The tomatoes are turning yellow. Why do tomato leaves turn yellow: prevention and treatment

Summer residents are often tormented by the question of why the leaves of tomatoes turn yellow. You always want the planted plants to bring maximum yield. Alas, in life you have to constantly garden in order to get an acceptable result. Flower growers are worried about why dracaena leaves turn yellow and fall off, and farmers are worried about how to maintain the yield of tasty vegetables. Proper care buying tomatoes will pay off handsomely in the future.

7 reasons for skinnyness

1. Bad job root system.

Most often this is due to a violation in the development of seedlings. For example, plants that are too fat and of good quality can very quickly outgrow, intertwining their root system into one large lump. Or simply, the volume of land was initially less than the specific amount of seeds required. Transplantation only partially solves the problem.

Free space causes a “restart” of all systems. The plant begins to intensively grow young roots, so the old leaves turn yellow in order to fall off and make room for new ones. If the tomatoes are not replanted at all, then the stage of color change will be replaced by the death of the entire plant.

2. Hypothermia.

A sharp drop in temperature leads to disruption of root nutrition. It is not only the hypothermia of the entire plant that matters, but also only its underground part. It is enough to violate the temperature regime once for the consequences to affect all phases of tomato development right up to the final “chord” (fruiting). It is quite simple to understand that the problem is hypothermia: all the leaves on the stems of the plant acquire a yellowish and some bluish tint.

3. Mechanical damage roots.

The yellowness of exclusively the lower leaves quite often indicates a local disturbance in the activity of the roots. The rupture occurs at the time of planting seedlings in the garden bed or regularly loosening the soil to remove weeds. Usually, a little time passes and the tomatoes take root on their own. As soon as new adventitious roots grow, the restoration of the green color of the leaves and shoots begins.

4. Lack of moisture.

The long main root (up to 1.5 m) allows the plant to withstand drought. The main part of the roots lies at a depth of approximately 15-25 cm. Therefore, moisture deficiency quite often leads to yellowness of the upper leaves, as well as curling of their shape.

5. Excessive air humidity.

Saturation of a tomato with water leads to rapid growth of leaves in the first half of the growing season. When a tomato is actively developing, it is very easy to miss the moment when the beds require another filling with nitrogen. As a result, yellowing of the leaves begins, and a little later - cracking of the fruits.

6. Lack of important microelements.

As mentioned above, a lack of nitrogen leads to the appearance of yellow spots on the foliage. Chlorosis on the apical leaves along with the appearance of blossom end rot on tomato fruits indicates problems with calcium. Soil rich in organic matter and poor in copper (most often we're talking about on peaty soil) results in a pale yellow color in the lower layers.

If, in addition to yellowness, thickening and hardness of the leaves, as well as some woodiness of the stems, are noticeable, then we are talking about a lack of sulfur. When a light yellow color covers young and old leaves, which gradually dry out even with sufficient watering, then there is definitely little manganese in the soil (lime soil mixtures suffer from a similar deficiency).

The same symptoms when old leaves persist indicate iron deficiency. A lack of magnesium leads to yellow-red pigmentation, in which the leaf edges additionally curl upward. In some cases, an excess of phosphorus leads to a general yellowing of the plant, while a deficiency causes only the tip of the leaf.

7. Fusarium wilt infection.

Similar fungal disease often affects tomatoes. In addition to the yellowness of the leaves, a decrease in turgor is visible. There is a feeling that watering plants was carried out a few weeks ago. This problem is further complicated by the fact that these soil fungi can quite long time live in the ground. Their effect on the plant significantly reduces tomato yield.

The sources of spread of the disease may include not only infected seeds, but also plant residues from compost or labor tools that are constantly used to cultivate the soil. Also, spore distributors include wind and high temperature, in which the disease spreads faster among seedlings. The disease begins to affect the roots, smoothly climbing the stems in order to affect the entire vascular system of the plant.

In advanced cases, tomatoes stop absorbing water and nutrients from the soil. A serious stunting occurs, which is accompanied by yellowing of the leaves. If tomatoes do set, their fruits are characterized by exceptionally small sizes.

How to get rid of yellowness?

A prerequisite is to pay enough attention to compliance with preventive measures. They start with small seeds, which are first disinfected in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of the substance is added to 100 ml of water, and then the seeds are dipped in for 20 minutes). For further washing, use fresh clean water. In addition, it is advisable to disinfect seedling boxes, soil mixtures and all garden tools in advance.

