Why do the leaves of tomato seedlings turn white and what to do about it?

The leaves of tomato seedlings turn white - what kind of attack? Experienced gardeners are convinced that you need to try to ruin tomato seedlings. In their opinion, this is a strong, hardy plant that does not require special care. Tomatoes almost always delight with a good harvest, but the question is, will beginners be able to achieve this result?
As practice shows, not everyone is involved in planting tomatoes. This means that in reality everything is not so simple. Seedlings are susceptible to diseases and pests. Unfavorable weather conditions (rain or drought) can also kill the plant.
Many questions are raised by such a phenomenon as a change in the color and structure of the leaves of seedlings - they curl and dry... The appearance of white spots on leaf plates can indicate a variety of problems, and the sooner the cause is established, the more chances of saving tomatoes are.

Sunburn on young tomatoes

Why do the leaves of tomatoes turn white and dry after planting in the ground? Most often this problem concerns young plants. For example, all the foliage turned white, and only the stem remained green. Some tops can also turn white - only the leaves of the seedlings that have appeared.
In the presence of these signs, it can be concluded that the seedlings are affected by sunburn.
Plants could get it under certain circumstances:

• unprepared seedlings were exposed to the open sun;
• the tomatoes were transferred from the premises and immediately planted in the ground or in the greenhouse.

What to do?

• Seedlings need to be accustomed to the sun from the moment young shoots appear. Containers with plants should be by the window so that the sun's rays fall on them most of the day.
• If there is little sun ("northern" windows, cloudy spring), tomatoes are gradually taught to the sun. Before planting in the ground, seedlings should be exposed to the sun for several hours. Every day the time spent on the street needs to be increased.
• If untrained plants are planted in a greenhouse, then it is necessary to cover them with lutrasil, a non-woven fibrous material. Ordinary beds are also recommended to be covered with this material placed on arches.

Advice

If there is a greenhouse, young tomatoes are placed there... The plant will grow there quickly and without problems. Tomatoes will get used to the sun's rays and at the same time adapt to outdoor cultivation.

At first, the greenhouse must be kept covered. It can only be opened for watering and airing tomatoes. As the temperature rises, the airing time should be increased.

If the foliage is already affected by a burn, there is no way to return the green color to the whitened leaves. However, you can still try to save the plant. In the evening, after sunset, the leaves are treated with Epin, a biostimulant. Thanks to this remedy, the tomato will cope with stress. The treatment is carried out three times with an interval of 7 days.

The affected plant will grow more slowly.

Problems in adult seedlings

Often the leaves turn white due to illness. The disease is indicated not only by white spots, but also by other signs.

Brown spot

It happens at the beginning of fruiting. It is usually the tomatoes grown in the greenhouse that suffer from the disease.

Symptoms:

• the leaf plate below was covered with a white "fluff";
• the plaque gradually acquires a dark brown color;
• yellow indistinct spots appear on the top of the leaves;
• if the plant is sick for a long time, the leaves curl and dry.

This is one of the reasons why tomato leaves turn white and dry.

The disease progresses rapidly and spreads at high humidity and air temperature. Frequent airing of the greenhouse and lowering humidity will be the best prevention.

Advice

At the first sign, tomatoes should be treated with Bordeaux liquid - a solution of copper sulfate in lime milk. The procedure is repeated four times with an interval of 10 days.

White rot

It is a fungal disease that affects stems and fruits.

Symptoms:

• plant tissues become soft and slimy;
• a white mycelium appears on the root collar, stem and at the base of the leaf plates;
• the tomato gradually withers and dies.

The disease spreads quickly at low temperatures and high humidity.

What will help?

• Establishing a regime.
• Partial or complete elimination of diseased tomatoes.
• Treatment of the cut site with crushed chalk, coal, potassium permanganate solution or copper sulfate.
• Spraying with Bordeaux mixture.

Powdery mildew

The causative agent of the disease is a marsupial mushroom.

Symptoms:

• grayish bloom and white spots on the lower part of the foliage;
• from above on the leaves appear yellowish spots;
• leaves burn out and dry

Why do the leaves of tomato seedlings turn white? If a gray-white bloom is below, and yellowness on top, it means that powdery mildew is the culprit of the disease. The disease progresses with sudden changes in humidity. The tomato is very difficult to treat. It is easier to prevent the problem - in case of frequent rains, spray the seedlings with "Tsinebom" - an effective fungicide.

What will help?

• Cutting and burning diseased tomato parts.
• Treatment with a solution of "Cineb" or "Trichodermina" (fungicide).

Septoriasis

Another name for the disease is white spot. This is a fungal disease.

Symptoms:

• at the onset of the disease - brown marks on the bottom of the leaves;
• the growth of brown dots into white spots with a yellow frame;
• the appearance of dark spots on spots;
• spread of the disease to young tops.

What to do?

The affected parts must be cut off. The entire bush is treated with Fitosporin, a new generation biofungicide.

Late blight

Another disease that threatens tomatoes. Usually, it first hits the potato, and then goes to the tomato.

Symptoms:

• foliage and branches are covered with brownish spots;
• below the leaf plate - white spots in the form of plaque;
• brown spots are found under the skin of the fruit;
• they grow rapidly and cover the entire fruit;
• the tomato becomes hard, and then quickly sours.

What to do?

The affected parts of the bush must be removed, the plant itself must be treated with a Bordeaux mixture. Fruits taken from diseased bushes should be placed in hot water (from 60 degrees) for a couple of minutes. This is necessary for disinfection, even if there are no visible stains.

So why do tomato leaves turn white? This can happen for several reasons. A banal sunburn often becomes the culprit of the problem. This happens after planting unprepared seedlings in a greenhouse or soil.

Various fungal diseases pose a great threat, the most dangerous of which is powdery mildew. To prevent disease, it is necessary to maintain optimal humidity in the greenhouse or greenhouse, regularly ventilate and periodically treat the bushes with fungicides. If the infection has occurred, the affected parts are cut off, and the bushes themselves are sprayed with the same fungicide.