Just a week ago, the seedlings stood cheerfully on the window, but today, once in the greenhouse, they drooped and turned yellow? She probably did not tolerate the transplant well, and you will have to help her adapt to the new place so as not to lose the entire harvest.
In order for seedlings to feel comfortable in a greenhouse, hotbed or open ground after planting, they must be prepared for moving. We have repeatedly written about hardening, the correct watering regime and fertilizing, which will help young bushes adapt more easily.
- Caring for seedlings after picking - everything about supplementary lighting, watering, fertilizing, treatment for diseases
How to feed and water tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and petunia after picking?
But what if you seem to have done everything correctly, but the result is still not satisfactory?
Seedlings wither after planting
Partial wilting of leaves on seedlings after transplantation is normal. No matter how hard you try, slight injury to the roots will still occur, and changes in temperature and soil composition will do the rest. For several days (from 5 to 14), the plant will become less able to absorb moisture, and the leaves will actively evaporate it, trying to create a comfortable microclimate around it.
What to do : shading the seedlings for the first two weeks and providing them with a comfortable temperature will help minimize the consequences. But you shouldn’t be overzealous with watering - torn roots will not be able to absorb water, and you will only flood the soil, depriving the bushes of air.
How to feed tomato seedlings at home
The condition of the shoots depends on proper feeding. At home, tomatoes are fertilized according to the following scheme:
- The seedlings are fed for the first time 14 days after picking. The working solution is prepared from 5 liters of settled water and 0.5 table. spoons of nitroammophoska (nitrophoska). To water the bush, use 0.5 cups of product.
- The second feeding is carried out 2 weeks after the next picking. Plants are watered with a mixture of superphosphate and ash (0.5 tablespoons of each substance per 5 liters of water). The mixture can be replaced with Signor Tomato (dissolve according to instructions). To water the seedling, take a glass of solution.
- After 10 - 12 days, the tomatoes are fed with nitrophoska (0.5 tablespoon of the product is poured into 5 liters of water).
If the rules of care have been violated, the shoots have stretched and withered, a solution consisting of 13 g of potassium sulfate and 20 g of superphosphate (per 5 liters of water) is prepared for feeding.
Reference! Excess fertilizer causes root burns, wilting, and death of seedlings. A light crust appears on the surface of the substrate, preventing the supply of oxygen to the root system. They restore the soil and stimulate the development of seedlings by watering with a solution of potassium humate.
Complex solutions containing macro- and microelements (Fertika Lux, Gumat+7) help prevent seedlings from wilting. Fertilizing is carried out after watering to speed up the onset of the fertilizer's effect. After the procedure, the plants are not watered for 4–5 days.
Seedlings turn yellow after planting
Yellowing of the leaves of seedlings can occur from too bright lighting, excess nitrogen (too much organic fertilizer added to the soil shortly before planting), improper watering or increased soil acidity. To avoid this, seedlings should be planted only after a week of adaptation and try to maintain conditions (temperature and humidity) in the new location that are not very different from those to which they are accustomed.
What to do : if after transplanting the leaves on the seedlings turn yellow, protect it from direct sunlight, ensure a stable daytime temperature of no higher than 27°C and a night temperature of no lower than 15°C, water it no more than 2 times a week and only with settled warm water.
- Why do tomato seedlings turn yellow, dry and curl?
Let's understand the reasons for changes in the appearance of tomato seedling leaves.
Conditions for the growth of healthy tomato seedlings
To grow strong, healthy seedlings, you need to adhere to certain conditions.
To sow seeds and plant tomato seedlings, it is better to take soil mixture purchased at a flower shop. Self-prepared soil, consisting of soil, peat, rotted humus and river sand in proportions 1.5: 1: 1: 0.5. Superphosphate, urea and potash fertilizers are added to the prepared mixture.
The soil mixture must be treated with potassium permanganate or calcined in the oven. For looseness and better moisture permeability, river sand must be added to it.
Before filling the seedling container with soil, it is treated with a hot solution of potassium permanganate.
Before sowing, seeds are treated for 3 hours with immunostimulating drugs, for example Immunocytophyte (a tablet of the drug for 15 grams of water per 5 grams of seeds).