You should carefully study the recommendations for growing each tomato variety that is selected for a specific plot of land. Compliance temperature regime and proper care of the plant will avoid the unpleasant situation with yellowing of the foliage.

If yellow spots begin to appear on the plants, everything possible should be done to eliminate them. First, the irrigation system is normalized. Then they make a weak solution of fertilizers, which are characterized by a maximum concentration of salts. For every liter of water add up to 10 grams of selected fertilizers (nitrates, chlorides or phosphates). If you increase the concentration, you can cause pinpoint burns. Tomatoes are sprayed with a similar solution on top several times a day until new leaves grow to replace the old ones.

It is unlikely that completely yellowed leaves can be restored. So, instead of feeding vain illusions, it is better to pay attention to the restoration of tomatoes. A timely response will only cause a delay in the development of the plant for 1-2 weeks, but the harvest will be saved.

Yellowing leaves are the first signs that the plants are not comfortable. Yellow leaves of seedlings may also indicate the appearance of a disease. There may be several reasons why tomato seedlings begin to turn yellow.

Yellowing of tomato seedlings is quite common. Strong seedlings suddenly it begins to turn yellow, wither, spots appear on the leaves, and the upper tips begin to curl. To get rid of these problems and help the plant recover, you should understand the cause of the bad disease and do everything necessary measures to prevent it.

There are many reasons for yellowing. In order to take action, you first need to figure out why the leaves began to turn yellow.

The most common mistakes in care and planting

Yellowing leaves indicate problems associated with with improper care.

The main reasons are:

• Lack of sunlight and excess moisture
• Frequently sown seedling material
• Lack of microelements
• High soil acidity
• Lack of space after disembarkation

Often from lack of light seedling material suffers in the northern and middle regions. Excessive watering aggravates the situation, and the leaves begin to turn yellow.

Often sown seedlings also cause a lack of light. It grows, gets stronger, begins to close sunlight foliage.

Lack of microelements leads to yellowing. Microelements that cause yellowing:

• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Manganese

If the earth too salty, the leaves will also begin to turn yellow. Saline soil can be identified by white or yellowish spots appearing on the surface of the ground - plaque.

Incorrectly selected container- the cause of yellowing. If the container is too small, the growing roots become cramped, the seedlings begin to hurt, and the leaves turn yellow.

If the roots of the seedlings are crowded, the tomato may get sick

What to do if the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow

Having dealt with the causes of yellowing, let's look at ways to prevent them.

With a lack of sunlight, seedlings bet on sunny side windows on window sills. For additional lighting, lamps are used that extend the daylight hours at home by 5 hours.

Seedling material must be watered correctly.

Improper watering also leads to yellowing. With a lack or excess of moisture, the seedling material turns yellow. It is necessary to water rarely, but abundantly.

If planting is too frequent, shading occurs; replanting into separate pots will help correct this.

• • If there is not enough nitrogen, the leaves turn pale, fall off, and new ones grow smaller. Fertilizing with nitrogen will eliminate nitrogen deficiency.
  • If new leaves become curly, and older ones turn yellow and fall off, it is necessary to water or feed with potassium nitrate.
  • Leaves turn yellow between the veins - lack of magnesium. Spraying with magnesium nitrate will correct the problem.

The appearance of brown spots indicates a lack of zinc. New ones become stained, dry out, and fall off. A solution of zinc sulfate will correct the situation.

• If they turn light green or even White color, seedlings do not have enough iron. Requires foliar feeding.
  The leaf lacks manganese, it begins to turn yellow at the base, and is colored in a checkerboard pattern. In this case, you can fertilize and spray the plant with a solution of potassium permanganate.

If the leaves turn yellow between the veins, there is not enough magnesium

The soil can become salty when watered with hard water or an excess of fertilizers. In this case, remove the soil from the surface by 3 cm and water with soft or rain water. It will be possible to feed only after a few weeks.

Seedlings that have turned yellow due to lack of space for roots can be saved if they are planted in deeper and more spacious containers.

Diseases

The reason for the appearance of yellow tomato leaves may be the occurrence of diseases.

The appearance of yellow spots is caused by a fungal disease called fusarium. With this disease, the leaves not only turn yellow, but also wither. The seedlings are sprayed with Fitosporin 2-3 times, and after 1-2 weeks the procedure is repeated.

