yet another tomato seedling thread...

[kethry]

apologies in advance if this is in the wrong place...

I have a bedroom windowsill full of tomato seedlings, all growing merrily away. I've grown tomatoes before, for about 4 years, but a couple of them are not looking terribly healthy. Its not the obvious stuff like watering and so on, and only a few of the plants are affected... they're basically a rather pale colour, a sort of pale green rather than the darker green their compatriots are. Puzzlingly, the plants affected are mostly of the tumbling tom red variety. It could well be that that variety is paler anyway, but its still a headscratching moment for me (not to mention worrying). I've tried repotting, in case they were running low on nutrients (they were in some rather small pots), but thats not helped. I've also given them a feed of baby bio. That's not helped either. I'm not doing anything different to them than i am to the other plants on the same windowsill.

any ideas? Photos attached... first one is a regular, healthy, non-problematic tomato seedling growing one along from the second photo, which is a problematic one. Just for comparison...

Healthy:

Unhealthy:

and:

and:

thanks in advance for help/suggestions...

keth
xx

[teakdesk]

Do they also have purple stems?

Do you move them off the windowsill at night or do you let them get exposed to the very cold temperatures we have had outside recently?


I would try and keep their temperatures more constant - preferably not less than 15 degrees C at night - and not exposed to the raging sun we have had recently during the day.


PS - I've had toms look like that before and they recovered and were fine!

[Alice]

I think you're worrying too much Kethry.
I think they will all get on fine.

[SarzWix]

They do look a bit scratty compared to the others don't they? But if they're in identical compost/light/watering as the others, then it might just be down to the variety of tomato.
I grew Amish Paste last year and spent half the season convinced there was something wrong with them because they looked really scraggy! But they produced fab tomatoes so I stopped worrying and let them get on with it

[FionaH]

I grew Amish Paste last year and spent half the season convinced there was something wrong with them because they looked really scraggy! But they produced fab tomatoes so I stopped worrying and let them get on with it

Sarz I was just considering posting about my floopy looking armish paste seedlings, no need now! Thanks

[SarzWix]

Sarz I was just considering posting about my floopy looking armish paste seedlings, no need now! Thanks

They grow reeeally fast Fi, so keep potting them on - most of mine are still in 3" pots but most of the AP's are in 5" now - all sown at the same time!

[FionaH]

Aye they are in 5 inch pots now

[Lavenderblue]

why is the purple stems important? A few of mine have purple stems but I put it down to the variety.

[SarzWix]

I'm not sure about purple stems either... some of mine have them too! I usually bury that bit of stem when I pot them on!
Purple tinge on the underside of the leaves is a sign of them getting cold though.

[teakdesk]

I asked about purple stems because I associate them with cold (I may be wrong though!).

If they are on a windowsill overnight they often get too cold.

But, as I said, whenever mine have been like that they have continued to grow and were good plants

[braders]

Ive found that temperature needs to be quite constant...keep moist and dont drown them. I think varieties all vary as regards the stem colour...my advice...dont worry Im sure they will be fine.

Cheers
braders...

[kethry]

now that i can get into the bedroom to check the seedlings.. (OH was asleep) - I've had a look, and although the dodgy ones have purple stems and purple undersides.. so do all the others! or at least, purplish streaks.

It could well be the cold. I keep the bedroom window open at night, unless its very very cold. having said all that though, i'm going to stop worrying about them. like others have said they've probably been that way before and i've not noticed them (i've grown tomatoes successfully for the last 4 years or so on that bedroom windowsill!). so i'll stop mollycoddling them. However, that windowsill does get direct sun almost all day so i've just given them a good water: some of them looked rather dry, so that will help. (mind you i've just given everything a good water, except the carrots which i sowed yesterday and watered at the time!).

Thanks for all the help and reassurance!

keth
xx