What tomatoes lack [micronutrient deficiency, diagnosis and elimination]

What's missing from tomatoes? You can determine which microelements the plant does not have enough by the appearance of the tomato leaves. Their color, and the general condition of the leaf. The deterioration of the condition of tomatoes is most often caused by a deficiency (less often, an excess) of micronutrients. What kind of feeding tomatoes need can be determined by the change in color and condition of the leaves of the tomato bush.

Necessary microelements for tomatoes

The main necessary elements for normal growth of tomatoes are phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium . The fertilizer for tomatoes should also include magnesium, copper, iodine, manganese and boron.

Without these microelements, the plant may die, develop poorly, and be more often attacked by pests. The yield of the tomato bush will decrease significantly. If there is a lack of any microelement in the nutrition of tomatoes, the plant’s resistance to diseases decreases, including one of the most dangerous of them - late blight .

If the microelements in the nutrition of tomatoes are balanced, then: - the color of tomato leaves becomes more saturated as a result of an increase in chlorophyll content; — the life processes of the entire plant are activated; — the process of photosynthesis improves; — fruit set improves; — sowing qualities and seed germination are improved; - plants become more resistant to stressful conditions (drought, cold, damage by diseases and pests, etc.).

All these microelements are catalysts that accelerate biochemical reactions in plant tissues, and therefore they are very important for normal growth and development.

The table allows you to carry out diagnostics, and recommendations - to eliminate the deficiency of elements in the nutrition of tomatoes.

Main Nutrients

Nitrogen

The most important element for this crop, necessary to maintain water balance and stimulate plant growth. Nitrogen exists in two forms, responsible for oxidative and reduction processes. Tomatoes are unfavorable both from a lack of nitrogen and its excess.

Characteristic external data of a plant with a small amount of the element

Having carefully examined the tomato bushes, you can see the characteristics of the leaf mass, indicating a lack of nitrogen:

the lower leaves become noticeably lighter and curl;
the back side of the leaf is covered with bluish-red veins;
the color of the stems and petioles changes;
the growing season is suspended;
the new leaves that appear are small, matte colors predominate;
low yield with small fruits.

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Excess nitrogen

A lot is not always good. If there is more of this element than the plant needs, the harvest will also not be excellent. The plants themselves will tell you about the oversaturation of this element.

Such pets have unnaturally large leaves and powerful shoots. New young leaves are very fragile and curled. There is a delay in flowering and fruit ripening. You can notice dark stripes on the tomatoes themselves.

Restoring balance

Signs that appear of a small amount of the required component indicate the need for immediate feeding. You can use saltpeter, urea, manure. If there is an excess of this element, you should rinse the soil with a large volume of water and increase the lighting (if the tomatoes are in a greenhouse).

Phosphorus

Deficiency of this element negatively affects the development of the root system of the crop and affects the quality of the crop. Plants begin to get sick, unable to tolerate low temperatures.

Plant reaction

A lack of phosphorus in tomatoes is manifested by a slow growing season. If the plant does not receive enough of this substance for a long time, growth may stop completely and the plant will die.

The color of the stem and the underside of the leaves changes. Instead of being a beautiful green, the foliage turns purple or violet and the leaves themselves curl up. There is almost no color, there are few tomatoes themselves and they are quite small and tasteless.

Lots of phosphorus

With this condition of the soil, the lower leaves are curled, their edges are faded, and light spots appear between the veins. The harvest is insignificant.

Necessary actions

Phosphorus-containing fertilizers will come in handy when there is a lack of phosphorus in tomatoes. You can feed them with potassium phosphate or superphosphate, dry ash, or phosphorus flour. One caveat: fertilizing must be done at a fairly high temperature.

Potassium

An ingredient that tomatoes love, increases plant immunity, has a beneficial effect on the quality of the fruit, and fills tomatoes with vitamin C.

How to visually determine potassium deficiency

An insufficient amount of the element is manifested in the following changes:

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young leaves are curled, smallish, and eventually die off;
the edges of old foliage are affected by burns;
interveinal chlorosis;
dry leaf plate, subsequently crumbling;
unstable ripening of tomatoes with some darkening.

The main reason why there is little potassium in the soil is growing tomatoes in the same place for a long time, frequent rains or lack of moisture.

By observing changes in color, shape, and condition, you can clearly say what the tomatoes are missing and fill these gaps in time. Experts advise adding ash, potassium phosphate and other potassium-containing fertilizers.

