Almost every gardener has encountered the problem of whitened tomato leaves, and this phenomenon is mainly observed after planting seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground. There are two options for the development of events: in the first case, only part of the leaves (mostly the upper ones) turn white, in the second, all the leaves become white, and only the growth point and the stem itself remain green. What's happening?

The reason for the whitening of tomato seedlings

In both cases, the whitening of the leaves is a consequence of sunburn that the tomato seedlings received. What could lead to such consequences? The seedlings could be exposed to the sun without preparing them first. The second reason for getting a burn is that young tomato bushes were taken out of the house and immediately transplanted into open ground (greenhouse).

Tomato seedlings need to be acclimated to sunlight from the moment they emerge. The seedling box should be placed on a windowsill where the sun shines on it most of the day. In this case, the plants will get used to ultraviolet radiation, they grow healthy and well developed. Such seedlings are not afraid of diseases.

If the tomato seedlings were always kept on the north side of the house, or the spring was cloudy, before planting in the ground, the young plants should be gradually accustomed to the sun. To do this, boxes with seedlings are placed outside for several hours, gradually increasing the time. Many summer residents make a big mistake by immediately placing tomato seedlings in the sun for a long time. If the tomatoes were previously indoors and the week was cloudy, the leaves will get sunburn. In the worst case, the seedlings will burn completely and will not recover.

If the seedlings are not accustomed to sunlight, when transplanting them into a greenhouse or open ground, it is necessary to create additional temporary shelter. For these purposes, you can use lutrasil. For convenience and safety of plants, metal or plastic arcs are installed in the garden bed, forming a frame for creating a greenhouse. You can also make a temporary greenhouse. Plants in such conditions adapt faster and get used to bright light. If it is not possible to provide shelter, shade the tomato seedlings with newspapers from the aggressive sun (if rain is not expected).

At first, the greenhouse is kept covered so that the plants get used to the new conditions. They should only be opened for ventilation and watering. When it gets warmer, the greenhouse is left open a little longer.

What to do if the planted tomatoes turn white?

Such leaves will no longer turn green. However, competent measures will help to revive tomato seedlings and gain weight. When the sun sets behind the horizon, treat the tomatoes with Epin's solution or any other means of similar action. The drug helps the plant cope with stress. This treatment is repeated three times, maintaining an interval of a week.

Since white leaves do not participate in photosynthesis, the plant will be stunted. Proper feeding will allow the tomato bush to grow green mass, but the harvest will be late.

After planting tomato seedlings in the ground, the leaves turn white and dry out. What's the matter? And does it depend on the soil or watering? What is missing or excess ash, for example. How to treat?

The leaves of tomato seedlings turn white from a sunburn - first part of the leaf burns out. Then it turns white and eventually dries out. All winter, tomato seedlings grew on a window or windowsill without direct sunlight or ultraviolet radiation - and immediately in active sun.

How to fix the situation?

No way. The seedlings will move away over time, new leaves will appear, strong and green.

What should I do to prevent the leaves of tomato seedlings from turning white?

Shade the freshly burned tomato seedlings for the first time; you can cover them with lutrasil. It was necessary to harden the seedlings before planting, not immediately into the garden, but a process: take it out and bring it in, for three days, and increase the time gradually.

It is better to transplant seedlings in the afternoon, and they should be shaded for a couple of days after transplantation. Fertilizing can be done after the seedlings have taken root (they have a new leaf). Transplantation into the ground can be done only after the end of night frosts. If you plant seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse, then you do not need to harden them.

You don’t have to harden the seedlings at all, but to protect them from strong ultraviolet irradiation and as a trace, you just need to immediately after planting spray once with a solution of “Epin-extra” (2–4 drops per 1 liter of water) or the homeopathic preparation “Ecoberin”. It is enough to shake 2 grains until completely dissolved in a small bottle half filled with water. Then add water to 1 liter, stir thoroughly and spray. In the same way, you can spray not only seedlings, but also any other plantings (in particular, coniferous or evergreen non-deciduous rhododendrons) against spring sunburn.

©G. A. Kizima. "Illustrated encyclopedia of gardening for beginners"

Kira Stoletova

One of the popular vegetables in almost every Russian family is the tomato. No summer lunch or dinner is complete without it. Tomato is nutritious and rich in vitamins. Many amateur gardeners dream of growing tomatoes in their beds, but this is an extremely troublesome task. To grow tomatoes properly and get a good harvest, you need to monitor the plantings and prevent the development of various diseases. Sometimes not all gardeners can correctly understand why tomato seedlings turn white.

This type of plant is susceptible to a large number of diseases and many of them manifest themselves as a white coating on the ovaries of seedlings or on the fruits. Due to the difficulty of growing tomatoes and possible diseases, many gardeners simply refuse to plant tomatoes in their beds. If you properly care for the seedlings and prevent emerging diseases in time, then in the future the tomato seedlings will delight you with a bountiful harvest and tasty fruits.

