Noticing that tomato sprouts have become purple, many inexperienced gardeners are worried and find it difficult to find an answer as to what is the reason for this leaf phenomenon. Few people know how dangerous it is and whether there is a need to take appropriate action. But color changes signal that some changes are taking place with the plant already at the initial phase of their growth. As it turns out later, it only gets worse. Seedlings of a violet shade grows poorly, begins to wither. Why this happens in tomatoes, what they lack and what to do, we will tell further.
Reasons for the appearance of purple on tomato seedlings
The main ones include only two conditions:
- lowering the temperature regime of air and soil composition;
- insufficient amount of phosphorus in the nutrition of the sprouts.
Any of the above reasons can arise independently, but in most cases there is always a mutual connection between them. When the temperature drops to fifteen degrees Celsius, tomato sprouts begin to experience cold. Saplings suspend their growth, foliage on the back and stems acquire a purple hue. Even veins on the leaves can turn blue.
A large number of thermophilic plants belonging to the nightshade have a common feature - in cool soil, they poorly assimilate essential nutrients, including phosphorus. This phenomenon may also be due to the fact that the soil is characterized by high acidity.
When tomato seedlings were constantly receiving mineral fertilizers, but the lower leaves still turned purple, it indicates that the sprouts no longer have enough heat.
It is very important not to miss the beginning of the color change in order to take the necessary measures in a timely manner.
It happens that seedlings are more colored in blue tones.... There are not so many reasons for this. The first is associated with a lack of water in hot weather. If there is such a possibility, then on especially warm days it is necessary to cover the beds with seedlings with polyethylene material until the sprouts begin to actively gain strength and grow. After watering, the soil should be mulched to keep moisture in it longer.
The second reason should be associated with a domestic cat, which moves in places where it pleases. There are times when cats just "mark" the territory. If urine penetrates the soil with seedlings, the seedling will begin to turn blue and die. So it is necessary to isolate the landing boxes from the ubiquitous pets.
You should not be calm if the seedlings begin to acquire a purple hue. It is necessary to take measures to help the seedlings.
What to do if the leaves turn purple
It is recommended to solve such problematic issues in a complex. First of all, the temperature regime in the room rises, which should be twenty-two degrees of heat. As a rule, after a week, the seedlings regain their normal color and continue to develop.
If this did not happen, then the reason is a lack of phosphorus.... We'll have to apply phosphorus-containing fertilizers. When choosing a drug, try to focus on those compositions that contain the minimum amount of nitrogen, because its concentration in the earth is already excessively high due to the lack of phosphorus. It will be better if the fertilizer contains no nitrogen at all.
Tomato plants respond well to superphosphate. It should be used when watering by dissolving one hundred grams of the substance in a bucket of water.
Ammophos contains a large amount of phosphorus. It is brought in at the rate of fifteen to twenty-five grams per square meter of land. In the case of seedlings, the drug is diluted, like superphosphate.
But at the same time, do not be too zealous - an overabundance of nutrients for tomato seedlings is just as harmful as their lack.
For those gardeners who prefer self-prepared feed formulations, experienced experts recommend using the following recipe:
- pour one liter of boiling water into a glass of superphosphate;
- the mixture must be infused for ten hours, then the diseased seedlings are spilled with this liquid.
The serving size depends on the plant itself. For an adult tomato bush, you need half a liter of the drug.
Prevention of changes in the color of foliage and stem in tomatoes
Based on what was the reason for the appearance of the purple hue on the aboveground part of the seedlings, in most cases, preventive measures are required. In addition to the introduction of appropriate fertilizers and temperature control, it is recommended to carry out:
- correct preparation of the soil composition for planting seedlings. It should be dug deeply, organic components and mineral compositions in the amount of seven kilograms of manure, poultry droppings or compost and forty grams of superphosphate per square meter of the garden bed;
- in the spring, all the soil in the greenhouse is dug up and processed, for each square meter, twenty-five grams of superphosphate and twenty grams of a fertilizer containing potassium are applied;
- transplanting tomato seedlings to a permanent place needs feeding in two weeks, containing organic and mineral components. This role can be played by manure and superphosphate diluted with warm water;
- two basic feeding of tomato plants are mandatory, the interval between which is fifteen days. For this, solutions of twenty grams of superphosphate, fifteen grams of potassium salt and ten grams of ammonium nitrate are used. All drugs are diluted in ten liters of heated water.
Irrigation is carried out with warm water, which is warmed up by the sun during the day. Water is supplied to the root system, it is not recommended to get it on the foliage and stem.
In order for your tomato plants to be distinguished by good productivity and a healthy look, you should periodically inspect the seedlings, whether they have turned blue, whether they have gone spots. Keep the room temperature under control. Another prerequisite is strict adherence to the rules of agricultural technology, according to which the tomato crop is grown.