Why do the leaves of tomato seedlings curl
If you do not follow the basic rules of cultivation, the tomatoes become lethargic, the leaves of the tomato seedlings curl. If you notice that your plantings have stopped developing and look painful, then you need to look for the cause of this condition. The sooner you start to eliminate negative factors, the more chances there will be to fully restore the plants.
The leaves of tomato seedlings are curled
Care
The most important stages in the process of growing a tomato are digging and cultivating the soil with the introduction of humus and minerals, as well as regular fertilization during the growth and development of the plant. Tomatoes are considered capricious plants, so if the care steps are violated, then gardeners may notice how the leaves on the seedlings began to curl.
rules
You need to pay attention to the place where you grow your plantings. It is best to grow seedlings on the east or south side of your home. If the curling of the leaves occurs from time to time, then perhaps you periodically rearrange the pots with seedlings, but tomatoes do not like this. Also, the indoor climate can be very dry for your plantings. It is enough to normalize the irrigation regime, irrigate the planting 2-3 times a week, with settled water, at room temperature.
Lighting
Landings must be lit for at least 9-10 hours a day. If there is little daylight, then you can artificially illuminate the seedlings with special lamps. The lamp should be placed no closer than 30-50 cm from the plants. If the lamp is located at a closer distance, then your plantings may burn. In this case, the lower or upper leaves acquire brown spots or streaks.
Humidity
With excessive moisture, some parts of the plantings become fragile and curl upward. When growing tomatoes in pots, in the bottoms of the pot, it is imperative to make holes so that excess water flows out after watering. And the pots themselves with plantings must be put on trays. With excessive humidity, the irrigation of seedlings is suspended for a certain period.
The soil must be dried by about 2 cm, after which moderate irrigation should be provided for the plantings. For planting seeds, use a loose soil that is well permeable to water and oxygen. Water the plantings at the same time. If, after establishing the optimal level of humidity, the leaves of tomato seedlings curl, then you need to pay attention to the temperature in the room.
Air temperature
Why do tomato seedlings curl leaves? If the air temperature in the room where the tomatoes are located is higher than 33 ° C, then small sprouts twist into a tube along the core vein. In the daytime, the leaves of seedlings curl on all tomatoes, at night, when the air temperature drops, the sprouts unfold. Seedlings are vulnerable to direct sunlight, so they must be protected from them.
Leaves can curl from high temperatures
To do this, you can cover the windows in the room with a special shading mesh. It is important to regularly ventilate the room. Gardeners advise sprinkling tomatoes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, but this should be done exclusively in the evening, when there is no direct sunlight. If tomatoes grow in a greenhouse, then mulching can be carried out using humus or straw to reduce the temperature of the soil.
Variety
If the sprouts have formed correctly and have the usual shade, and you have not noticed any other diseases and abnormalities, then perhaps this is just a feature of your tomatoes. Take a closer look at the plantings, if the sprout on the seedlings is slightly lowered and barely folded down - this is a characteristic feature of the variety variety. The following varieties have such traits - Cherry, Fatima and Honey droplet.
Very rugged leaf, can be typical for tall varieties. Long and tall types of tomatoes have bulky leaves that hang down and can curl a little. Before purchasing various types of tomatoes, you need to consult with the seed seller to find out what characteristics these types of tomatoes have and how they will look like.
Fertilizers
Complex fertilizers should be applied before and after planting seeds for seedlings. For soil fertilization, it is optimal to use purchased complex mixtures. Fertilize the soil 15-30 days before the intended planting of seeds. After the first leaves appear on the seedlings, the plantings can be fertilized with vitamin and mineral fertilizers according to the instructions.
Trace elements
When the balance of microelements is disturbed, leaves curl on all the seedlings on tomatoes.
This phenomenon is especially characteristic with an overdose of nitrogen fertilizers, then the leaves on all tomato seedlings curl into a ring. With an excess of fertilizer, the seedling leaf has a dark green color and a lush structure, but at the same time it is quite fragile.