Excess potassium is noticeable in stunted plant growth and changes in leaf mass.

When growing tomatoes, you need to remember that constant monitoring of your pets will not only reveal the pallor of the leaves of tomatoes, but also quickly diagnose the plant based on visual signs and qualitatively eliminate the cause of this condition.

The reasons for leaf pallor may be:

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Excess moisture.
Lack of heat.
Oxygen deficiency.
Lack of adequate amount of light.
Congestion of seedlings, lack of free space.
Problems with the root system.
Interruptions in microelements.

To eliminate these troubles, you need to know how to feed the crop, enriching it with nutrients, more specifically, iron. Only properly selected fertilizers will help here.

Boron deficiency (B)

Flowers fall off without producing fruit. The tops of the plants curl downwards, the upper leaves become light green, curling from the tip to the base. The main veins of the leaves darken. The leaf becomes brittle. Many stepsons are formed, and the main growth point dies. Most often, boron deficiency manifests itself in the inability of the plant to set fruit. Therefore, during flowering, it is recommended to spray the leaves with a solution of boric acid (5 grams per 10 liters of water).

Nitrogen deficiency

You can understand with the help of tomato leaves what the plant lacks. The lack of the most important substance, Nitrogen, is manifested by the burning of leaves along the edges, adult leaves quickly fall off. The bush stretches out, becomes thinner and weakens. Young leaves grow small and are lighter in color with a yellow tint.

To solve the problem, you should fertilize the bushes with urea or other fertilizer containing a mineral.

Phosphorus (P) deficiency

The leaves and stems of tomatoes darken to a dark green color with a blue tint, the lower part of old leaves acquires a purple tint. The leaves curl inward, the stem becomes stiff and brittle, and the roots wither. The leaves and stem may turn purple. The leaves rise up and are pressed against the stem. Feed the tomatoes with phosphorus-containing fertilizer. To prepare the fertilizer, pour 1 liter of boiling water into 1 cup of superphosphate and leave to steep for 8-12 hours. Dilute the resulting infusion in 10 liters of water and pour half a liter of fertilizer under each bush.

Main characteristics of a plant with iron deficiency

The so-called chlorosis primarily affects the leaves and stems, taking on the appearance of a sprayed plant. Calcareous soils are poor in iron - they have little oxygen, and there is an oversaturation of heavy metals. The obvious symptoms are:

chlorosis in the initial stage;
its distribution on leaves;
complete discoloration of green mass;
the appearance of necrotic spots.

Proper nutrition of seedlings and restoration of the required iron level will give a positive result. The main thing is to identify the deficiency in time and take appropriate measures when the leaves are very young. To do this, spray the plants with a solution of ferrous sulfate (0.25%).

Knowing all the signs of lack of nutrients, you can perfectly cope with the problem that has arisen - how to determine what tomatoes lack by the condition of the leaves.

All the elements that are so necessary for your pets, and this, in addition to the above components - sulfur, calcium, magnesium, affect your tomato harvest to varying degrees. Don't forget the importance of molybdenum, chlorine and manganese. Add copper, zinc and boron to the soil and you can forget about troubles.
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Rules for applying fertilizers

To ensure that plants do not suffer from a lack or excess of nutrients, it is necessary to apply both mineral and organic fertilizers according to the rules. Firstly, for basic tillage in early spring or autumn, and secondly, during certain phases of plant development.

To grow tomato seedlings, use a balanced substrate. Carry out scheduled fertilizing on time. Adhere to the recommended temperature and light conditions.

When choosing between traditional and foliar feeding regarding the lack of elements, it is better to give preference to foliar feeding, since in such a difficult situation for plants a quick effect is necessary.

Foliar feeding of tomatoes is carried out either in the evening or early in the morning. In dry, windless weather. Under no circumstances in the heat. When spraying, both the upper and lower parts of the leaves are treated. Since on the underside of the leaf blades there are a larger number of stomata, through which the absorption of fertilizers dissolved in water occurs.