Often, tomato seedling material is affected by the disease blackleg. It occurs when overwatering. The roots become thin and black. To prevent the occurrence of blackleg, the temperature regime and proper watering should be observed.

A common disease of tomatoes, which also affects eggplants, potatoes, and peppers, is called Late blight. Late blight occurs when there is excess moisture and low temperatures. Brown spots form. Late blight develops very quickly, urgent measures must be taken.

To combat late blight, a solution of table salt will help. To do this, dissolve 0.5 tbsp of salt in 5 liters of water and spray the seedlings.

Why do the leaves turn yellow?

Understanding the reasons is not so difficult if you pay attention Which leaves of the seedlings have turned yellow?. There are several reasons for the yellowness of the lower leaves:

• Excessive watering
• Lack of light
• Excess fertilizer

Cotyledon leaves may turn yellow due to excessive watering. The roots of the plant begin to suffocate in water, and they begin to turn yellow.

Tops Tomato turns yellow due to lack of phosphorus.

There are other factors that can cause leaves to turn yellow.

After transplant

Seedlings may turn yellow after transplanting. The fact is that the plant needs time to acclimatize in a new place.

In this case, shade it from the sun for a couple of days.

On the windowsill

If the seedlings are on the windowsill, the cause may be sunburn . In this case, it is necessary to protect it from direct sunlight.

After the pick

Leaves may turn yellow after picking. Some gardeners when picking damage roots too much seedlings, which leads to stress.

After landing in the ground

It is necessary to plant tomato seedlings in soil containing a sufficient amount of copper, which is necessary for the normal growth of tomatoes. With a lack of copper, it begins to turn yellow.

In the open ground

IN open ground seedlings may begin to turn yellow due to a lack of microelements in the soil.

Yellowing can be caused by weather. Too cold weather disrupts the plant's metabolism. In hot weather and infrequent watering, tomatoes can get burned.

What is missing from tomato seedlings?

Seedling material must be constantly monitored; even a slight change in the color of the plant signals changes or even the onset of a disease.

Important feed correctly and on time. The first time it is fed is when the first true leaf appears. The second time - 7-10 days after the pick.

What to feed

The first feeding is made from copper solution. Fertilizing is carried out after one true leaf appears. To do this, prepare a copper solution at the rate of 1 tsp. copper per 1 liter. water. The seedling material is watered with the prepared solution. Thus, the seedlings will be treated against late blight.

For good growth seedlings need nitrogen. The second feeding is done 7-10 days after picking. Urea is used for feeding. 1 tbsp. l. urea per 10 l. water. Water the seedlings generously with the solution.

You shouldn’t ignore even the slightest changes, because this indicates improper care and can also cause diseases. By correctly identifying the cause of yellowing, it will be possible to prevent problems and grow strong, healthy seedlings.

Why do tomato leaves turn yellow? Almost every gardener asks himself this question. This situation arises due to a number of reasons. For example, tomatoes appear yellow leaves, because the plant lacks vitamins. Find out why tomato leaves turn yellow in greenhouses and open ground, and then act.

Why do the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow, and what does this depend on? There are many factors that can affect the condition of a vegetable crop, as well as affect the intensity of its fruiting. First, you should determine what was the key reason for the yellowing of leaves on tomatoes. Knowing what exactly you are dealing with, you can proceed directly to treatment.

Excess or lack of fertilizers

Why do the leaves of tomatoes turn yellow and dry out if, it would seem, at the stage of planting seedlings you did everything correctly and provided high-quality care for the plant? Over time, you simply notice how spots of yellowish or Brown. In addition, the tomato foliage begins to curl. All this indicates a lack of nutrients in the soil. Sometimes your greenhouse seedlings may suffer from their excess, but this situation occurs much less frequently.

