated with a phytolamp.
The light source is placed at a height of 50-60 cm
Sun protection
To prevent eggplant seedlings from turning yellow, they must be shaded at the final stage of cultivation. The sun in March and April is already quite high. If the window is south or east, then from 12 to 15 hours it is necessary to set aside the seedlings or shade them with white non-woven material. Otherwise, the leaf plates will get sunburned.
Disease Control
If the leaves of eggplant seedlings turn yellow due to diseases, they should be treated with medications. To eliminate fungal infections, fungicides are used:
- "Ordan";
- "Bordeaux mixture";
- "Abiga Peak";
- "Tattu";
- "Fitosporin".
To destroy pests, it is recommended to use insecticides:
- "Decis";
- "Agravertine";
- "Karate";
- "Fitoverm".
It is undesirable to use folk remedies because they are less effective. In addition, fruiting is still far away, and there is no need to be afraid of spraying the bushes with chemicals.
In some cases, when the disease is incurable (viral mosaic, blackleg), the affected seedlings should be planted and destroyed as quickly as possible. Neighboring plantings are treated with drugs, and the contaminated soil is replaced with new one.
Preventive measures
If eggplant seedlings turn yellow, it is not always easy to cope with this phenomenon. But preventing the problem is quite possible. Experienced summer residents recommend adhering to the following rules:
- Disinfect the soil for seedlings. For example, you can keep it in the freezer for several days or put it in the oven for 20 minutes at a temperature of 130-150 degrees. After this, it is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizer, for example, Nitragin.
- Purchase seeds only from trusted suppliers, and not directly. Before planting, they need to be pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate (1%), Fundazol or another fungicide.
- If possible, it is better to grow eggplant seedlings not in common containers, but in individual ones. Peat pots are ideal for this. Two seeds are sown in each of them, and then the weak sprout is pinched, leaving only the strong one.
- To prevent eggplant seedlings from turning yellow, they need to be provided with an acceptable temperature regime - up to 25-27 degrees during the day, and not lower than 20 at night. At the same time, do not forget about ventilation, since stagnation of air has a bad effect on the development of shoots and leaves.
Simple preventive measures will prevent yellowing of seedlings
Conclusion
The leaves of eggplant seedlings turn yellow mainly due to improper care. To avoid this phenomenon, it is important to create fertile soil, make the plantings not too dense, and be sure to fertilize and water the seedlings. Then the seedlings will grow healthy and produce a good harvest.
