Reasons why leaves of tomato seedlings wither and fall. Why do tomato seedlings wither and fall at home? Why do tomato seedlings fall on the windowsill?

If tomato seedlings fall, what to do? The reasons for the fall of seedlings are not always clear and it is quite difficult for a layman to determine them, but every gardener needs to know about the most obvious ones.

Therefore, let’s look at why seedlings disappear and what can hinder their active growth:

1. First, check whether the seedlings have enough water. Tomatoes love water, and the more of it, the more convenient and comfortable they feel. But avoid letting liquid stagnate in the pot, as this can lead to the formation of hydrogen sulfide, which will cause the roots of the seedlings to rot. When the roots begin to rot, the plant cannot breathe and eventually dies. It won't be easy to save him.
2. If everything is fine with the water, then check the place where the plant stands. The fall can be caused by dry air around the seedlings (it occurs above a working battery) or, conversely, by cold air currents. In both cases the conditions are incorrect. Plants love warmth. For this reason, you need it to be neither cold nor hot, otherwise your seedlings will be lost.
3. Plants, like any living organisms, need fresh air. But for some reason gardeners forget about this. Of course, drafts must be avoided, so do not place the plant near an open window, otherwise you should not be surprised that tomato seedlings fall. It's better to just ventilate the room.
4. The most important thing is that tomatoes love light, and the more of it, the better. Otherwise, when you enter the room with the seedlings, you will see that they have already fallen because they could not bear their own weight. Remember that it stretches without enough light.

Tomato seedlings die (video)

Seedling diseases

If all the conditions are met, but the tomato seedlings still fall, you need to look deeper for the reasons. Like all plants, tomatoes get sick.

Let's look at what diseases seedlings have:

1. Fusarios. It is fungal in nature. Appears if the soil has not been properly prepared or disinfected. A sign of this disease will be dryness of the plant, even if you do not forget to water it, and all because the fungus damages the root system of the seedlings. The only treatment is to transplant the plants into new soil, of course, disinfected (if you don’t know how to do this yourself, then the only way is to buy ready-made soil at a flower shop). Disinfection of the soil is carried out using potassium permanganate or calcination.
2. Blackleg. This is a consequence of stagnant water. First, the stem darkens, after which the root system begins to rot, and then the seedlings themselves wither. To eliminate the disease, you need to water the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, do not forget to loosen the soil to give it some oxygen, and add wood ash. This way your tomatoes will bloom again very quickly.

Good to know

So, what needs to be done to grow a good harvest:

1. Buy soil. Do not take it unprepared. Soil can be bought at any flower shop.
2. Before planting the seeds, heat them in the stove, and pour boiling water over the container in which you will plant. This way you can avoid blackleg.
3. To avoid soil dehydration, water the seedlings less often, but more. The main thing is that it has enough moisture, but do not overdo it to avoid blackleg.
4. If you want the soil to always be loose and less compaction to form, then loosen the soil yourself and add sand to the middle of the soil. Oxygen-saturated soil produces excellent harvests.
5. Do not forget to ventilate the room, then your plants will be strong and stable, but avoid drafts so as not to destroy the seedlings.
6. Choose a sunny side, but do not place the plants above the radiator, otherwise the dry air will destroy them.

In the winter months, preparation of tomatoes for further cultivation begins. During this period, seeds are planted in pots. In some cases, the sprouts do not survive to be planted in open ground. Why do tomato seedlings fall and what to do about it?

Initially, it is necessary to understand the reasons for the death of tomatoes in boxes, which are related to the care or diseases of the crop. Timely assistance will help preserve tomatoes after germination.

Soil Features

If seedlings fall and die, the composition of the soil may be a factor. Tomatoes have difficulty developing in heavy soil with high acidity. Seedlings can be saved only after transplanting into a properly prepared soil mixture. Wood ash is used to reduce acidity.