In order to understand what exactly you should saturate the substrate with so that the vegetable crop continues to actively increase the vegetative mass and at the same time form fruits, you need to consider in more detail the lack of which mineral elements the following symptoms arise:

• Tomato leaves turn yellow and dry out, initially the leaf plate loses its brightness of color and simply begins to “fade” - it is recommended to water the soil with nitrogen-containing nutrient mixtures. Try to continue to support required level element in the substrate, since with its long-term deficiency the bush may stop growing, and fruits may not form;
• tomato seedlings are actively turning yellow, and spots primarily appear between the veins of the leaf blade - in this case, you should compensate for the lack of magnesium or molybdenum in the soil. Another characteristic sign of the absence of magnesium in the soil is the curling of the leaves upward;

• When the leaves of tomatoes turn yellow (they may also turn red or simply lose their brightness), the plant most likely lacks sulfur. Do not neglect feeding the crop with this element, otherwise the tomato seedlings will become much more fragile;
• The leaves of grown tomatoes may turn yellow due to a deficiency of iron in the substrate. At the same time, the growth of the bush is significantly slowed down;
• If the leaves of tomato seedlings in open ground turn yellow, the reason may lie in a lack of calcium. Another symptom indicating a deficiency of this component in the soil is the formation of blossom end rot on fruits.

Knowing why the leaves of your tomatoes turn yellow and what nutrients your crop lacks, you will be able to correct the situation in time. In the future, try to feed the tomatoes at regular intervals, but do it in such a way as not to oversaturate them with minerals. Otherwise, the plant may even get burned.

Damage to the root system

If the leaves of tomatoes turn yellow, what is recommended to do in this situation is to make sure that the rhizome of the plant has not been damaged. This can happen for several reasons at once. For example, pests are to blame: they often attack not only the above-ground part of the crop, but also its root.

Very often, a gardener can independently damage the root system, which is why the tomatoes turn yellow. If during the replanting process you broke one of the root shoots (or perhaps you carelessly loosened the soil or fought weeds and touched the roots), only time will correct the situation. After the agricultural crop grows roots, it will continue to develop at the same pace.

If the leaves of tomatoes turn yellow, it is quite possible that damage to the root system occurred due to Low quality seedlings. There are also cases when the gardener keeps it in inconvenient small containers, so at the planting stage the rhizome turns out to be too weak. Hence the broken root shoots and the yellowness of the leaves of the tomato seedlings.

Diseases

If the leaves of tomatoes grown in a greenhouse turn yellow, the cause is very often various diseases, such as fusarium, late blight, as well as mosaic, etc. However, pay attention to the fact that when the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow due to a disease , this is just the first symptom. In the future, the tomato harvest will be threatened by something more. That is why, immediately after diagnosing the disease, begin treating the crops with store-bought chemicals.

Pests

Lack of lighting

If the lower leaves of tomatoes are actively turning yellow, this may mean that the seedlings simply do not have enough sunlight, and the lighting must be full if you want to harvest a generous harvest of tomatoes. In tomatoes, the lower leaves turn yellow first because the sun's rays do not reach them. There is only one way out of the situation: first, try to provide much more active lighting for your greenhouse. In addition, it is recommended to maintain a certain distance between the bushes when planting plants in the ground. Thus, agriculture will be able to absorb much more sunlight.

Temperature

The leaves of grown tomatoes also turn yellow if you do not comply with the temperature regime. If, for example, they were transplanted into open ground too early, it is not surprising that the lower leaves of the tomato seedlings turn yellow. The thing is that in the excessively cold earth root system doesn't get enough nutrients. As a result, a yellow-brown tint appears. This problem must be dealt with by constructing a film shelter for a fragile plant. Only in this case will you be able to protect the crop from freezing.

Violation of the watering regime

To ensure that tomatoes in the greenhouse do not suffer from the appearance of yellowed leaves after planting, it is imperative to regularly irrigate the substrate. You need to water moderately and not too rarely. Remember that both excess and deficiency of moisture in the soil is a significant problem. If the lower leaves of your grown tomatoes turn yellow, it’s time to think about whether you approached the process of moistening the soil mixture correctly.

How to save a plant

What to do when tomatoes turn yellow and their leaves actively dry out? Even if you were unable to determine the exact cause, leaving everything as is is not the best way out. First of all, you need to remove the yellowed leaf blades. The next stage is application to the soil. complex fertilizers. When the growing season of tomato seedlings has just begun, it is recommended to focus on nitrogen nutrient mixtures. To eliminate the risk of dangerous diseases or pest invasions, spray the plants with biological products from time to time.

However, keep in mind that it is not recommended to process tomatoes too often, as this will only harm them.

Knowing why the lower leaves of tomatoes turn yellow, you can prevent the death of seedlings, and you will reap a generous harvest at the height of the season. Find out how to treat tomatoes and what preparations are used most often by gardeners. Remember: the lower leaves of tomato seedlings may turn yellow various reasons. Your task is to identify the threat in time and do everything necessary to ensure that growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is effective. Help your seedlings wisely, and if the leaves on your tomatoes turn yellow in the greenhouse, start treatment immediately.