The nitrogen, with which the plant is oversaturated, blocks the influx of phosphorus and the plant does not receive this element in full. Thanks to the introduction of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers into the soil, it is possible to balance and correct the balance of trace elements. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers can be applied to the soil along with irrigation.
If the phosphorus content in the soil is normal, then it is possible to do with the introduction of only potash fertilizers.
So that the wrong balance of fertilizers does not harm the seedlings, you should use a complex of fertilizers, which include all the necessary elements in the right quantities. It is best to apply fertilizers in the form of an aqueous solution when irrigating plantings, so fertilizers are better perceived by tomatoes. For huge areas, solid mineral fertilizers are mainly used, but certainly for irrigation. If you want to add complex fertilizers to the soil, then for this you need to dilute with 10 liters of water - 2 tablespoons of mineral fertilizer.
Fertilization rules
It is important to fertilize the plants correctly.
It is very important to make sure that the soil is properly fertilized, and that your plantings receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals in the right amount. If there is not enough boron, copper, zinc or sulfur, then in addition to color modification, tomato leaves can curl upward.
Boron and copper
If there is a shortage or excess of boron in the soil, then near the veins you can see areas with a reddish-reddish tint. Young shoots are sensitive to a lack of the required amount of copper in the soil. With a lack of copper, the sprouts can twist towards the central vein, the plantings can turn yellow and dry out over time.
It is more effective to add preparations containing copper and sulfur to the soil. They complement each other and prevent the leaves from curling.
Zinc and phosphorus
With a lack of zinc, vigorous and well-formed seedlings suffer. Young leaves become brittle and curl down.As a rule, when preparing the soil for planting seeds, apply enough fertilizer to be enough for the initial cultivation of seedlings.
With a lack of phosphorus, all the leaves of tomato seedlings curl up and bend down. The leaves turn purple, often protruding from the stem at a pointed angle.
Potassium
With a lack of potassium, new shoots fold in the direction from the edge to the core vein. Young shoots have an inferior curliness. You can pour wood ash under the root of each plant to replenish potassium. And with large-scale cultivation, you can feed with potassium nitrate - sprinkle in solid form, or make an aqueous solution.
Diseases and pests
If you take care of the plant incorrectly, then it will often hurt. The main symptom of the disease is wrapped tomato leaves. Other characteristic features of the disease:
- Bacteriosis The cause of such a disease is seeds that have not been treated with disinfectants. In case of illness, leaf rolling in all tomato seedlings occurs gradually, over time, parts of the plant become small. The inflorescences turn white. The disease progresses, growth and development slows down in plantings. Fruits on such plantings must be eliminated, and the soil in the greenhouse must be completely replaced. Carriers of the disease are scoops and whiteflies. When a bacteriosis disease occurs in a tomato, you need to start destroying the parasites.
- Fusarium wilting. Fungal diseases occur mainly due to poor soil microflora. The disease spreads from the root to the top of tomatoes. If the plants have clear signs of the disease, the leaves turn yellow, then it is necessary to eliminate the tomatoes, and disinfect the soil: water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate, and on the rest of the bushes, carry out preventive spraying with biofungicide. The soil in which the infected plants grew should be changed, and in no case should it be used for growing other plantings.
- Parasites. If the lower or upper parts of the tomato are twisted, then insect attack may be the cause. These are mainly: black aphid, tomato aphid, whitefly and mite. If insects are stuck to the top of the head and other parts, the pests should be collected by hand, and then the plantings should be treated with special preparations for parasites.
Prophylaxis
It is necessary to regularly carry out preventive spraying with special chemicals against pests that infect plants. This protects the tomatoes from disease.
It is recommended to use natural insecticides or folk remedies. Such drugs, penetrating the inside of tomatoes, do not harm the plantings.
In order to prevent leaves from curling, you need to carefully approach the selection and purchase of seeds for sowing, properly prepare the soil, fulfill all the conditions of the cultivation technology, and especially the disinfection stage. This will help to reap a good harvest.