When sowing seeds in prepared soil, they are placed at an equal distance from each other (3-5 centimeters). If possible, they are seated immediately in separate containers or peat tablets.
Picking seedlings is carried out when 2-3 main leaves appear on the sprouts. When transplanting, the main root is pinched, this makes it easier for the seedlings to endure the transplant.
The crops are watered with warm water, after which the sprouts are removed from the soil. During picking, the tips of the roots of the seedlings are pinched off to develop the root system. The seedlings are placed in the holes, the roots are straightened and sprinkled with soil.
If picking is carried out indoors, then the container with seedlings is moved to a heat source, for example, to a heating radiator or air heater to remove excess moisture after transplantation.
If seedlings are picked in a greenhouse, then you can get rid of excess moisture by sprinkling the ground with dry sand or dry sawdust. Sand (sawdust) will absorb moisture within 1 hour, after which it is carefully removed from the beds. The greenhouse must not be ventilated!
Watering the seedlings should be regular and with sufficient water. After watering, the soil is loosened with a thin stick, this helps saturate the roots of the seedlings with oxygen.
Plants are provided with a regular supply of fresh air. When ventilated, the seedlings are transferred to another room. Drafts are unacceptable!
To ensure that the seedlings do not become lethargic, they are provided with stable air and soil temperatures and the required amount of light.
Plants are placed in a room with an air temperature of 20-22 degrees.
Only hatched seedlings are provided with round-the-clock lighting. Plants that are gaining strength need bright light 12 hours a day. This time is enough for them to be fully saturated with nutrients.
To feed tomato seedlings, take 0.5 liters of mullein infusion or chicken droppings and 100 grams of wood ash per bucket of water. Feeding is repeated after 10 days.
You can use the following solution: 30 grams of superphosphate, 20 grams of potassium sulfate, 10 grams of ammonium nitrate per bucket of warm water.
A solution is also used: 40 grams of superphosphate, 25 grams of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water.
Observing all the conditions, the seedlings grow, become stronger and, when transplanted to a permanent place, quickly take root and grow.
Seedlings lose leaves after planting
The falling of the lower leaves of seedlings is a natural process, and you should not be afraid of it. The cotyledon leaves and the first pair may turn yellow and fall off without damaging the entire bush. But if the remaining leaves begin to turn yellow and crumble, it means that the seedlings have a serious problem. Most likely, the plant is sick or suffering from pests that gnaw at the roots.
What to do : if there are 1-2 bushes with falling leaves, dig them up, disinfect the soil, and burn the plants themselves. If the problem is larger, look for the cause. To begin, remove several seedlings from the ground and examine their roots. If they are rotten, remove the affected parts, sprinkle the cuts with chiseled charcoal, disinfect the holes with potassium permanganate (0.5 g of powder per 100 ml of water) and replant them. If beetle larvae or other voracious pests are found in the holes, select them manually or spill the soil with special preparations.
Advice from experienced gardeners
What to do if all growing conditions are met, all possible errors are corrected, but the seedlings still turn yellow, wither and fall? In this case, it is recommended to try the last, radical method:
- Trim off the top of the sprout. Even one leaf remaining alive will be enough.
- Place the cuttings in a container of water at room temperature so that the leaves do not come into contact with the liquid.
- Wait until roots appear on the stems. Even small ones are enough. Plant them in a light soil mixture, having prepared and disinfected it in advance. It is advisable to add vermiculite.
- Water the seedlings moderately as the soil dries out.
- Also moisten the stumps remaining after cutting the seedlings. They can produce shoots and become healthy plants. True, their development will be slower than that of the upper parts.
Tomatoes are unpretentious crops, well adapted to mid-latitude conditions. But even they can suffer if not properly cared for at an early stage of development. The given tips, recommendations and rules will help you grow strong, healthy seedlings, which will eventually become productive adult plants.
The seedlings dropped flowers after planting
If you made a slight mistake with the timing of planting the seedlings, and they bloomed right on the windowsill, the move must be carried out especially carefully. Flowers are the most fragile thing that young plants have, and they are the first to fall off from stress. Most likely, some of the flowers will fall off during transplantation or will not set an ovary. Especially if the seedlings have not been hardened or the composition of the soil in the pots and beds has fundamental differences.
