I have a lot (far too many!) of small toms in my cold greenhouse and they are all looking quite poorly. I put them in there about 3 weeks ago and they have barely grown, and now most have yellow/purple leaves. I'm guessing they have got too cold/wet (soaked them before I went away), but on searching I've also found it may be a phosphorous deficiency and a suggestion I should spray with Epsom Salts. If it's not the latter, will I do more harm than good by spraying, and if it's due to cold/wet, will they recover? What do you think?
I'd give a spray, probably the cold although I've had problems with some compost having not much reserve of nutrients this year. Once they have yellowing leaves they are not producing food for the plant so if you can help green them up they should take off once the weather warms. Be careful with the watering, keep them on the dry side until they are actively growing again.
The clue is here; yellow/purple leaves.
Looks like they have cold wet feet!
Ease off on the water and I don't think spraying will help as this will just add more moisture!
re-pot in fresh compost and don`t water for a while. They will likely be short on nutrients, meanwhile make sure that you have some shading on the greenhouse or stand outside when you can. This will harden them up and thicken the stems. When watering then stand in some water in a tray for a while. While small they seem to thrive on being on the dry side
Same problem with mine I think, hardly growing. Going to ease off with the water and open the greenhouse a bit more.
Thanks. I think part of the problem may be that my greenhouse is now almost completely in shade thanks to the surrounding hedges/trees, which I have no control over. Might put some of them into my coldframe which is in the sun more.
I find that when they are first planted outside, they tend to get a purplish tinge to the leaves. This tends to be temporary, think they are a bit cold!!!
I would like to add...
...If and when you need to water your plants...make sure the water is not cold...nothing worst than having 'cold feet'..would turn anybody purple :tongue3:
I try to remember fill my watering cans advance and keep them in GH so the water has chance to warm up a bit.
Very good point which I try to remember when watering all the seedlings still in my house (no glass house). I use the hot water tap...... at my nearest allotment we have a water system set up by very generous people, consisting of huge plastic water tanks connected to each other, full of water collected from a nearby roof. As these 8 tanks sit out in the weather full time, I suppose they are usually warmed up......