Why do tomato leaves turn yellow and dry and how to deal with it?

Growing tomatoes in seedlings before transplanting them to a permanent place is quite easy due to their unpretentiousness. However, even the seedling period can be accompanied by various problems: the leaves of the seedlings dry, the tomato turns yellow, and then leaf fall may begin. To prevent such a phenomenon, it is necessary to determine the causes of the problem and try to prevent its occurrence.

Yellowing of seedlings

Leaf color changes can occur at different intervals.

• A gradual change in the color of the foliage of tomatoes indicates the presence of a reason that must be recognized in time and try to prevent negative consequences.
• Sudden yellowing is evidence of the death of the root system. It is possible to normalize the state of the plant only by timely feeding. However, most often such a sprout dies.

Causes of yellowing and their prevention

Why do tomato seedlings turn yellow? Nobody can answer unequivocally. Yellowing of old leaves near the ground is considered normal. There are many negative factors affecting yellowing and subsequent drying of leaves.

• Air temperature change.

Tomato is a thermophilic plant that does not tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations that delay the growth and development of shoots. To prevent the leaves from drying out, you need to regularly monitor the air temperature near the tomato seedlings.

• Lack of space.

Tomatoes need free space, therefore, with a lack of it, they turn yellow, and then the leaves dry up and fall off. To prevent this from happening, the plants are transplanted as needed into more spacious dishes. When planting seedlings in one large box, the optimal distance between the bushes must be observed.

• Root ball formation.

Its creation is facilitated by the wrong picking tomatoes... The formed lump prevents the roots from transferring nutrients and water to the organs of the sprout, as a result of which the development of the entire plant slows down. To prevent yellowing of the foliage for this reason, it is necessary to do the correct transplantation of the bush, being careful not to damage the roots.

Important!

You need to transplant tomatoes in loose soil so that the roots of the tomato can breathe freely.

• Lack of nutrients.

In this case, the lower leaves begin to turn yellow first. This is most often due to a lack of nitrogen or potassium. This cause can be eliminated by timely application of the necessary fertilizers.

Advice

It is better to feed seedlings together with watering. For this, the fertilizer is dissolved in water, and the resulting solution is poured into the well in a certain amount.

• A lot of nutrients in the soil.

Tomatoes also dry up and die from excessive feeding with urea or bird droppings. It is important to follow the rule: it is better to underfeed than overfeed.

• Excess moisture.

The tomato does not tolerate high humidity: with abundant watering, the foliage turns yellow and gradually dries out. Therefore, watering should be moderate after the soil has dried. Spraying can be done in hot weather.

• Lack of light.

So that the plant does not lack sunlight, experienced gardeners recommend placing dishes with seedlings in the brightest place, shading as needed. If daylight hours do not last long enough, then you need to organize additional lighting in the mornings and evenings up to six hours a day.

• Dry air.

When the tips of the leaves dry out, this indicates a slight humidity in the air.This error can be corrected by placing a container of water next to the seedlings.

• Saline soil.

In this case, dry tips of the foliage appear along with white or yellowish specks. The large amount of salt in the soil draws water and nutrients from the plant. Those who are wondering why the earth suddenly became salty and what needs to be done in this case should pay attention to the quality of the water used for irrigation: hard water contributes to the salinity of the soil. It is necessary to change the topsoil and free the plant from feeding for several weeks.

Advice

For watering seedlings it is better to use soft water: rain, thawed or filtered.

• Fusarium disease or late blight.

This is evidenced by the yellowness of the entire bush, which appeared as a result of the defeat of the fungus. Most often, plants are infected with it at the seed stage or from infected parts of other tomatoes. Spores can enter the soil through tools used to care for tomatoes. The infection is evidenced by the gradual wilting of seedlings. It is possible to suppress the development of the fungus with the help of special preparations.

Yellowed seedlings

If the leaves have already turned yellow, then it is advisable to transplant the sprout into new soil, warm and sufficiently moist. Before transplanting to a new place, it is worth examining the roots. If they are healthy, as evidenced by their white color without signs of rot, then the plant can be rehabilitated. If they are yellow or black, then these plants are likely to die.

Why foliage can turn yellow as a result of a dive is easy to guess: either the root was injured, or the transplant was made too early. To save the tomato from wilting, shading is recommended. In a couple of days, the sprouts will return to normal. You should not solve this problem by moving the box with seedlings to a room closed from the sun's rays, otherwise another problem will arise: the leaves will lose their brightness and stretch out.

Disease prevention

Fungal diseases are very difficult to fight against. It is easier to carry out preventive measures.

1. Collect seeds for future seedlings from adult bushes.
2. Before planting, be sure to pickle them in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.
3. The seedling utensils must be disinfected.
4. Treat all tools.
5. For seedlings, use soil that is free of infection.

Before solving the problem of tomato wilting, it is necessary to determine why this happened, and only after that proceed to eliminate the cause. In order for the seedlings to develop normally and there were no difficulties with its cultivation, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for its development. Strong sprouts will delight you with quick adaptation when transplanting to a permanent place and a bountiful harvest, provided that all recommendations are followed.