Tomato crops belong to the category the most capricious: often at the seedlings of tomatoes the lower and upper leaves dry up, the bush stops growing, for no apparent reason it fades and, in the end, dies. To prevent the death of the bush, it is necessary to timely monitor the appearance of dry parts and the change in the state of the whole bush as a whole.
- Causes of leaf drying
- Inadequate watering and low humidity
- High humidity and overflow
- The influence of light mode
- Improper soil care
- Fungal and viral diseases
- Phytophthora
- Tobacco mosaic
- Fusarium wilting
- Pests <
- Alternative methods of treatment
- Tinging
- Tips
How to deal with dried leaves on tomato seedlings
Reasons for drying leaves
Insufficient watering and low humidity
Seedlings leaves of tomatoes dry, because uneven watering and differences in humidity adversely affect the well-being of the plantings. This is especially true for plants growing in greenhouse conditions.
A lack of moisture leads to the appearance of yellowness and drying of some parts of the seedlings. Watering the plants is necessary at about the same time. Another way is to install water containers in the greenhouse: this will help to maintain moist air. Humidity in the greenhouse should be about 28%.
High humidity and overflow
Excessive watering and high humidity are favorable conditions for the multiplication and growth of fungal diseases of tomatoes. Often, if tomato seedlings dry their leaves, spore pests settle on the plantings and dark spots appear. Subsequently, the affected area dries up.
All the forces of the tomato are directed to the affected part of the seedlings, because the main stem becomes thin and brittle, is very elongated. Planting is weakening and withering.
Once the problem has been identified, it is necessary to monitor the ventilation mode, humidity and temperature in the greenhouse or greenhouse.
Rules for watering tomatoes
- Already matured bushes are rarely watered, but in sufficient volume: 5 liters per bush 1-2 times a week.
- Daily hydration is suitable for young plantings of tomatoes, because the root system is still superficial and not strengthened. Until the first buds appear, they are watered in small volumes every day.
- The correct way of watering is with a thin trickle under the root so that water droplets do not fall on the leaves of tomatoes, thereby exposing them to sunburn.
- For tomatoes in a greenhouse is better to use drip irrigation. It helps to retain moisture and evenly distribute water.
The influence of light mode
Why do tomato tips dry leaf tips? Another reason is a violation of the light regime.With a short daylight, young seedlings lose chlorophyll, due to which the leaves begin to dry. To maintain proper lighting, special lamps must be purchased.
On average, with a 9-10-hour daylight, the lamps are turned on only early in the morning and late in the evening if there is enough daylight. Excessive light is not recommended for adult planting: it leads to a burn – it must be constantly regulated.
Improper soil care
Plant health
depends on the quality of the soil. The land in which they are located has a great influence on the health of tomatoes. Excess micronutrients or lack of vitamins in the soil also have a negative effect on the condition of the bush. Do not violate the instructions for feeding plants. When applying a dry mixture, sufficient watering must be provided so that nutrients do not remain on the surface, creating a dense crust, but penetrate deep into the soil.
Excess salt also leads to drying and twisting of leaves in tomato seedlings: salted the soil does not allow air to pass through and retains water in it. A characteristic sign of an excess of salt is the appearance of white plaque on the surface. To correct the situation, they introduce new soil and change the source of water.
Fungal and viral diseases
Sometimes diseases become the cause of wilting and pests.
Phytophthora
Most often, tomato plantings attack varieties of fungal or viral diseases. Phytophthora is the most common infection. Its characteristic features include the appearance of brown spots and the subsequent drying of the leaves. Usually, plantings become infected during heavy rains during high humidity.
Prevention and treatment
The disease spreads rapidly – all affected areas are immediately removed. The root zone is covered with nettles, since it absorbs moisture well, broken places are treated with phytophthora. Sometimes it’s better to remove the whole bush to save the rest of the crop.
Tobacco mosaic
Also, leaves from home tomato seedlings dry due to tobacco mosaic. She appears in mid-summer. When the mosaic spreads, the tops of the tomatoes wither first, then turn brown and turn yellow. A characteristic sign of the disease is the lace form of the leaves.
Prevention and treatment
Only proper agricultural techniques, timely removal of infected plants and proper selection of seeds for the soil can help. Unfortunately, tobacco mosaic cannot be completely eliminated.
Fusarium wilt
Fusarium wilt is another common infection. This is a fungus that feeds on cell sap. The stems turn brown, the leaves fade. With sufficient watering, the bushes look as if they have dried up.
Prevention and treatment
Prevention of the disease helps to maintain humidity in the region of 60-70% and heat conditions until the use of stove heating if the temperature drops at night.
Pests
Mites and aphids can cause plants to dry out. For these parasites, the process of exhausting nutrients from the body of tomatoes is very important.
Prevention and treatment
Chemicals are used for processing: acaricides and insectoacaricides. It is also useful to spray with a two percent lime mixture or fumigate with a sulfur block if the tomatoes grow in the greenhouse.
Alternative methods of treatment
Infected plants must be sanitized
As a folk remedy for the treatment of tomatoes, use garlic or laundry soap. 25 g of grated laundry soap are dissolved in 1 liter of milk and a few drops of iodine are added. The resulting solution is sprayed with plants in the evening.
A mixture of infused onion husks is also used to treat damaged plants. For 10 liters of water, 2 handfuls of onion husks are required, the mixture is boiled for 30 minutes. Plants are sprayed with a solution of room temperature.
Another alternative remedy is treatment with a mixture of whey and water. Heated whey is diluted in 10 l, after which the plants are disinfected.
A tincture of wood ash or any copper-containing compound can also help.
All folk remedies help only in the early stages of the disease.
Tinging of tomatoes
If, with proper care, the leaves continue to turn yellow, stepsoning was not performed correctly. With such a problem, the leaves turn yellow in all tomatoes.
Shrub formation should be done when the shoots are young. It is better to break off the stepsons in the morning, so that the wound has time to heal over daylight hours. The most favorable is dry, calm weather. The processes that appear in the bosom of the trunk are removed.
Work should be done with gloves. The tool should be sharpened well.
Tips
To prevent tomato seedlings from drying out next year, in autumn, after harvesting, carefully clean the place where the tomatoes were grown and then remove the remaining shoots, bushes and disinfect them with a special solution or hot boiled water.
Yellowing of leaves in tomato seedlings can be caused by many reasons. If you immediately find a problem, planting is easy to cure, the main thing is to find the right cause.
