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stage_rat

Nutrient deficiency in my seedlings?

stage_rat
17 years ago

I have seedlings that are one month old and younger. I have fluorescent shop lights as well as a MH 1000-watt grow light. I realized when potting-up that the older seedlings, which have been under the incandescent, are much paler than the seedlings living under the fluorescents. The old guys are a very yellow-green, and the young ones are deep green, with purplish stems. I even have some of the leaves on the older seedlings showing green veining and yellowing, crispy edges on the older leaves.

From looking at the problem-solver I THINK this would be due to iron or magnesium deficiency, which I should be able to correct. This didn't occur last year, and I am using the same unfertilized potting mix and fertilizer (fish emulsion). Perhaps I haven't fertilized enough. The fish emulsion doesn't have any secondary or micronutrients, so I plan to add a little slow-release plant food to each plant.

I don't think I have overwatered, although I don't let the mix get completely dry, since that makes it so unabsorbent. Also, I did start to harden 2 days ago, putting the plants out in midday sun for 15 minutes. I think that might account for some crispy edges, but there are none on the younger, darker seedlings.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone can comment on whether fertilizing will solve my problem, or if it may be something else.

Thanks!

Comments (5)

  • carolyn137
    17 years ago

    I do believe I, at least, have answered this question when you posted it in the regular Tomato Forum.

    Yes?

    And I thought there were other responses as well, but didn't go back to check.

    Carolyn

  • stage_rat
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Carolyn:

    Well, if you did, I don't know where, since I didn't create a thread in the Tomato forum. If there is someone else with an identical problem, I would love to read the advice. I check out the forum at least once a day, and have somehow missed it, despite doing key-word searches and the like. Or maybe I only searched in the Tomato Pests forum. Do you remember the title of it, by any chance?

    Thanks very much,

    Annette

  • carolyn137
    17 years ago

    Annette,

    Is it possible that you posted it another site where I post b'c I seem to remember answering your post and pointing out that fish and seaweed preps DO have lots of micronutrients.

    And if I dreamed all of this up, ahem, I apologize and I'll try to go back and answer your question. ( smile)

    Carolyn

  • stage_rat
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    gentle shake...gentle shake...Carolyn...wake up...

    Nope, this is the only place I posted my question. I did start to join another today, thinking that I need to start asking more groups if I hope to get answers, because not all that many people are internet tomato-problems troubleshooters, and I need to find them, wherever they're lurking.

    Thanks for mentioning the micronutrients in the fish emulsion. I'd thought it contained them, but when I saw this problem I looked at the bottle, and it only lists the N-P-K. I've since done an online search and found the list of what else is included.

    So now it's been two days since I fertilized, and I haven't seen a change. It was a pretty dilute mixture, so today I decided to hit everyone with a much stronger dilution. If nothing improves after this, I have no idea what's wrong. Do you? I would love to know. :)

    Thanks,

    Annette

  • carolyn137
    17 years ago

    gentle shake...gentle shake...Carolyn...wake up...

    Ok, I'm awake now. LOL

    If you're hardening them off to put outside now I'd forget all about trying to make some kind of diagnosis b'c it's just too difficult b'c it could be related to the light source, the pH of the mix, the specific mix used, what you've been giving them as to fertilizer and water and whatever, which is my catch all word. LOL

    If the soil is good and the weather fine, then they should pop out of that condiution, shed any damaged leaves, form new ones and grow just fine.

    I have to tell you though, that no way would I be putting out plants in a zone 5 area, as you indicate, this early in the year.

    In your zone 5 your last average frost date is about mid-May and I'm the same and I wouldn't think of putting out plants until around June 1.

    Nothing is gained by putting out plants in cold soil with the unsettled weather of late Spring, at least to me who has seen my mid-June plants grow wonderfully and catch up to and often surpass the earlier grown ones.

    I don't know what other message sites you joined but I can tell you that many folks have left GW to go to Tville and I'm one of them, and I've been here since this Forunm was created several years ago and will continue to post here when I have the time, but also post at three other sites online. The same folks who post about diseases and the like at Tville are pretty much the same ones who post here.

    However, at this time of the year most folks are out and about working in the yard/garden, and not posting as much online.

    I'm still here since I'm in a walker following a fall and so I have to pay others to do my outside work now, and cutting to the chase, I do have more time to post online than some others do about diseases, etc.

    But I sure as heck would not join a message site just looking for advice about tomato problems. Each site has their own special traits and some are populated by folks with lesser or greater experience in all aspects of tomato growing. And many folks will not take the time to post about tomato diseases b'c they're more interested in specific varieties, histories, seed sowing, culture and other such info.

    Carolyn