Video “Causes of yellowing of tomato leaves”

From this video you will learn how this can cause tomato leaves to turn yellow.

Often, not only beginning gardeners, but also professionals are faced with the problem of yellowing leaves of tomato seedlings. This could be a sign improper care for seedlings, and also indicate the development of fungal diseases. In any case, this cannot be ignored, and urgent measures must be taken to eliminate the yellowness, otherwise it may threaten the death of the entire seedling.

Experts identify several main factors that negatively affect tomato seedlings and can cause yellow leaves to appear. By conducting an analysis, you can identify the problem and take steps to eliminate it.

The reasons for the yellowing of tomato seedling leaves may be hidden in the following factors:

• the soil;
• environment;
• lack of nutrition;
• fungal diseases.

Each of the problems has its own characteristics, and in order to determine how to deal with the yellowness of seedlings, you need to become familiar with the signs that it is expressed.

The soil

Soil problems may be due to improperly prepared substrate for sowing tomato seeds, in which the majority is peat. This is the reason for the slowdown in the growth of seedlings in the future and the appearance of a light yellow tint of foliage.

Or the substrate was prepared without adding sand or perlite, which ultimately leads to the fact that after each watering the substrate in the pot clumps into a solid heavy lump, and this does not allow roots to develop.

The second negative factor is regular stagnation of moisture in the soil. Tomatoes do not like the substrate to be constantly wet; this leads to suffocation of the roots, as a result of which they do not receive additional required amount oxygen. The same reason causes a widespread yellow tint on the leaves of tomato seedlings.

The third reason related to soil is insufficient watering of plants, that leads to drying out of the root system. A sign of this is the yellowing of the lower leaves of the seedlings, but the top remains green. This is due to the fact that the plant redistributes moisture and gives it to the development of new promising leaves.

Sometimes the cause of yellowing of seedling leaves is Negative influence external environment. This includes elevated or low temperature content. In this case, the plants initially begin to turn yellow the lower tier of leaves.

Another reason could be insufficient lighting seedlings. Tomatoes are light-loving plants, so during periods of prolonged cloudy weather, the process of photosynthesis in the foliage slows down, which leads to yellowing of the leaves.

Low humidity air It can also cause the entire plant to wilt or contribute to the appearance of yellowness.

Lack of nutrition

Often the provoking factor may be a lack of microelements. Each of them manifests itself with its own symptoms, which helps to identify shortages and take timely measures.

1. Potassium deficiency- the edges and tips of the foliage turn yellow, but remain green color veined
2. Nitrogen deficiency- yellowness first appears at the tips, and then appears in the veins of the foliage.
3. Calcium deficiency— the foliage takes on a withered appearance, curls and becomes deformed. Most often this is due to the fact that the soil is too acidic or alkaline.
4. Lack of zinc- the leaf blades become pale yellow, as if they have become discolored, but at the same time the veins become clearly defined and slightly protrude above the surface of the leaf.
5. Iron deficiency- new leaves are significantly smaller in size than the previous ones. The shade of the upper foliage becomes yellow with dark green protruding veins.
6. Magnesium deficiency — characteristic feature is the appearance of a yellow edging along the contour of each vein on the leaves.
7. Phosphorus deficiency- characterized by the yellowness of the tops of the seedlings, the leaf blades and stems acquire a purple tint. An excess of a microelement is expressed by a yellow tint of the entire leaf blade.
8. Lack of manganese- expressed light shade foliage that gradually moves from old leaves to young ones. Over time, the leaves completely turn yellow, wither and fall off.
9. Deficiency of several microelements at the same time- the plant has a general depressed appearance. The foliage takes on a yellow-green mosaic color. The stem stretches and becomes thin.

Fungal diseases

The most common disease of seedlings is, which is initially expressed by yellowing of the cotyledon leaves, and later leads to the death of the entire plant. The development is caused by fungal spores that are located in the top layer of soil.

Another common problem could be Fusarium leaf wilt. Characteristic difference The disease is yellowing of the leaves, accompanied by lethargy against the background of normal watering.

Another problem with tomato seedlings can be brown spot, which affects seedlings starting from the lower tier of leaves. Characteristic yellow spots appear on top of the leaf blade, which reverse side have a grayish-brown tint, which indicates the development of pathogenic mycelium. Subsequently, the affected leaves become brown, dry out and fall off.

