Reasons for falling tomato seedlings
Growing crops at home always causes certain difficulties for gardeners. Quite often, situations occur when healthy-looking seedlings begin to die. If you are able to determine in a timely manner the reason why the tomato seedlings are falling, then you can save the future harvest.
Reasons for falling tomato seedlings
Watering
Tomatoes feel comfortable if they get enough moisture. If the drainage system becomes clogged, then active decay of the root system begins. If the drainage is inoperative, then the density in the soil increases and air does not flow through it to the roots. First, the root begins to rot, and after it the entire stem begins to rot. Experts are convinced that this is one of the main reasons why tomato seedlings are falling.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
The soil consists not only of soil particles, but also of the air space between them. Excess water displaces air, which leads to a deterioration in soil aeration. Plant roots also need air just like other organisms.
Tomato seedlings wilt and fall off if the tomato does not receive the right amount of water. Also, do not water the tomatoes too much, because an abundant amount of moisture leads to deformation of the roots.
Solution to the problem
If the drainage system fails, you need to clean it. To do this, you need to take a thin rod and punch holes in the drain a little. But, you need to carry out the procedure with special care so as not to damage the roots. After that, you need to loosen the earth and stop watering for several days so that the remaining moisture is absorbed.
With a lack of watering, you need to slightly increase its duration. With abundant watering, you need to stop it for several days. It is believed that the optimal watering interval is 1 every 3 days. Remember that watering should be carried out with water at room temperature, so that the root system absorbs it better.
Temperature control and lighting
Another reason why tomato seedlings wilt and fall is the wrong temperature and lighting.
Tomatoes belong to heat-loving crops, but it is forbidden to place them near a radiator, fireplaces or heaters, because they are very dry air, which leads to a loss of moisture inside the plant. Also, do not place containers with seedlings in drafts.
Improper lighting is another indicator of seedling falling. Tomatoes feel comfortable only in good light. With an insufficient amount of light, the stem of the plant is pulled out. As a result, it acquires a thin stem and falls under the weight of the leaf mass. Unpleasant situations can arise if there is an overabundance of lighting. In this case, the foliage begins to curl and fall off.
Solution to the problem
The comfortable temperature for tomatoes is about 23-25 ° С during the day and 16 ° -18 С at night.
Seedling containers should not be located in rooms where there are drafts. Choose places where there is a maximum of 1 window.
When growing tomato plants, place them in well-lit areas. Tomatoes should be lit 12-14 hours a day. If natural light is not enough for such a time, then you should start using special phytolamps. You should not exceed this time, because at night the plants absorb nutrients better.
Wrong ground
Plants may die
If tomato seedlings fall, perhaps the reason lies in poor-quality soil. Tomatoes do not like soil with a high acidity and alkalinity of the soil. The dense soil, which does not allow oxygen to pass through, also negatively affects the plants.
Sometimes a plant fall occurs if you plant bushes too close to each other. As a result, the bushes will lack nutrients, light and oxygen. As a result, the plants die.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
If the picking was carried out in boxes or containers, then the planting pattern (distance between plants) should be 5 x 5 or 6 x 6 cm. A thicker planting leads to stretching of the seedlings. Too rare - wasteful use of the nursery area.
Solution to the problem
When planting seedlings in a permanent place, give preference only to light and fertile soils. The optimum pH of the soil environment for tomato is neutral or close to neutral - 5.0 - 5.5. If you are mistaken for the first time and the tomato seedlings fall, you need to immediately transplant them to another place. Initially, the soil must undergo a decontamination procedure using a manganese solution.
Seedlings are planted according to a specific pattern. A distance of 70 cm should be adhered to between the rows, and 50 cm between the holes, so you need to dig out closely spaced bushes and transplant them at the correct distance.
Poor top dressing
The fall of seedlings can be caused by an insufficient amount of fertilizers or an excess of them. If the tomatoes do not receive the required amount of fertilizer, then all the foliage begins to turn yellow and gradually fall off.
With an excessive amount of dressing, burns appear on the areas of the roots or the main stem. Also, a large amount of fertilizer leads to the formation of a white coating on the soil, which does not allow moisture and oxygen to pass through.
Solution to the problem
Tomatoes need only three additional dressings for the entire growing season.
- The first feeding is carried out 10 days after transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place. At this point, you need to use a solution of ammonium nitrate. 20 g of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of warm water and 1 liter is poured under each bush.
- The second feeding is carried out at the time of the beginning of flowering. This time you need to give preference to potassium substances. The preparation of the solution and the amount of fertilizers applied is carried out according to the instructions indicated on the package.
- The third feeding is carried out at the time of fruit formation. This time, you should use organic substances (humus or bird droppings). Each bush should have no more than 30 g of the substance.
When a white bloom appears, the top layer of the earth should be removed and watering should be carried out using a humate solution for a week. In 10 liters of water, you need to dissolve 50 g of the substance. There should be about 5 liters of substance per 1 m2.
Viral diseases
Diseases negatively affect tomatoes
Quite often, seedlings fall off if they are exposed to diseases. If the disinfection of seeds or soil is not carried out in time, then fusarium or black leg may occur. Also, the cause of the impact of diseases can be low-quality purchased planting material.
Control methods
Give preference to only high quality and disinfected seeds.If you bought untreated planting material, then disinfection can be carried out at home using a manganese solution.
If the reason lies in the soil, then try replanting the plant to another location. You can also treat the earth with a copper-containing preparation Oxykh or a manganese solution. Do not forget to take out of the garden all the tops that remain after harvesting, because bacteria can accumulate on them, leading to diseases.
It is impossible to get rid of the black leg. If it is present, you must immediately remove the diseased bush and burn it away from the garden plot, because bacteria can migrate to neighboring bushes.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
Black leg (rhizoctonia) is a disease mainly of seedlings, seedlings. Dived plants are affected less often. It does not affect adult plants. But there are some fungal diseases that affect adult tomato bushes that have similar symptoms: southern late blight, streak (streak).
Prophylaxis
To prevent seedlings from being affected by diseases and their own fall, the following preventive measures should be taken:
- water the tomato bushes regularly, but within reason;
- carry out feeding according to the clear instructions indicated on the package of the drug;
- disinfect seeds and soil before planting;
- adhere to the optimal distance during planting, so as not to thicken neighboring bushes;
- so that water does not accumulate in one place and does not compact the soil, you need to install a drainage system in containers or add sand to open ground;
- loosening the soil will reduce the risk of most diseases;
- airing, normal light levels and correct temperature conditions keep the seedlings healthy.
Conclusion
If you are able to determine in time the reason why the tomato seedlings fall, then the treatment will be much faster and better. It is important to remember that it is impossible to hesitate with the procedures for correcting the situation, because you can completely lose the future harvest.