Reasons for the appearance of white spots on tomato seedlings

Sunburn
Brown spot
White spot and white rot
Presence of pests on plantings
Deficiency or oversaturation of various fertilizers
Bacteriosis
Late blight and powdery mildew
Apical rot and streak

Sunburn

The most common seedling disease is sunburn. This disease occurs due to improper care and placement of plantings. Sunburn is characterized by the appearance of white spots and streaks on seedlings. All the leaves up to the stem may turn white at once, or only the upper young leaves may turn white. In any case, if the leaves of the plantings turn white, then most likely this is a sign of a burn. Also, the reason for this phenomenon is the unpreparedness of tomatoes for direct sunlight. To avoid burns when some parts of the tomato turn white, it is necessary from the very beginning to accustom the tomatoes to exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

To do this, many gardeners place a box of seedlings on a windowsill where there is plenty of light. In the spring, before planting in open ground, it is necessary to gradually accustom young plants to light. You should only take the seedlings out into the fresh air for a few hours a day. Every day increasing the stay of seedlings on the street. Well, if the leaves of the tomatoes still turn white, it will not be possible to return the green color to the foliage, but you can try to restore the tomato. To do this, after sunset, the leaves of the tomatoes must be treated with special chemicals. Chemicals relieve stress in the plant. This procedure should be repeated 3 times with an interval of 7 days. It should be noted that most of the problems for novice gardeners are associated with this phenomenon. By correctly following the sequence of actions, you can easily avoid sunburn on your seedlings.

Brown spot

Mainly greenhouse tomatoes are susceptible to this disease. Brown spotting appears on seedlings at the start of fruiting. This scourge can be recognized by the following symptoms: the leaf on the underside becomes covered with a white coating, after which the foliage becomes porous. Over time, the color of the leaves turns white and begins to dry out. If the greenhouse has high humidity and temperature, the disease will very quickly spread to healthy plants.

To prevent this disease, you need to monitor the humidity and temperature in the greenhouse. Be sure to ventilate the room once a day. If the plantings become infected, they should be immediately treated with Bordeaux mixture. It is recommended to re-treat after ten days. If there is no improvement, then this procedure is repeated two more times at the same interval.

White spotting and white rot on tomato seedlings

If you notice white spots with a dark border on the lower leaves of tomato seedlings, this is a sign of white spot disease. Subsequently, a fungus begins to develop in these spots, thereby affecting the plant. Such tomatoes must be urgently removed from the garden, since they cannot be treated, but can infect healthy bushes.

White rot is a common fungal disease. It is characterized by the appearance of mucus on the stems of the plant, which subsequently develops into white growths, the so-called white mycelium. The plant affected by the disease gradually begins to wither.

High temperature and excess moisture

Very often, under the influence of direct sunlight and high temperatures, tomato leaves begin to curl. In this way, tomatoes try to protect themselves from moisture loss. In the evening, the leaves bloom again to replenish their moisture reserves. To protect the plants, a canopy is built over them during sunny hours. In such a situation, many summer residents usually make a grave mistake by starting to water tomatoes in the midst of the heat. This is not recommended, especially if you water by rain. With this method of watering, the water remaining on the leaves works in the sun like a magnifying glass, gradually burning out the foliage.

An excess of moisture, as well as a deficiency, can harm plantings and this can manifest itself in white stains on seedlings. This usually happens during a rainy period of summer. During heavy rains, if the soil is clayey, then water begins to accumulate at the rhizomes, blocking the access of oxygen to them. Without receiving air, the plant begins to wither and dry out over time. To prevent this situation, when planting tomatoes, add loose soil to the soil so that water is absorbed faster. It serves as a kind of drainage system. In the bed itself, small furrows are made from the stem to the side for unimpeded drainage of water.

Pests on tomato seedlings

Common pests that attack tomatoes are aphids, whiteflies, and red spider mites. Another problem for the gardener can be insect pests, although they do not often attack tomatoes. Pests especially attack tomato seedlings if the beds are large and there are a lot of plants on them. Insects settle on the underside of the leaf, gradually sucking all the juices out of it. The leaf begins to turn yellow, turn white and curl.

If there are few insects, you can try treating the affected plants with a solution of onion peels or celandine. If it doesn’t help, then you need to try treating it with chemicals. It should be remembered that stronger drugs should not be used if tomato ovaries appear. Since the drug is deposited in the fruits and can be dangerous to your health.

Deficiency or excess of nutrients

A lack of nutrients, as well as an excess of them, can have a detrimental effect on the condition of tomatoes. Often, many gardeners adhere to the rule - more is better than less and begin to fertilize their beds even more. Basically, among the common problems on the site, there is a shortage of mineral and organic fertilizers. The fertilizer used is fresh manure, various infusions or simply chemical fertilizers.