Other reasons

In addition to common factors, there are a number of other reasons that can lead to yellowing of tomato seedlings. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with them in advance so that if a problem arises you can confirm or deny their presence.

The most popular of them:

• interweaving of the root system of seedlings in the absence of transplantation for a long time;
• small capacity, which does not allow the root system to develop to its full potential;
• mechanical damage to the root when loosening the soil in the planting container;
• incorrectly carried out picking;
• watering the seedlings with cold water.

Video: reasons why tomato foliage turns yellow

What to do at the first signs of yellowing of tomato seedlings

Important! When yellowness appears on tomato seedlings, it is necessary to urgently take measures to preserve the future harvest, since any delay can lead to weakened plant immunity, stretching of stems or death.

If the problem is related to wrong compiled substrate composition, then this can be eliminated by transplanting seedlings into new soil and separate containers. The following combination of earth mixture components is considered optimal:

• 1 part washed river sand;
• 2 parts of turf land;
• 1 part peat or leaf soil;
• 1 part perlite;
• 1 part coconut substrate;
• 0.5 parts wood ash.

If the reason is overflow and cold keeping, needs to be loosened upper layer soil, stop watering until the earthen clod dries and keep the temperature within 16-18 degrees during the day and 10-15 at night. With wilting and yellowing of foliage from lack of light, It is necessary to provide the seedlings with additional lighting in the evening so that the daylight hours are at least 10 hours.

When insufficient air humidity It is necessary to protect the seedlings from the hot air of the radiators using polystyrene foam, and increase watering as the top layer of soil dries out.

To eliminate yellowing on tomatoes associated with lack of microelements in the soil, it is necessary to fertilize the seedlings based on the missing component:

• potassium deficiency Feeding plants with potassium sulfate (2 g per 10 liters of water) or potassium humate (50 ml per 10 liters of water) helps to replenish them;
• nitrogen deficiency can be eliminated with urea (15-20 g per 10 l of water) or ammonium nitrate (20 g per 10 l of water), as well as by adding organic matter: rotted mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20);
• calcium deficiency can be eliminated by watering calcium nitrate at the root at the rate of 25 g per bucket of water;
• iron deficiency— adding iron chelate in a ratio of 5 g per 5 liters of water when watering plants or spraying foliage iron sulfate 5 g per 10 liters of water;
• magnesium deficiency can be replenished with magnesium sulfate in a proportion of 20 g per 10 liters of water at a temperature of at least 20 degrees;
• phosphorus deficiency can be eliminated using a hood; to prepare it, you need to dissolve 30-40 grams of the product in 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 12 hours, after the time has elapsed, use it for watering, adding 9 liters of water;
• manganese deficiency can be eliminated by spraying the foliage with manganese sulfate at the rate of 5 g per 10 liters of water;
• zinc deficiency can be corrected by spraying the leaves with zinc sulfate at the rate of 5 g per 10 liters of water.

If the reason for the yellowing of tomato foliage is substrate poverty, then experts recommend fertilizing using several fertilizers simultaneously per 10 liters of water:

• ammonium nitrate- 5 g;
• double superphosphate - 20 g;
• potassium sulfate - 12 g.

Important! All root dressings Tomato seedlings should be carried out on a moist substrate, which will prevent burns on the roots and improve the absorption of microelements.

In case of development fungal diseases which led to deformation, yellowing and falling of the leaves of tomato seedlings, it is necessary to treat the seedlings with special preparations: Previkur And , according to the included instructions.

By the way! More details about feeding tomato seedlings you can find out!

Video: why tomato leaves turn yellow, what to fertilize

Features of yellowing of seedling leaves

Sometimes a problem can arise after a certain procedure, so you need to clearly understand what this is connected with and what to do based on the situation.

Preventive actions

It is necessary not only to know what to do if yellowness appears on the leaves of tomato seedlings, but also what preventive measures to take to prevent this.

When sowing seeds, it is necessary not only to disinfect the soil with a working solution of potassium permanganate, which will reduce the risk of developing fungal diseases.

During the growing process, you must adhere to necessary conditions content, since any disregard of the rules can lead to a decrease in the immunity of seedlings. Tomatoes especially react negatively to overwatering in combination with cool conditions.