What to do : don’t worry about the loss, the loss of some flowers is not critical. After several days from planting, treat the plants with Epin Extra according to the instructions to minimize stress levels.
- What to do if the seedlings bloom before planting
The spring weather this year is not pleasant, and the seedlings are blooming right on the window, before they can be planted? It's time to take action!
The main causes of seedling wilting and ways to eliminate them
For active healthy growth and development, tomatoes need comfortable conditions: light and temperature conditions, high-quality lighting, soil rich in nutrients, space. A deficiency or excess of any criterion can lead to wilting and subsequent death of the young plant.
Lack of lighting
The lack of sunlight in the required quantities significantly slows down the process of photosynthesis in the green parts of the plant. The following components matter:
- lighting intensity;
- length of daylight hours.
Seedlings grow well in natural sunlight provided it receives at least 10 hours a day. But the time for sowing and the beginning of growth occurs in February-March, when the days are still short and the sun is often hidden by clouds.
Therefore, it is recommended to install additional lighting fixtures near containers with seedlings. They need to be turned on at dusk for several hours, and in long cloudy weather they can be left on all day.
Otherwise, due to lack of light, the seedlings will begin to stretch upward and thin, they will weaken and become vulnerable to other adverse effects. This will lead to their death.
Low air temperature
Tomatoes are heat-loving plants. The comfortable temperature regime for them is +15…+36°C. Beyond these indicators, seedling development stops. Prolonged retention of lower temperatures leads to the death of seedlings.
It is important that not only the air is warm, but also the soil in which young tomatoes grow. It is recommended to maintain its temperature at +17°C.
Draft is contraindicated for tomato seedlings. When ventilating the room, make sure that containers with plants are not in the line of cold air flow. Otherwise, the seedlings will become hypothermic and may not recover.
Poor quality soil
The soil substrate provides the tomato seedlings with the necessary moisture and nutrients. It must meet the requirements of the crop being grown in terms of composition and consistency.
The soil used for tomatoes should be:
- loose and crumbly to retain moisture and allow air to pass through;
- neutral or moderately acidic (from 6.5 to 7 pH);
- with a balanced content of mineral and organic substances.
With optimal indications, seedling development will proceed normally. Deviation from them will affect plants as follows:
- due to the high density of the soil, the roots do not receive enough oxygen and water, which is not retained in the required quantity even with frequent watering;
- a high content of salts (including minerals) in the soil negatively affects the acid-base balance, and as a consequence, the development of seedlings;
- exceeding the level of nitrogen leads to rapid growth of green mass, which is why the plant stems become elongated, become weak and susceptible to disease, and the root system slows down development;
- disturbances in protein and carbon metabolism are caused by excessive acidity, which leads to suppression of the growth of beneficial bacteria.
Any of these problems individually can cause the death of tomato seedlings. Sowing is usually carried out in ready-made store-bought soil. To ensure that its composition does not harm young shoots, choose a product from a reliable, trusted manufacturer with a quality certificate.
Experienced gardeners prepare the soil mixture themselves, taking into account the needs of the crop being grown. In this case, fungi and bacteria that cause tomato diseases can be dangerous. You can destroy them in two ways:
- Multiple freezing . In the fall, a container with soil is placed outside, freezes, is brought indoors, thaws, and is again taken out into the cold. And so on several times until it warms up just before landing.
- Steaming or warming up . The thoroughly loosened soil is kept in a water bath for 3 hours or calcined in the oven for 45 minutes at 125°C.
During such procedures, along with harmful bacteria, beneficial bacteria will also die. Therefore, it is recommended to spray the sterile soil mixture with Fitosporin solution before sowing, according to the instructions.
If the seedlings begin to fall due to poor soil conditions, they need to be replanted. The new soil must be prepared according to all the rules. It is also recommended to use new containers for seedlings, rinsing them with a solution of potassium permanganate (dark pink).
Dense planting
At the initial stages of growth, seedlings are located at a short distance from each other. But even during germination, each sprout needs space. It is recommended to leave about 5 cm between them, otherwise competition for food and lighting will lead to the death of most seedlings.