If there is an excess of fertilizers, the tomato is no longer able to absorb them and begins to curl the leaf so that the process of photosynthesis does not occur.

In addition, when the soil is abundantly fertilized and the temperature is high, ammonia begins to be released. It burns the leaves, which subsequently turn white, curl and die. The soil itself also suffers from ammonia. An excess of fertilizers has a detrimental effect on the biological processes occurring in the soil. If the temperature in the greenhouse is high, but the soil has not yet warmed up, then the nutrients in the soil are not activated. Therefore, plantings need to be fed with special fertilizers, with the correct dosage and time of application.

Bacteriosis of tomato seedlings

This disease can be recognized by the following signs:

The seedlings are growing poorly, the leaves have turned white.
A shortened stem and ugly shoots are observed.
Basically, such seedlings do not bear fruit.

Tomato bacteriosis cannot be treated. The disease is transmitted through the seed and the diseased plant infects the soil. The surest way is to remove the plant and treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate. After planting infected tomatoes, mustard can be planted in this place. Mustard kills the bacteria of this disease found in the soil. And only after this can you try to plant tomatoes again.

Late blight and powdery mildew

Late blight is another disease that affects tomatoes. First it affects potatoes, and then it spreads to neighboring tomatoes. The main symptoms are the appearance of brown and white spots on the leaves, stem and fruit itself. The fruit begins to harden, dries, and then sours. In some cases, the tomatoes turn white. In this case, you need to remove the damaged areas of the plant and fruits. And the tomato itself must be treated with Bordeaux mixture. Also, for disinfection, tomatoes are placed in water heated to a temperature of 60 degrees for a couple of minutes.

Tomatoes are one of the most popular and sought-after crops in our country, therefore they are actively grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. Failure to comply with cultivation technology, as well as unfavorable external factors, often cause various painful conditions of garden plants, including the appearance of white leaves on tomato bushes.

To understand why the leaves on an apparently healthy plant have turned white, and to decide what needs to be done in this situation, you should know what the main, most common diseases affect tomatoes, and also be able to promptly and competently identify the damaging factor.

Why do the leaves on tomato seedlings turn white?

Quite often, gardeners are faced with a situation where seemingly properly grown seedlings of a garden crop turn white, and the leaves of young tomatoes become very light in color literally overnight.

If the agricultural technology for growing seedlings is followed, the foliage on the plants lightens extremely rarely, but there is a risk of damage to the above-ground part of the garden crop by the sun's rays after planting in a permanent place.

If seedlings are planted on ridges of open or greenhouse soil in hot and sunny weather, it is imperative to shade the plants during the first week. Otherwise, young tomato bushes get sick, take longer to take root and may be significantly delayed in growth and development.

If the leaves on adult tomato bushes turn white

Mature tomatoes are more resistant to sunburn, but when growing this heat-loving garden crop, there is no complete guarantee of absence of disease or pest damage, which also often accompanied by a change in leaf color:

Prevention rules

As a rule, in most cases, pale foliage on tomato bushes is a sign of improper care of the crop and insufficient nutrition, which this highly productive plant needs at all stages of the growing season. In this case, it is enough to adjust the fertilizer application schedule and use the most effective and complete fertilizing for this purpose.

You should adhere to the following rules for growing tomatoes in home gardening:

It is necessary to plant exclusively healthy plants that are not affected by diseases or pests;
Watering should be carried out with warm water, directly at the base of the garden crop;
Irrigation activities should be carried out in the morning, which will allow the tomato foliage to dry well;
it is very important to promptly remove and destroy all affected plants;
it is mandatory to follow the rules of crop rotation;
good results are obtained by treating the above-ground part of a tomato bush damaged by the sun with a solution based on the drug “Epin”.

Systematic inspections of tomato bushes make it possible to detect the problem in a timely manner and develop an effective treatment plan.

To enhance growth processes, as well as to increase the resistance of garden crops to temperature and water stress situations, including heat and drought, it is recommended to treat with the drug “Verva”, diluted at the rate of 2.5 ml per 3 liters of water. Spraying of the aboveground part is carried out in several stages, at the flowering stage of each cluster. The average consumption of the working solution is approximately 300 ml for every 10 square meters. m landing area.

Ways to get rid of the problem

If the cause of blanching of tomato foliage is damage to the garden plant by pathogenic microflora, then it is necessary to immediately carry out therapeutic measures using the most effective drugs. The use of folk remedies in this case is inappropriate due to insufficient effectiveness and a high risk of losing a significant part of the harvest.