Application of potash fertilizers

Potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate) is used on alkaline soils. When used dry, 40g of this fertilizer is applied per 1 sq.m of beds at intervals of 10-15 days. For irrigation, 1 g of the substance is dissolved in 10 liters of water.
Potassium monophosphate . It dissolves well in water. Used for root and foliar feeding. Apply 2 times during the entire growing period (after transplantation and during fruit ripening). For irrigation, dissolve 10-15 g of fertilizer in 10 liters of water. For spraying, 1-2 g of the substance is dissolved in 1 liter of water.
Potassium nitrate (potassium nitrate). The period of use is the formation of the ovary. The dry substance dissolves well in water. For irrigation, dilute 10-20g of powder in 10l of water. For spraying, 10g of saltpeter is dissolved in 10l of water.
Potassium humate . Obtained from the remains of vegetation, manure, peat, silt. Best used on alkaline, saline and podzolic soils. The period of use is a time of intensive growth of the crop. For spraying or watering, 3 g (1 teaspoon) of the substance is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Fertilize the plants 3 times during the entire growing period. The interval is 2 weeks.

Zinc deficiency (Zn)

Zinc plays a leading role in the processes of tomato growth and vitamin synthesis. Deficiency of this element occurs in sandy, gravelly and carbonate soils.

Visual signs of zinc deficiency:

Young tomato leaves are atypically small and narrow and grow slightly vertically. Often covered with yellow dots or lightened. On the main leaves, starting from the lower tiers, gray-brown spots of varying sizes appear, including veins. The edges of the sheet plates are curled upward. The leaves gradually dry out completely. The same spots are found on the petioles and stems.

How to compensate for zinc deficiency?

The lack of zinc in tomatoes is compensated for by foliar feeding with a solution of zinc sulfate.

Causes of chlorosis

It is impossible to say for sure why plants develop chlorosis. There are many reasons, and their nature is different. This can be an infection caused by microorganisms, viruses or fungal spores, carried by insect pests. This may also be due to improper care of the plant: poor drainage, damage to the roots, incorrect soil composition. There is even hereditary chlorosis, thanks to which new variegated plant varieties appear. But the most important and common cause of chlorosis is a lack of iron, magnesium, lime, zinc, sulfur and other minerals. It is the lack of microelements that is most often implied when it comes to chlorosis. In general, chlorosis is divided into infectious (viral) and non-infectious.

Taking into account soil characteristics

Phosphorus fertilizers are divided into water-soluble and water-insoluble. The latter include, for example, ammophos and bone meal.

Fertilizing with these fertilizers is especially effective on acidic soils, since in this case phosphorus is converted into a form more accessible to plants.

And when superphosphate is added, acidic soils are preliminarily deoxidized, since its action is effective on alkaline and neutral soils. Nitrophoska can be used on soils of any acidity.

Read about the lack of other nutrients: nitrogen, zinc, potassium and iron in separate materials. Perhaps they will help you take action in time and save the harvest.

Stolbur

Symptoms of this viral disease can be noticed even before the fruits appear. First, small leaves appear, then they acquire a pinkish tint, and their edges gradually bend upward. After this, the stem of the plant thickens, pale and fused flowers are formed, and the fruits receive uneven pigmentation.

The problem is that stolbur is not curable, so all infected bushes need to be dug up and burned. To stop its spread, you will have to get rid of weeds growing near tomatoes and harmful insects such as aphids, whiteflies and cutworms. Both of them are carriers of stolbur, posing a threat to vegetables.

Calcium deficiency

The deficiency of the substance can be determined by the condition of the fruit - the upper part turns black and dries. The fruit dies or does not ripen. The leaves darken, growing leaves become flaccid, with a yellowish edge and spots. The problem can be prevented by treating the plant with calcium nitrate during the flowering and ovary period.

Note!

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Molybdenum (Mo) deficiency

Molybdenum deficiency in tomatoes is extremely rare.

Visual signs of molybdenum deficiency:

Young tomato leaves turn from green to speckled. Subsequently, the bleached tissue swells, the edges of the leaf plates die off, and curl inward. The first two pairs of leaves also lighten up and curl upward. In this case, the veins do not change color.

How to compensate for the lack of molybdenum?

To compensate for the lack of molybdenum in tomatoes, you can feed them with a solution of ammonium molybdate.

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency appear on tomato bushes during the period of fruit loading.

Visual signs of magnesium deficiency:

Tomato leaves, starting from the lower tier, bend upward in a dome-shaped manner, turn yellow, their edges wrinkle and dry out. The veins and the space around them do not change color.

How to compensate for magnesium deficiency?

You can compensate for magnesium deficiency by foliar feeding of tomatoes with a solution of Epsom salts and magnesium nitrate.