Landing

When seedlings fall, you need to pay attention to whether the seedlings are thickened. Sometimes seeds are placed in the soil too abundantly, causing future sprouts to have uneven distribution of nutrients, water and air. The most optimal distance between seeds is 5 cm.

If the density of seedlings is high, it is recommended to pick the seedlings. After thinning the rows, the space is covered with a small amount of calcined sand. From picking, seedlings can wilt within 3 days. Gradually it gains strength again and rises.

Incorrect dive

If replanting rules are not followed, the plant can quickly die. Tomatoes undergo this treatment only after two true leaves have formed.

During manipulations for the development of the root system, the final part of the root is plucked off from all seedlings. The sprouts are removed from the soil, previously moistened with warm water. After this, new holes are made so that the roots do not bend in the ground.

Watering

Tomato seedlings need sufficient moisture. But if there is an excess of it, the plant becomes saturated with water and turns sour. The first signs of the harmful effects of watering are yellowing of the leaves and stretching of the sprouts upward.

To preserve seedlings, it is necessary to ensure drainage in the soil. In containers, holes are first made at the bottom to help excess water flow out. When water stagnates, seedlings are watered for some time by irrigation. If the holes become clogged, they are cleaned, and the accumulated water is poured out of the container trays.

Lack of moisture also causes seedlings to fall. Overdried soil becomes crumbly, and nutrients stop flowing to the root system.

The first sign of a lack of moisture is that the seedlings wither. The leaves dry out; if the watering regime is not restored, the sprouts can quickly die. To restore nutrition, seedlings are watered with a small amount of water - no more than 30 ml per plant.

Lack of lighting

Photosynthesis in plant cells occurs only thanks to ultraviolet rays. If there is not enough light, the seedlings stretch out and lie on the soil mixture. To make up for the lack of natural light indoors, the container with seedlings is moved to a closed balcony or the daylight hours are further extended to 12 hours using a day lamp.

Also, don’t overdo it with light. Its excess at night leads to yellowing and wilting of sprouts. Therefore, the lamps are turned off after nightfall.

Incorrect temperature

Seedlings fall due to high temperatures (from 35 degrees). Gradually the tomatoes overheat and begin to dry out. Containers with seedlings should not be placed near devices that emit heat. But low temperatures also have a detrimental effect on plants.

If the room remains less than +15 degrees, tomatoes stop growing and developing.

In order for the tomatoes to quickly get used to open ground, hardening is carried out. To do this, at night they are placed in a cooler room where there are no drafts. Ventilation is carried out without seedlings. As soon as the frosts go away, the seedlings are put outside, but in the evening they are brought into the house.

Fertilizers

Seedlings in boxes may fail due to insufficient amounts of minerals and other elements necessary during this period of development. Potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus must be added as needed and according to the norm.

If there is an excess of nitrogenous fertilizers, burns of the roots and souring of the stem can occur. Improper fertilizing leads to damage to the top layer of soil. The dense whitish crust that appears is removed, and the soil is watered for some time with a solution of sodium humate. To do this, take 15 grams of powder per 10 liters of water.

Causes associated with pathologies

If the seedlings wither and most of them have fallen, this may indicate seedling diseases. The most common factor is fungal diseases.

Fusarium

The pathogen is colonized due to lack of soil treatment or insufficient disinfection. The plant begins to dry out even with sufficient moisture. The fungus gradually attacks the root system, depriving the stems of nutrition.

To eliminate this pathology, it is recommended to treat the plant twice with Fundazol (1 gram per 1000 ml of water) and transplant the plant into disinfected soil. It is better to purchase a ready-made mixture in the store. If this is not possible, water the ground with a manganese solution. Take 0.5 grams of potassium permanganate per 1000 ml.

Blackleg

Pathology develops against the background of water stagnation. The root system rots, which leads to the gradual death of tomatoes. The first sign is blackening of the stem at the root collar.