Timely implementation will help prevent the appearance of yellowness on the leaves due to lack of nutrients.

When growing tomato seedlings, the gardener faces certain difficulties, only in a timely manner Taken measures will help eliminate problems and restore plant immunity. And following preventive measures will several times help reduce the likelihood of yellowness appearing on plant leaves.

In contact with

There are many signs indicating that something is wrong with a vegetable crop. Such manifestations in tomatoes include changes in color and appearance leaves. They are the ones who signal that the plant requires some kind of help or treatment.

Causes

Many years of experience in growing a vegetable crop such as a tomato indicate that yellowing of the foliage occurs when wrong conditions created for the development of the plant. In addition, similar reactions in tomatoes are symptoms of various diseases.

Such situations are not uncommon - it happens that those seedlings that were quite strong just yesterday suddenly begin to wither, the foliage becomes stained, and its ends curl and dry out.

In order to effectively overcome such a disease and help the tomato recover, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the reason that had such a negative impact on the plant, and to take measures to allow the tomatoes to get rid of the disease as soon as possible.

It is worth highlighting a number of the most common reasons due to which the leaves of a crop begin to turn yellow. Most often, such situations arise due to mistakes made in the process of caring for tomatoes. These include the following points:

• high soil acidity;
• lack of light in the place where tomatoes grow;
• excess or lack of moisture;
• lack of microelements;
• hypothermia of the soil or plant;
• seedlings are planted too densely;
• root damage as a result of mistakes when transplanting tomatoes;
• improper development and functioning of the plant root system;
• excess salt in the soil;
• fungal diseases.

Similar situations arise mostly with seedlings or shortly after planting the crop in the soil. A plant like a tomato needs space, and in pots the roots entwine the ground, forming a lump. After transplantation into open ground, the growth of young roots is activated, which draws all the strength from the plant. As a result, the leaves on the tomato turn yellow.

Due to a sharp cold snap or frost on the ground, root nutrition may be disrupted, as a result the foliage will turn yellow and then turn blue.

Having little experience self-cultivation vegetable crops, you can inadvertently damage the roots in the process of loosening the soil or transplanting tomatoes. Some time after this, the lower leaves of the seedlings will turn yellow. Gradually, the plant will recover from the injury and grow new adventitious leaves and roots.

Yellow leaves on tomatoes may also indicate that the crop is not receiving the required amount of water. In fact, tomatoes belong to a group of plants that can withstand drought - in an adult bush, the roots can reach one meter in length, and at this depth the plant obtains its moisture. With superficial and minimal watering, the water will not flow so deeply; as a result, the plant will not be able to use this liquid, and if there are no other sources of water, the bush will get sick. It is recommended to water tomatoes infrequently, but quite abundantly.

The most common disease that causes tomatoes to turn yellow is fusarium. In addition to changing the color of the leaves, the plant becomes lethargic.

To reduce the risk of crop disease, it is worth regularly carrying out preventive measures, but if the disease has already made itself felt, it is necessary to treat the bushes with antifungal drugs. Experts advise using “Phytocid” or “Fitosporin”.

As for the lack of sunlight, such situations quite often arise in the northern regions, and when abundant watering the problems are only increasing. In addition, seedlings that are sown too densely may suffer from a lack of light, since during the growth process one plant blocks another's access to sunlight.

Yellow leaves on tomatoes will indicate a lack of microelements. You can determine which fertilizer they lack by looking at the external signs described below.

• Nitrogen deficiency makes tomatoes small and pale, yellowness appears on the leaves, they become very small. Nitrogen starvation poses a threat to plants during the period of green mass growth, as well as during fruit development. Without nitrogen, tomatoes will be small and tough. Fertilizing is carried out with nitrogen fertilizers; they can be prepared according to the following recipe: a spoonful of urea per 10 liters of water or bird droppings - half a liter per bucket of water, adding wood ash. At the same time, an excess of nitrogen can also be harmful.
• Phosphorus deficiency reduces the resistance of tomatoes to low temperatures and diseases; in addition, this element is very important because it ensures the proper development of the root system. Its deficiency is indicated by the color of the leaves, their edges are bent, and new ones grow small, tightly pressed to the stem of the plant. Phosphorus-containing fertilizers will help solve the problem.
• Boron is a fairly rare element, however, it is he who is responsible for pollination and fertilization of tomatoes. Its deficiency is manifested by yellowed foliage, while the upper leaves, as a rule, lighten and then curl up, and the crop itself begins to bush. You can nourish tomatoes by spraying the plant with boric acid.
• For calcium deficiency The upper leaves and fruits suffer and are affected by blossom end rot.

