Strong and viable seedlings are the key to a good tomato harvest. Therefore, I, like any other experienced gardener, devote a lot of time and effort to growing healthy seedlings. To avoid such a nuisance as their yellowing, competent application of fertilizing and hardening of plants helps me. Why tomato seedlings turn yellow and what to do to prevent this from happening, I will tell you in my article.
Why tomato seedlings turn yellow
From my own experience, I know that there are several reasons provoking unhealthy tomato seedlings, manifested in yellowing of the leaves:
- Nitrogen starvation. This problem is indicated by shredding of foliage, yellowing of its lower tier, and the appearance of red veins on the leaf plates.
- Lack of potassium. In this case, the leaves curl, turn yellow, dry along the edge.
- Zinc deficiency. In addition to the yellowness in the color of the foliage, with a lack of this nutrient, symptoms such as twisting of the leaf plates and the appearance of specks on them are also observed.
- Lack of iron. With this problem, the leaves turn yellow, white spots appear on them.
- Root trauma. Tomato seedlings can turn yellow after a pick, if its roots were damaged. Plants usually cope with stress on their own, and after a while the yellowness disappears.
- Small volume of the container in which the seedlings grow. In this case, the lack of soil and nutrients leads to a deterioration in the appearance of the plants, their yellowing.
- Poor lighting. If the seedlings do not have enough light, they stretch out, turn yellow, look stunted and sick.
How to prevent yellowing of tomato seedlings
To prevent tomato seedlings from turning yellow, I try to create the most favorable conditions for them:
- I use fertile soil and suitable containers for growing tomato seedlings;
- I provide the seedlings with a long daylight hours, resorting to supplementary lighting with phytolamps;
- I maintain a favorable temperature regime in the room (+25 ⁰С);
- I regularly water the seedlings, preventing the soil from drying out and waterlogging;
- I correctly feed and temper the seedlings.
Top dressing and hardening are the key to the health of seedlings
One of the important points in caring for tomato seedlings, in my opinion, is the introduction of nutrient mixtures. Correct feeding helps me prevent seedlings from becoming sick and yellowing.
The first time I fertilize seedlings is 1 week after the seedlings hatch. I water them with a solution of urea and superphosphate. To obtain it, I dissolve 5 g of the first preparation and 35 g of the second in 10 liters of water.
The next time I use the same nutrient composition 14 days after the first feeding.
I apply fertilizers only after irrigating the soil in a container with seedlings with ordinary settled water. Otherwise, there is a risk of harming the seedlings, burning their roots.
After watering and applying top dressing, I must loosen the soil in pots with young tomatoes. If this is not done, a dense crust forms on the surface of the soil, preventing the access of oxygen to the roots.
Another important point in the prevention of the incidence of tomato seedlings is its hardening. I start doing it 3 weeks before planting the plants in the garden.
First, I leave the containers with tomato seedlings on the balcony for several hours. Every day I gradually increase the time of their stay on the street, but do not forget to bring the seedlings home in the warmth for the night. They spend the last day before planting seedlings in the garden in the fresh air.
Follow my tips for growing strong, viable tomato seedlings to avoid yellowing problems. If everything is done correctly, this complication will not arise, and you will not have to think about how to restore health to the seedlings.
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