Blackleg is difficult to treat; almost all plants that are affected by it die. The disease can be prevented through preventative measures. The soil is first disinfected with a manganese solution or by calcination. It is recommended to purchase ready-made soil, which consists of sterile peat.

Seeds must be treated with drugs that increase the plant's defenses. One of the highly effective remedies is Immunocytophyte. A concentrate is used to treat seeds.

One tablet of the product is dissolved in 15 grams of water and 5 grams of seeds are placed there. The exposure lasts at least three hours for small seeds and 8-10 hours for large seeds.

How to avoid falling seedlings?

1. Seeds are placed only in prepared soil at a distance of at least 3 cm from each other.
2. The watering regime should be rare, but with enough water. The soil will be well saturated with moisture inside, and there will be no stagnation on the surface.
3. To further retain moisture, calcined sand is added to the soil. It will prevent the root collar from drying out and the soil from compacting.
4. Seedlings can be loosened using a thin stick. This will provide the plants with good air access.
5. It is important for plants to harden in fresh air without drafts. In warm weather, pots can be left outside during the daytime.

7 rules, following which you can get excellent seedlings and a large harvest of tomatoes.

Any plant cannot live without heat, sun, water and soil. Tomatoes are no exception; for normal growth they need:

• Quality seeds
• Fertile soil
• Sufficient light
• Moderate watering
• Optimal ground and air temperatures
• Protection from diseases and pests
• Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers

If you have fulfilled all the necessary conditions, then the plants will delight you with their powerful appearance and rich harvest. If you made a mistake on at least one of the points, they will upset you with frail shoots and a meager harvest, if any at all.

What to do if the tomato seedlings have become very elongated, thin and long?

After the seedlings have appeared and pleased their owners, the most important stage in plant development begins. At this stage, plants must receive temperatures of the ground and air that are acceptable for growth, as well as sufficient light and moisture. What happens if optimal conditions are violated?

If the soil in the seedling pots is too cold, and the air temperature is either too low or too high, the plants will not be able to fully develop.

They will also not be able to develop normally if they receive too little light. If the seedlings are stretched out due to lack of light, you can save them by giving them enough light.

Why are tomato seedlings purple and growing poorly?

Why in a relatively warm house, if you grow seedlings on the windowsills, does the ground remain cold? Because often and thickly, the cold that comes from the windows excessively cools the pots with seedlings. To experiment, place a room thermometer on the windowsill or on the soil of your greenhouse if you are growing seedlings under film, and measure the temperature. The optimal soil temperature is from 16 to 18 degrees. If the ground is cold, the plants will not grow well and the color of the seedlings may turn purple.

Why do the leaves of tomato seedlings turn yellow: what to do?

The air temperature for seedlings should be from 25 to 28 degrees. Plants will be stunted if temperatures are above or below these levels. Separately, I would like to say about the illumination of plants.

If there is catastrophically little light, the seedlings can stretch out in just a few days. It will have a yellow color and thin elongated stems. You can expect a good harvest from such seedlings only if you can give the plants enough light.

Why do tomato seedlings wither and fall?

Unfortunately, on a windowsill without additional lighting, even if the windows face the sunny side, the plants will not be able to receive enough light. The only way out in this situation is to use artificial lighting. These can be special lamps that are used in industrial greenhouses and which are expensive or inexpensive fluorescent lamps.

The same failure may await those gardeners who sowed seeds in greenhouses with film cover. Because in early spring there is not enough sunlight, which can be lost when passing through a dense film.

Mold on the ground in tomato seedlings: what to do?

When watering seedlings, it is better not to add water than to give it in excess. It happens that gardeners are so keen on caring for their plants that they begin to water them every day or even several times a day. They water it because they noticed the top layer of soil in the pots drying out, while inside there is an excess of moisture.

Black leg in tomato seedlings: control measures

Excessive watering leads to suppression of plants, creates favorable conditions for the development of fungal diseases of the root system and ultimately the death of seedlings. How to determine that plants need watering?

