Why are tomato seedlings purple?

Tomatoes, or tomatoes, have long and firmly taken their place in our diet. This is due not only to excellent taste, but also to a high level of usefulness. After all, tomatoes contain a number of important elements and vitamins.

In addition, they are good to eat if there is a stressful period in life: tomatoes contain tyramine, which turns into serotonin when it enters our body. This is why when we enjoy tomatoes, our mood improves.

Based on what has been said, it is quite understandable to want to grow these vegetables yourself in order to have a guaranteed environmentally friendly product.

Without a doubt, tomato seedlings can be purchased from sellers. But there is a danger that they will sell you the wrong variety that you would like to receive. And it cannot be ruled out that they will sell you weak or diseased specimens. Therefore, self-grown seedlings are optimal.

Content:

• The main stages of obtaining seedlings
• Diseases of tomato seedlings
• If the tomato seedlings are purple

The main stages of obtaining seedlings

• Preparing tomato seeds

It will be more effective if tomato seeds are germinated within 2-3 days. To do this, they are placed on a damp cloth and placed in a warm place. Humidity must be maintained by periodic misting until germination.

• Planting hatched seeds

Seeds ready for planting are placed in cups or pots on a layer of soil (you can purchase ready-made soil in the store) and sprinkled with a layer of about 1 centimeter. Peat pots are good for these purposes.Their advantage lies in their ability to decompose in the ground. Then all the containers with the planted seeds are placed again in a warm place.

• Picking seedlings

Shoots most often appear on the fifth or seventh day. It is necessary to observe the temperature regime: during the day from +10 to +15 degrees, and at night it is better to reduce it to +8.

Picking is done when the first two true leaves appear. Before starting the procedure, abundant watering is carried out so that the roots are less damaged when planting. After picking, the soil around the stem should be slightly compacted.

• Caring for seedlings after picking

The main care for pickled plants consists of regular watering, observing the temperature regime and carrying out timely feeding (approximately once every 15 days). Important: during the day the temperature can reach +20 degrees, but at night it must be reduced to +10 degrees.

It is useful to fertilize with infusion of chicken manure. Although you can also use a solution of nitrophoska.

Please note: before planting in the ground, seedlings need to be hardened off.

Diseases of tomato seedlings

We list the main diseases of tomato seedlings:

1. Late blight. To prevent it, it is necessary to alternate the usual feeding of seedlings with feeding containing microelements (potassium, iodine, etc.).
2. Blackleg. It is necessary to carefully monitor the temperature and humidity, and often inspect the plants planted in the ground.
3. Mosaic. If a sign of the disease appears, it is necessary to treat the plants with a urea solution.
4. Spotting (brown, white, black). Spraying with special means and treating the soil will help: spraying with potassium permanganate and sprinkling with ash.

If the tomato seedlings are purple

Tomato stems come in different shades. Consider the case when the tomato seedlings are purple.

The color transition of the stem and underside of the leaves from green to purple can occur in two cases:

1. The temperature regime for young plants is not maintained (too low).
2. Tomatoes lack such a nutritional element as phosphorus.

But do not rush to apply fertilizers, which may be excessive.

After all, these two reasons for color changes are very closely related. The stems turn purple because at temperatures below 14 degrees the roots do not absorb the phosphorus contained in the soil. This is probably where starvation comes from. But if the temperature is normal, and the stems have changed color, then you can try spraying. Make a 0.5% solution of phosphorus fertilizers and spray them on the leaves of the seedlings.

However, a slight starvation in terms of phosphorus will not harm the seedlings at this stage.

And with the restoration of the appropriate thermal regime, the seedlings you planted will again acquire a healthy appearance.

Video "How to grow tomato seedlings"