Topic: two-colour leafed tomato plants

[Ceri]

I haven't grown toms before so am tending my little G. Delight with I hope the right care.  The bottom leaves are light green, and the top ones are dark green.  The bottom leaves are not light enough to be called yellow, but the difference is definitely noticable - I've got some on the windowsill and some in a plastic mini-greenhouse outside and they are all showing this - Can someone please advise if this normal, and if not am I doing something wrong.  I'm not feeding them anything yet, and they are between 4-6 inches high, with about 7 leaves.  Thanks  Ceri

[philcooper]

If the top ones are looking healthy there shouldn't be a problem - if they go yellow then they may be too wet or wanting nutrients - use nitrogen rich until flowers show

[The gardener]

Give them a dose of 'epsom salts' this will adjust any magnesium deficiency.

I have heard people say this also improves the flavour of the fruit, can't argue with that, although I would put this down to the fact that the plant is healthy.

[john_miller]

  Like Phil I don't think you have much to worry about. If the earlier leaves are yellow but the new ones are dark green I would suspect that you had a temperature induced nitrogen deficency earlier. It sounds like this has now been overcome. I would make the observation that if your plants are 4-6 inches with seven leaves then they are definitely short, almost too short. This again could be temperature induced.
  What you do not want to do is water with Epsom salts. Magnesium deficency is not manifested as a general chlorosis (it will show up as an interveinal chlorosis in the older leaves generally). Watering with Epsom salts may indeed create problems as it is so water soluble you could end up with toxicity problems in such young plants.  

[Sparky]

mine are also like this but the tips of the lower leaves are now going dried out.  Should i water them more, or less?  It is all so confusing!

Sparky