Damage factor	Signs of defeat	Standard treatment regimen
White spot	The appearance of off-white spots with a dark border on the foliage	Dilute the drug "Abiga-Peak" at the rate of 50 g per 10 liters of water and treat the aerial parts at the first signs of damage
Powdery mildew	A very pronounced whitish coating of mycelium forms on the surface of the leaves.	Spraying at the beginning of budding and fruit formation with an interval of 7-14 days with the drug “Topaz”, diluted in a ratio of 6-8 ml per 10 liters of water. 5 liters of solution is enough to treat an area of one hundred square meters.
Spotted wilt	Formation of small yellowish-white spots on old foliage	It is recommended to destroy infected plants by digging and burning
Mosaic	The appearance of a yellowish or whitish pattern on the foliage	Burn all tomato seedlings showing signs of mosaic damage.

In order to improve the growth and development of tomato seedlings and to increase overall yield, it is recommended to use the drug “Agat-25K”, diluted at the rate of 140 mg per 3 liters of water. The first spraying of plants is carried out at the stage of the appearance of the third true leaf, and repeated treatment is necessary for tomatoes after about three weeks with a consumption of 0.3 liters for every 10 m 2 of planting area.

Thanks to such treatments, plants grow stronger and are able to actively resist all adverse external influences.

High-quality, strong tomato seedlings planted in the ground sometimes make you worry. Its green, elastic leaves can turn white immediately after planting, without changing turgor. What is it - a disease, a problem with nutrition or soil? The reason is completely different.

Tomato seedlings are usually grown indoors: stable air temperature, absence of precipitation and wind, contribute to the fact that the seedlings grow together, become stronger, and grow green leaves. The only disadvantage of growing seedlings at home is the lack of lighting, which is usually compensated for by artificial light lamps.

In such favorable conditions, seedlings grow of high quality, but tender. She was not used to changeable weather, sharp temperature fluctuations, bright ultraviolet rays, and cold spring precipitation.

Having planted seedlings outdoors, after a few days you can see that the upper leaves have changed color - they have become completely white. If in adult plants the cause may be a disease, attack by pests or a lack of microelements in the soil, then in seedlings this happens for a completely different reason.

Tender plants transplanted into the ground experience stress. It manifests itself in a change in the color of the leaves from green to white, while the whiteness appears evenly, without spots or dots. After some time, these leaves may fall off.

Main Causes of Stress

bright sun rays;
sudden changes in day and night temperatures;
cold ground;
cool rains;
strong gusts of wind.

For tomatoes planted in a greenhouse, the main cause is bright sunlight.

What to do if the leaves of tomatoes turn white

Leaves that turn white may fall off over time. You shouldn’t be afraid of this, because the growing point is the top of the plant. New green foliage will emerge from it.

To avoid this problem, after planting, it is advisable to cover the seedlings with agrofibre. Low density non-woven covering material is suitable. To prevent the seedlings from breaking, you need to install arches over the bed that will prevent the shelter from sagging.

The cover is removed gradually after a few days. First, the tomatoes are accustomed to the morning and evening sun, then left open for the day. After 10-14 days, the agrofibre is completely removed.

To protect young plants from the bright sun, you can use the old proven method. Branches are broken off from birch, aspen, or other trees with large foliage. They are stuck into the ground near the tomatoes on the sunny side. A light shadow is formed. After a few days, the leaves on the branches dry out, and during this time the seedlings adapt to the bright sun.

What to spray

To boost the immunity of tomatoes and make it easier to adapt to new conditions, it is recommended to spray with a solution of “Epin” or “Zircon”. The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 ml of the drug per 5 liters of water.

Treatment is carried out one day after planting, spraying the leaves in the morning or in the late afternoon.

If, according to the weather forecast, cold weather is expected on the days chosen for planting seedlings, then it is better to postpone it to a warmer time. The less stress the seedlings experience, the faster they take root in a new place and begin to grow.

The leaves of tomato seedlings may also turn white if part of the roots are damaged during replanting. This shock can be eliminated if you grow seedlings in separate cups. The transplant is carried out together with a clod of earth, which promotes better survival in a new place.

Prevention

You can prevent the leaves of tomato seedlings from turning white. To do this you need:

pick up tomato seedlings into separate containers;
a week before planting, spray with a solution of microelements;
prepare agrofibre to shelter seedlings from the bright sun and night coolness;
two weeks before transplantation, carry out hardening;
choose a day for planting, following the weather forecast;
one day after planting, spray with Epin, Zircon or other growth stimulants.

Hardening is carried out in stages. This is especially important for tomatoes that grew under artificial light lamps. In the first days, plants are taken out only for a few hours, avoiding sunlight. After a week, the boxes with seedlings are left overnight, covered with thin insulation. You can cover it overnight until transplantation, it depends on the weather.

A week after the start of hardening, they are accustomed to the sun. First, the plants are left in diffuse sunlight, then placed in bright light for two hours. The time is increased by 2-3 hours daily.

The full hardening cycle lasts two weeks.