The easiest way to deal with this situation is to not water the plants until you notice some wilting due to lack of moisture. In this case, the leaves are less elastic and slightly drooping. Plants need to be watered with warm water. If you use chlorinated tap water, remove the chlorine from the water.

To do this, just collect water in a bucket and let it stand for 2-3 days. Chlorine is a gas and is lighter than water, so it will completely leave the liquid during this time.

Feed the seedlings with mineral fertilizers. This should be done no more than once a week with complex fertilizers. You need to be careful when using fertilizers like saltpeter. Due to the high nitrogen content in the soil, plants can become very elongated.

Treatment of tomato seedlings against diseases

Avoid infecting seedlings with pests and diseases. Since disease infection in a greenhouse or when growing seedlings on windowsills occurs mainly due to contaminated soil, use only healthy soil for this purpose. If you take it from your garden, then take it from beds where tomatoes and related crops, say potatoes, did not grow.

Phytophthora on tomato seedlings: combating it

Late blight is considered a disease of open ground and rainy and cool weather is favorable for its development. For plants to become ill with late blight, they must be exposed to unfavorable weather conditions for 3-7 days.

If the tomato seedlings are under cover or in the house, the likelihood that they will get late blight is very low. To prevent the disease, you need to prevent water from getting on the leaves of plants and water only the ground. If brown spots still appear on the leaves, treat them with fungicides against late blight.

White spots on the leaves of tomato seedlings: what to do?

White spots on the leaves of seedlings may be the result of burns from the sun or lamps used to illuminate the plants. So, if seedlings that are not accustomed to sunlight are transferred to beds or exposed to pots in the sun, the plants will not be able to cope with the resulting load and will get burned.

Preventive measures against burns can include gradual adaptation of plants to the new light regime. If burns have already occurred, the affected leaves can be torn off. The plant will gradually return to normal and produce new leaves.

The leaves of tomato seedlings curl, wither and dry out: what to do?

If the leaves of seedlings curl, this can be either the result of disease or the result of plant oppression by pests. What to do if the plants are sick and you can’t tell by their appearance what’s happening to them?

The only way out in such a situation is to try to correct errors with the temperature regime, plant lighting, watering and treat them with fungicides against diseases and pest control.

Whitefly - white midges on tomato seedlings: how to fight?

Maybe someone will be surprised that plants located on a windowsill or under a film cover can have pests.

Unfortunately, they exist if the land infected with these pests was used. In particular, whitefly and its larvae can cause enormous damage to tomatoes, which in a matter of days can turn a green plant into a stunted and weak one. They will help to cope with the problem of spraying leaves with products against this pest.

Aphids on tomato seedlings: how to fight?

Aphids may appear on tomato seedlings if soil contaminated with this pest was used. You can fight aphids by spraying plants with anti-aphid chemicals. Such as tanrek, confidor, spark bio and others.

Unfortunately, it happens that all efforts to improve the health of the plant are in vain. This can happen if improper care of the plant, disease or pest oppression of the plant has been too long. The only way out of this situation may be to replant the seedlings.

How to choose tomato seeds?

Sow only proven, high-quality seeds. If you buy seeds in stores, use only trusted retail outlets. Because counterfeits in the seed market have reached catastrophic proportions due to the fact that it has simply become unprofitable to trade in high-quality seeds.

Quality seeds are half the success in growing tomatoes

If you collect seeds from your tomatoes, choose for this purpose only healthy and powerful bushes that have produced a good harvest. Sometimes seed disinfection is required. Because they can be infected with pathogenic viruses. Disinfection, if done correctly, does not affect the quality of the seeds, but may reduce germination. Therefore, you will have to increase the number of seeds sown.

In what soil do tomatoes grow best?

