A Few Problems With the Tomato Seedlings

Most of my tomato seedlings that I just potted up look really healthy and strong. They are a bit smaller than I would like them to be, but they look good.

 The transplanting session that I wrote about yesterday was not the first one. I began potting on the tomatoes about two weeks ago. Unfortunately some plants from the earlier sessions have problems. I don't know if they are victims of Damping off disease or if they have a different fungal problem, but they look pretty bad.

 

The above picture shows the most common problem in which the leaves are shriveling up from the ends. The below picture shows how some of the plants have gone so far as to drop all of the leaves. I bet if I touched that last leaf, it would fall off too. :(

 

I wonder why some plants are suffering from this while the majority look great. I guess it could be the difference in the varieties and their resistance to disease. I lost all of my Kentucky Beefsteak and Prudens Purple plants. Where it gets more curious is in cultivars like Persimmon and Climbing Triple Crop, because some plants look good and some look bad. Is this because they were separated in different trays, or is it just because the "good" ones are yet to show symptoms?

One thing that could have caused this is the fact that I used some trays that were left outside all Winter (I know, that is bad and pretty unorganized). I rinsed them out, but I guess they could still have been infected with something. Since I bottom-water all of the seedlings, I guess it could spread to the tomato seedlings that belong to the varieties that have less disease resistance. I really don't know.

I lost about 20 plants but that is still a pretty low percentage of my overall plants. Hopefully the other million plants will continue to prosper.

The other problem that I am having with the tomato plants is that many of them are purple.

 

Only the underside of the leaves are purple, and I know what that is. It is due to a phosphorus deficiency because of the soil being too cold. Hopefully that will remedy itself when the plants (and their pots) warm up. I gave them all a dose of Great Big Plants to try to help them out as well.

Well, there you have it - kind of a depressing post compared to most. Gardening isn't always roses and sunshine I guess. Stuff happens. In a week or two, all of the tomato plants will finally be planted outside and hopefully will take off from there. Until then, they will be waiting under lights on my grow-light stand.

I'll let you know how they work out later. At least my extra-early tomato plants are already outside and doing well.

Happy Gardening!

Marc

Comments

[Grammy]

Mine were doing the same. I looked up the yellowing and it can be to much or not enough water or too cold. Temp change. And the one with the veins a diffrent color is an iron deficiency. I have most of mine in the ground. I sprinkled bot the potted and planted ones with a bit of Epsom salts today I will see if it helps. That will normally green them up a bit.

[Sam]

I'm so glad you mentioned the purple plants! My seedlings overall have been strong and healthy. But I planted them out a couple weeks ago (noob that I am), and came home one day to find them purple. Like BARNEY purple. Mostly the stems and underside of the leaves. Things are warming up quickly here in Oregon, so your message gives me hope that they'll be okay. Other than the purple, they look great.

[E.H.]

I hope things look up for you soon, I've had the same problem with my tomatoes from time to time and this year I had all my first crop killed by the cold and only half the second crop survived the transplant outdoors.

Better luck with yours!

[Jim]

Try using a fan or two next year running over the seedlings from the start.

It will do wonders to prevent the problems we see in your pictures.

[Dee]

Yes! I am so glad that I came back and read this post again! My poor little tomatoes have been shrivling from the end like that too. I adjusted the watering schedule and left the door open to the room they are in under the lights more often and they are perking up. I don't know if it was watering, heat or something else... but glad to see them doing better. I have them all sitting out in the nice sun today. YAY!

[Gymgirl]

Could you discuss that grow light stand you use. It looks massive!