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Tomato problem
lambchop
Posts: 6
in Fruit & veg
I have several young potted up tomato plants in the greenhouse but some of them are losing colour on some of the leaves turning white patches. Also some of them are turning slightly purple under the leaves. I am hoping this is not a virus as I have several other plants in with them - cue, chillies, peppers etc.
0
Posts
Think they may be a bit on the chilly side lambchop.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
White patches can also result from sun scorch in a green house - check that there aren't any hot spots close to the glass.
The purplish colour may be due to cold, but if it persists, it may be a shortage of magnusium, which can be added in a liquid feed or by spraying a solution of Epsom salts on the leaves.
I don't think either sympton sounds like a virus.
If it's any consolation the same happened to the tomatoes I left in the greenhouse a few weeks back. I have left them there because I have too many, but they are now very bushy and healthy looking, and if anything more robust in appearance than the ones on the windowsill which are taller, more willowy and lighter in colour.
Thanks for all your replies. Plants had not been moved from greenhouse but maybe they got fraught from door opened or window left opened, so fingers crossed they will be ok.
They'll be fine. As above, the white patch is probably the sun scorching a wet leaf. One or two of my seedlings have the same. Purpling foliage is very very common with seedlings, usually a sign that they need more warmth.
most of my tom seedlings went very purple last year, as I held off on putting them outside until the very last because of the cold spring. As it was, they recovered incredibly quickly as soon as they were getting full sunlight outside and I don't think it really held them back at all.
Yes, last year mine were tiny at this stage, and even when I planted them out late in May they were very small, frail and discoloured. But once the summer sun came, they did very well - and with almost no blight last year either.
I think in hindsight last year I could probably have moved them from indoors to cold frame a little earlier but temps were so low. May hasn't started brilliantly here in SE Eng but no sign of frosts at least (famous last words). I'm hoping by having held off on sowing my toms, though, that I've bought some insurance.
Well, Bf206, you should think yourself lucky that May has started at all - it's still April here in the south-west!