Sow the seeds in soil ideal for this crop. The soil for seedlings should not be too light and not too heavy. It must be said right away that the soil taken from the garden bed will be heavy if your garden is located on black soil. And soil purchased in stores called “for seedlings” will be too light due to the high content of peat in such soil. Therefore, the ideal option would be: thoroughly mix 50% of the soil from the garden bed and 50% of the soil for seedlings and fill the seedling cups or trays with this soil.

You will need to think in advance that excess water after watering the plants will need to flow freely from the cups. This means that they must have a sufficient number of holes at the bottom to drain excess water.

All these wisdom are easy to remember and use when growing tomato seedlings. And most importantly, if you still fail in growing seedlings, do not give up, but roll up your sleeves and correct your mistakes, grow new beautiful, healthy and powerful seedlings.

VIDEO: How to grow healthy seedlings?

Causes of wilting and poor growth of tomato seedlings. Methods of resuscitation. Preparations and recipes for feeding after picking.

Beginners and experienced gardeners are faced with a lot of nuances when growing seedlings at home. In addition to sowing, watering, care and feeding, each plant requires the attention and caring hands of a person.

During the period of intensive growth in open ground, tomatoes are resistant to changes in day and night temperatures and sunlight intensity. They are grateful for feeding and tying up the stems. However, from the moment of sowing tomato seeds to transplanting them into open ground, the gardener can expect weeks of caring for the young plants.

We are talking not only about picking, but also about treating diseases, organizing proper watering, temperature conditions, and light intensity. The main tasks are to preserve the seedlings, prevent them from withering, slowing growth and development. Let's talk more about this in the article.

Why tomato seedlings die, disappear, do not grow, or grow poorly after picking: reasons

a man transplants tomato seedlings into another container

There are several reasons for the death and poor growth of tomato seedlings:

• Errors during transplantation, when the root is incorrectly located in the hole or damaged; the ground is not covered tightly enough. In the latter case, the presence of air bubbles prevents the development of the plant's root system.
• Lighting. Direct sunlight often causes burns on seedlings, which negatively affects their health and growth.
• Diseases, for example, blackleg. It develops due to watering the tomato with cold water. Or a fungus in the soil that penetrates the stem and forms blood clots. They prevent the movement of juice with beneficial substances to the leaves.
• Pests, such as spider mites. The lesions are not noticeable at an early stage, but when the colony grows, it is difficult to save the plant.
• Irrigation errors and drainage problems. Stagnation of water causes rotting of the roots of seedlings, and watering with cold liquid causes the development of a disease, the so-called blackleg.
• Poor quality soil with low mineral content. For example, a lack of iron causes yellowing and dying of leaves, as well as a significant slowdown in seedling growth. Low nitrogen content is indicated by excessively thin stems and limp leaves.
• High indoor temperatures have an extremely negative effect on the overall health of tomatoes. If an excessive moisture level is added to it, the formation of putrefactive processes in the soil is expected. As a result, the root system and the entire plant will suffer.

What to do if tomato seedlings fall, wither, do not grow or grow poorly after picking: a set of measures

young tomato seedlings in a box on the windowsill

• If the cause is a soil fungus, treat it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then apply potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.
• Pay attention to the temperature and humidity in the room where the seedlings are located. They must not exceed acceptable values.
• An adult plant affected by blackleg can be saved by pouring soil under the root. This way, new roots are formed and the tomatoes will soon rise again and begin to grow.
• Compensate for the lack of lighting with red and blue lamps. The duration of their exposure is at least 10 hours a day. But leave time for the dark part of the day without lighting the tomatoes. So blue light affects the development of the plant, its ability to flower, and red light stimulates the formation of a strong trunk.
• Feed your seedlings with a growth stimulator by preparing an aqueous solution. Sometimes the soil lacks nutrients, as evidenced by the wilting of the plant and the falling of its leaves.

