Why tomato seedlings become lilac?

Even experienced gardeners face problems in growing tomato seedlings. And one of them is a change in the color of the foliage, and sometimes the stems to purple. Normally, the leaves should be saturated green and any deviations can signal the development of diseases. We will understand what factors could lead to violations, and how to save the young seedlings from death.

Causes and first signs of leaf color change

The appearance of the seedlings, even small spots of non-standard color already indicates a violation of the development of tomatoes. At first stains may be small light purple or crimson, but over time they darken and become larger, and the leaves begin to fall off. If you ignore the first signs of the situation will be aggravated and the young seedlings may even die. To choose the right treatment, you need to understand the reasons, there may be several:

1. Violation of the recommended temperatures growing, changes can provoke excessive heat and cold. At low temperatures, plants are not able to absorb nutrients through the roots.
2. Lack of nutrients in the soil, or its unbalanced composition, is especially important for tomatoes phosphorus, it is necessary for them during the entire growing season.
3. Lack of light, or the cultivation of seedlings in a dark room, where the only source of light - lamps of artificial lighting. Capacities with seedlings should be regularly reversed so that each seedling receives a sufficient amount of sunlight;

The first signs of disruption of plant development, almost imperceptible. The spots are small and pale at first, then increase in size and become more saturated. If you do not take action, the leaves will become completely purple, and will begin to wilt, curl and fall off. The stem of tomatoes not only changes color from green to purple, but also becomes brittle. The villi become coarser and longer.

What to do

First you need to normalize the temperature in the room, it should be 18-22 degrees Celsius. If the seedlings are located on the windowsill, a heater is placed under the bottom of the tank. When the foliage turned violet after planting in the soil, then during cold weather it is necessary to cover the seedlings, you can build a temporary greenhouse of pipes and films.

If the condition of the seedlings has not improved, and the leaves become more saturated and begin to fall off, you should think about the introduction of nutrients. It is necessary to choose the nutrient mixture with caution, because excessive fertilization can also have a bad effect on the condition of seedlings.

Experienced gardeners use a superphosphate solution for seedlings of tomatoes; they prepare it from a bucket of warm distilled water and 100 grams of fertilizer. It must be thoroughly mixed and infused for a few hours, and then used. It is best to conduct foliar feeding, so the useful elements will be learned faster.

Particular attention should be paid to irrigation; only settled water at room temperature is used to moisten the soil. Water the seedlings directly under the root, trying not to fall on the leaves of the plants. It is also necessary to provide seedlings with a full light day, it should be at least 12 hours. In the afternoon, seedlings are placed on a window on the south side, and in the evening they include additional lighting.

Prevention

It is better to observe the agrotechnology of cultivation, conditions of detention and recommendations for watering from the first day after the sowing works. What then treat the plants and by trial and error to eliminate all adverse factors of cultivation. Before sowing the seeds they must be prepared and sanitized, the same applies to the soil for planting seedlings.

The soil must be fertile, during the entire growing season tomatoes need fertilization. Top dressing spend at least 2-3 times per season, it will ensure the proper growth and development of young plants. Weak seedlings are more prone diseases and the pest invasion. Proper care of seedlings will reduce the risk of developing diseases. To protect the tomatoes, several times during the growing season they are sprayed with fungicides.

Conclusion

Violet leaves, which fall, can be a signal of violation of conditions of detention and the lack of important for the proper development of nutrients. If you notice changes in the initial stages and immediately begin to act, then after only 7-14 days young tomatoes will easily recover and this will not affect the yield. Ignoring the signs can even lead to the death of seedlings.