If the plantings are too dense, picking should be done as quickly as possible. It is advisable to plant the sprouts in separate cups so that they do not touch the leaves, otherwise they will stretch out and become weak.
Errors in watering
The most common cause of poor condition of seedlings is lack of moisture. It is difficult to visually determine it, especially with purchased soil. It is loose and looks moisturized, although it may actually be dry.
The same applies to peat pots. There is little soil in them, it dries out quickly. If the weather is hot, watering should be done daily, and on cool days the moisture is slowly absorbed. There is a risk of flooding the plants, which will cause the root system to die.
To fix the problem and avoid it in the future, follow the rules:
- make drainage holes in the bottom of the seedling containers;
- water the seedlings only with settled water at room temperature;
- if the water is hard, with a high salt content, soften it with citric acid (1 pinch per 2-3 l);
- Do not allow moisture to get on the leaves, especially in sunny weather, to avoid burns.
Consequences of picking
The picking procedure is mandatory for tomato seedlings. Thanks to it, the sprouts get more space to grow. But sometimes, after transplanting into separate containers, the plants do not take root and begin to quickly wither. There may be 2 reasons for this:
- change in soil composition;
- errors when picking - the root system is damaged.
It is recommended to use soil with an identical composition for growing seedlings and replanting them after picking.
The most common errors during the procedure are:
- The plants were not watered the day before the procedure. Wilting occurs due to the inability of the roots to supply moisture for several days, despite the fact that the reserves in the tissues are not replenished.
- The seedlings were carelessly removed from the container. Damaged roots need a lot of time to recover.
- While taking out the sprout, they held it by the stem and thus damaged it. Tomato seedlings are very fragile, and even if they are not broken during transportation, there may be wounds on the surface that are open to infection. It is better to hold the sprouts by the leaves.
- The roots of the sprouts turned upside down when planting. Their conducting ability is lost and they die. When picking, you need to make spacious holes that accommodate the entire root system.
- After transplantation, the plants were placed in a sunny place. They lack moisture due to excessive evaporation from tissues.
Otherwise, tomatoes tolerate picking easily. Therefore, by avoiding such mistakes, you can easily grow healthy seedlings.
Diseases
For young, immature tomato seedlings, any disease can be disastrous. Seedlings are most often affected by black leg, fusarium and rot. During restoration procedures, constantly inspect the seedlings in order to promptly remove affected seedlings if they appear.
Blackleg
The most common disease with a short development period. It manifests itself in blackening of the base of the stem, which stops the supply of nutrients to the leaves.
The disease is fungal, and its causes are:
- excess moisture in containers;
- low temperature, including on the ground;
- dense plantings;
- high soil acidity;
- lack of lighting.
To correct the situation, take the following measures:
- Remove and destroy all affected shoots.
- Stop watering temporarily.
- Balance the temperature in the room and on the soil to the desired value.
- Remove the top layer of soil and replace with a sterile compound.
- Water the seedlings with a solution of Fitosporin, Previkur or Maxim, prepared according to the instructions.
Fusarium
The disease is characteristic of plants at the budding stage, but sometimes affects seedlings. The danger is that external symptoms appear in the later stages of the disease. All tissues of the plant are already affected by mycelium, so it will not be possible to save it.
One of the signs of fusarium is leaf lethargy. You can try to revive the plants when the first yellowing appears on the lower leaves. To do this, the seedlings are transplanted into a new container with sterile soil treated with fungicides.
Rot
A fungal and bacterial disease that causes rotting of the root system. Small seedlings are difficult to resuscitate.
If the disease appears on mature plants, treat the soil and the bottom of the trunk with a fungicide, replace the upper part of the soil with a sterile substrate. In this case, the ground level should be higher than the previous one.
Seedlings that grow adventitious roots can be saved. They are removed from other plants to stop the spread of infection.
The seedlings changed color after planting
But a change in the color of leaves and stems in seedlings is a dangerous sign. Violet, red, gray and brown shades should alert the gardener. Thus, plants are literally screaming about an acute lack of certain nutrients in the soil. Most often they are deficient in phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen, but they may also be deficient in boron or iron.
- Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium - signs of deficiency and excess in plants
What do excess or deficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium lead to? Find out in our infographic!