Caring for tomatoes, tomatoes after picking: description, tips

tomato seedlings after picking on the windowsill

Care is based on 3 points:

• lighting
• air temperature
• watering

When you have done the first picking of tomatoes, place them in a cool room, for example, on a loggia or glassed-in balcony so that there is a shadow over them. The optimum air temperature during the day is +16℃, at night +13℃. Avoiding contact with direct sunlight will keep the seedlings healthy.

• Please note that when the temperature drops to +10℃, your tomatoes will stop growing.
• A week after picking, water the seedlings and tear off the bottom pair of leaves so that the trunk does not grow too tall.
• When the plants get stronger, provide them with access to sunlight. They will be able to tolerate baths lasting 10-12 hours well.
• Remember that good drainage is the key to the health of the root system and the plant as a whole. Therefore, be sure to organize an exit for excess moisture through holes at the bottom of the container.
• Avoid placing tomatoes on the windowsill above hot radiators. It’s better to place them on the table at least a meter away from the heat source. Seedlings must be hardened off before planting in open ground.
• Water deeply and rarely. Use water that has settled and reached room temperature. The signal for watering is completely dry soil in the pots.
• A couple of weeks before planting in open ground, begin hardening off the tomatoes. Place them near an open vent/window for a couple of hours a day.

How often to water and what to water tomatoes with after picking?

watering young tomato seedlings at the root using a small watering can

• The frequency of watering tomato seedlings varies depending on the age of the plants. When the seeds have sprouted in all holes, carefully water the soil around the shoot, avoiding getting water on it. A douching bulb will help you.
• Before the first picking, when 3 true leaves have grown, moisten the soil under the tomatoes 3 days in advance.
• After the first pick, water it after 5-7 days, the second - 10.
• Next, monitor the soil. When it becomes dry, water the seedlings generously with water at room temperature that has settled. Once every 7-10 days may be quite enough.
• Plan to moisten the soil several days before picking. Then you will minimize the likelihood of root damage.
• Use complex mineral fertilizers as an additive to water for watering tomato seedlings once a month.

What fertilizer or folk remedy to feed tomato seedlings after picking: recipes, tips

liquid complex fertilizers are added to the watering can for watering tomato seedlings for feeding

The process of feeding seedlings is mandatory for tomatoes. This way you activate its forces for harmonious development and healthy growth.

Aqueous solutions are suitable from folk remedies:

• chicken manure
• wood ash
• urea
• yeast
• nettle
• mullein

Let's add several recipes for fertilizers using folk remedies.

Recipe 1 from nettles

a bucket of green fertilizer made from nettles for feeding tomato seedlings

• Fill an enamel container with finely chopped nettles and fill with water.
• Stir the future fertilizer daily for 2 weeks to allow excess oxygen to evaporate until its color changes to light.
• To neutralize the unpleasant odor, add a few drops of valerian to the container with nettles.
• Prepare a solution for irrigation at the rate of 1 part to 20 parts water. Distribute the liquid around the trunk under the root.

Recipe 2 with ash

tied tomato stems and a glass of liquid ash fertilizer to feed them

• Dissolve a glass of ash in 3 liters of water and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Leave to infuse for half a day.
• Add clean water to a volume of 10 liters and rub in a little laundry soap.
• Use fertilizer to spray the grown seedlings.

Recipe 3 with mullein

a bucket of ready-made mullein fertilizer for feeding tomatoes

• Fill the container halfway with mullein and fill it to the brim with warm water.
• Cover with a lid and leave to steep for 7 days.
• Stir the fertilizer and dilute it with ordinary clean water in a ratio of 1:15.
• Pour 0.5 liters of liquid under each bush.

Among complex means of industrial production, gardeners give preference to:

• nitrophoske
• mineral mono preparations - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
• ammophosphate
• "Ideal"
• "I'm strong"

So, we looked at the features of caring for tomato seedlings, identified the causes of their diseases, and learned how to prepare fertilizers at home.

Remember that hard work, attentiveness and care from human hands are often the key to an abundant tomato harvest in the future.

Video: Caring for tomato seedlings