• An element such as magnesium is responsible for the formation of chlorophyll, which is important for the entire plant. A deficiency of the element is indicated by yellow leaves curled inward. In addition, a lack of magnesium negatively affects the development of fruits. In most cases, to solve the problem, gardeners resort to spraying the crop with magnesium nitrate.
• In case of insufficient supply of zinc to tomatoes yellow spots form on the young leaves of the plant, and brown or brown spots appear on older leaves gray spots, and over time they die off.
• Yellow spots in the center of the leaf will indicate a lack of iron. Fertilizing is carried out with a solution of iron sulfate.
• Potassium is responsible for the formation of ovaries and fruits in the plant. With its deficiency, yellow spots appear not only on the foliage, but also on the fruits. The lower leaves dry out at the edges and then die. New foliage grows small and thick. It is the yellow border that indicates a lack of potassium. Various formulations containing potassium are commercially available for treating plants.
• For manganese deficiency the culture experiences the same symptoms as with iron deficiency.
• Lack of sulfur found first on bottom sheets, gradually covering the entire plant. At the same time, cultural development slows down.

Similar situations with tomatoes can arise both in open ground and in a greenhouse.

In the greenhouse

There are a number of main reasons due to which the leaves of tomatoes growing in a greenhouse become sick and turn yellow.

• Conditions too tight for growth. Such breeding features do not allow the roots of the crop to develop productively. As a result, the tomato leaves will turn yellow and wither.
• Illiterate watering of plants. This applies to both lack and excess of moisture.
• Low temperature in the greenhouse. For tomatoes to develop, it is necessary that the indoor temperature be maintained within 18-22 degrees.
• Bad light. Everyone knows that sunlight ensures normal photosynthesis in plants. In darkened areas of the greenhouse, the leaves of the plant will definitely turn yellow.
• Lack of microelements, in particular nitrogen. This element must be present in the soil in sufficient quantities, however, additional feeding of the crop with fertilizers containing nitrogen may be necessary.
• Acidified soil. It is worth taking care of the condition of the soil for vegetable crops in advance. Adding ash to the soil of the seedlings will help correct the situation.
• Injury to roots during plant transplantation or due to damage to the root system by insects.
• Development of diseases. In addition to fusarium and late blight, tomatoes can be affected by blackleg.

If problems are detected in a timely manner planting material seedlings can be cured in a greenhouse. In addition, the main advantage of greenhouses is the ability to control the temperature and humidity of the air for the effective development of vegetable crops in them.

In the open ground

Tomato seedlings must be planted in the soil, and the main requirement for its composition is the optimal content of microelements that ensure the growth of tomatoes. Most emphasis is placed on the presence of copper, since a lack of this substance leads to a change in leaf color to yellow soon after transplantation.

Unlike growing vegetables in greenhouses, leaves can also turn yellow due to inappropriate weather conditions, for example, in hot weather and minimal watering, a burn will simply occur on the foliage.

As a rule, the reasons that provoke yellowing are not much different from those that gardeners encounter when growing tomatoes in greenhouses. But still, the growth of plants in open ground has a number of specific features that can additionally provoke this process. The main ones are presented below:

• low temperatures (only an inexperienced gardener can encounter such a problem in greenhouses, however, tomatoes growing in the open air react to temperature changes during cold snaps yellow spots on the leaves);
• fungal diseases;
• damage to the root system by pests;
• poor watering;
• lack of microelements in the soil.

What to do?

In situations where preventive measures warnings against yellowing of foliage in tomatoes did not bring the expected result, it is necessary to carry out a course of treatment for the plant. To make the work as effective as possible, you should adhere to the algorithm of actions described below.

• First of all, it is necessary to provide culture the right system glaze.
• During illness, plants need comprehensive support; for this, fertilizers should be used. In this case, it is best to use formulations that contain salts. Tomatoes are sprayed daily with these solutions. The work must be done until the tomato grows new, healthy leaves.
• Diseased, yellow leaves cannot be restored, so you need to focus your attention on saving the future harvest. Timely treatment measures increase the chances that the fruits will ripen and be suitable for consumption. But there may be a slight delay in development, on average 1-2 weeks.