Pests of tomato seedlings
Another reason why tomato seedlings wither is the attack of harmful beetles. This happens even in greenhouse conditions. They are affected by the larvae of cockchafers and mole crickets. Harmful insects eat the lower part of the stem and rhizomes, causing the seedlings to dry out. The beetles are destroyed with insecticides such as “Anti Khrushch” and “Stop Khrushch”.
When the sprouts have been chewed by a mole cricket or its larvae, they must be removed. It is difficult to combat because the pest is underground. Use granular products and dig them into the soil. The drugs “Grom”, “Force”, “Grizzly”, “Pochin” are widely used. You can also use agrotechnical methods - excavating nests, destroying masonry, loosening rows, eliminating fresh droppings in the form of fertilizer. In May, traps are made from manure, adding beer and vegetable oil to them. You can plant marigolds next to the tomatoes growing in the garden. The method of feeding tomatoes with ammonia, which repels harmful beetles from the garden, has also proven itself to be excellent.
The seedlings became covered in spots after planting
The appearance of spots of different colors and shapes on the leaves of transplanted seedlings can indicate three things at once. Firstly, this is how a lack of nutrients is expressed. Brown spots indicate a lack of potassium, blue-green spots indicate a lack of phosphorus, and red spots indicate a lack of nitrogen. Secondly, some insects leave such traces. For example, the tomato rust mite shows its presence with brown spots on the leaves, the onion secretive proboscis, tobacco whitefly, soldier bug and melon aphid - yellow, California thrips - silver. And finally, the spots can be burns left by drops of water falling on the leaves. This happens if you water the seedlings not at the roots on a sunny day.
What to do : carefully inspect the plantings for pests. If no signs of their presence are detected, carry out corrective feeding with the missing nutrient. If insects are found, take action.
Holes appeared on the leaves of the seedlings after planting
If small holes of different shapes are found on the leaves of the seedlings soon after planting, it means that someone has been waiting for this moment even more than you. You probably did not properly treat the greenhouse or greenhouse, and insect pests have appeared in it. The most common leaf-eating insects in our dachas are cutworms, brooms, cruciferous flea beetles, cabbage caterpillars, shield moths and slugs.
What to do : carefully inspect the plantings and the ground underneath them. If you find a pest, try to identify it, and then use special means to control it.
- All garden pests in tables with descriptions, photos and control measures
We have compiled a “dossier” for you on each pest - save this collection!
As you can see, planting seedlings in the ground is not yet a reason to lower your guard. The most important work is just beginning, and you still have a lot of work to do before the harvest and well-deserved rest.
Treatment of tomato diseases
Diseases of tomato seedlings develop after picking in a greenhouse or when they are already growing in the garden. You need to act urgently, otherwise the bushes may dry out completely.
Each disease requires an individual approach:
- Fusarium. Pathology develops due to insufficient disinfection, complete lack of tillage of the soil and containers where the seedlings grow. Fungi infect the plant, the stem becomes sick and is deprived of the required nutrition. Afterwards all the seedlings die. The bushes are carefully removed from the ground and inspected. On large seedlings, the vessels in the lower part of the shoots become dark brown. Severely affected seedlings with withered rhizomes and leaves are burned. To cure tomatoes, at the initial stage they are treated twice with Fundazol, 10 grams per 10 liters of water. The bushes are transplanted onto new soil disinfected with potassium permanganate. It is important to disinfect new containers as well.
- Blackleg. The disease develops when moisture stagnates. The rhizomes rot, which entails the death of the seedlings. The first symptom is blackening of the stems at the root collar. The disease is difficult to treat and almost impossible to treat. At the initial stage, tomato seedlings are transplanted into new soil treated with manganese solution. The root system is sprayed with crushed charcoal or ash before transplanting. As a form of prevention of blackleg, planting in a purchased soil mixture is used. After watering, it is sprinkled with sand.
- Rot. From an excess of moisture and heat, rot sometimes develops. The leaves turn yellow, fall off, and rot. It is impossible to save seedlings at home. It is pulled out with its rhizome and thrown away, and healthy tomatoes are transplanted into other containers, the watering regime and temperature indicators are strictly observed.
The above diseases rarely develop in tomatoes grown according to agrotechnical requirements.
