Susa
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very pale tomato leaves

Is a lack of nitrogen always the cause for pale green leaves? I've been fertilizing them with manure tea because I don't like using fish emulsion, and I just put down some cottonseed meal. Is there anything else I could do without using the fish fertilizer?
Thanks

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applestar
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Pale green leaves could also be due to sucking insect....

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rainbowgardener
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If they were nitrogen deficient enough to be significantly pale, their growth would also be stunted, they would tend to be thin, sparsely leafed, not very branchy. If you have a big, healthy leafy plant, it isn't nitrogen deficient, whatever the color. I'd be really surprised if they were nitrogen deficient, if you've been giving them manure tea.

Other possibilities along with the sucking insects, would be if they are not getting enough sun, or possibly if they are iron deficient. The iron deficiency usually happens if your soil is high pH and tends to lock up the iron. If it is severe, the iron deficiency shows up as chlorosis, where the veins are dark in pale leaves.

Susa
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Thanks, rainbow, for answering both of my "pale leaf" questions.
I bet it's iron deficiency. I had a soil test done a few months ago that showed a pH of 6.5-7.0, but thought that the amendments I added to the planting holes would be sufficient! I'll definitely try the Ironite.

Susa
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I bought some Ironite, then noticed that it contains Mercury! I returned it, bought a liquid iron from Feti Lome and now I see that the label says to go online for info on the product's metal levels. After some searching I came across this site: https://www.pirg.org/toxics/reports/wastelands/ ...
Just thought I'd post this in case anyone is interested.

amylong
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I am new to growing tomatoes and learned from some mistakes. I planted mine in march 25..and some sprouted..and is a few weeks old and I am trying to slowly harden them off. I notice that the new leaves look a little bit pale/yellow. I am not sure if I am over reacting or if there is deficiency or if I am over watering. The older leaves look healthy. I appreciate all the feedback. Thank you so much.
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rainbowgardener
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Once they get in the ground, in the sunshine, it will most likely correct itself.

amylong
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does it need a little more sun?? Or does it need more room? I was impatient and took my tomatoes out on a sunny day and I lost one plant to sunburn and a few are set back and some I don't know they will survive. I have been very careful bringing them out. They have been doing well outside in a shaded area. Today I am aiming for 6hrs of shaded area. Today I was thinking of maybe 30min of direct sunlight see how they go, but I am afraid of sun burn. Now it is 58 and partial cloudy. Thank you so much:)

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applestar
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Dappled shade and sun under a tree or even under a patio table or lawn/lounge chair can work too. Shade cloth can be devised with burlap, old curtains, whatever.

Overall I find filtered sun more reliable than exposing for a period time to full direct sun then moving to full shade.

Basically think how you would feel in the hot sun first time out on the beach and think of ways to protect.

I'm growing one of the previously mentioned variety with naturally chartreuse colored leaves and found them to be somewhat more susceptible to sunburn compared to darker pigmented seedlings, so be careful.

amylong
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Thanks:) I have them under a chair and a bench now. Would newspaper work in filtering the sun?? I taped a cloth over it to try to make it less harsh. I can't wait for them to be able to full stay outside..all day=.=;

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gixxerific
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rainbowgardener wrote:Once they get in the ground, in the sunshine, it will most likely correct itself.

Tru Dat! :>

Those plants look very healthy to me. I would not worry and keep doing what you are doing. They should be ready for a light (1/2 strength or less) fertilizing soon this may help as well. No indoor light of any kind and any quantity will EVER match what they get from even dappled sunlight.

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gixxerific
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amylong wrote:Thanks:) I have them under a chair and a bench now. Would newspaper work in filtering the sun?? I taped a cloth over it to try to make it less harsh. I can't wait for them to be able to full stay outside..all day=.=;

The chair/bench may be enough. But yes newspaper would work. Anything you have to help lessen the sun's intensity will work.

amylong
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thanks:) I consider myself to be a plant killer. I am surprised anything sprouted, let alone survive for a month now. Now I would be excited to to see any growth or a sign of a flower..:( I know I am impatient haha.
I ended up putting an umbrella over them...because that is what I do on really sunny days..the shade look less shadier than under the bench and chair and I put them out for a little bit of sun set.
On hardening, is missing one day really terrible?? The day before, they were out from 8:30ish until 7pm. Today I had work and left really early in the morning and I was scared to take them out at 5am even though the temperature was ok, I never had them out at night.
Is it too soon to fertilize them? I keep reading that fertilizing them young can be harmful. They sprouted on the first week of April. Thank you so much for your advice and input and patience answering my newbie questions. Thank you so very much.

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The plants look good to me. The fast growing part of the leaf is often slow to green up. Nitrogen deficiency is yellowing of bottom leaves as the nitrogen gets moved to the growing tissue. Iron deficiency is white more than yellow IIRC, and not very common. The rest of the plants around (grass, trees etc would be screwed up if iron was missing.


I would fill the rest of the cup up with potting mix rather than fertilize.

Not enough sun usually means dark green leaves as the plant tries to compensate with more chlorophyll. High light lightens leaves so that they don't poison themselves with sugar buildup in the leaves.

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try feeding on a regular basis with a seaweed extract, but use it as a soil drench (don't foliar feed)

also, if you can get some worm humus /vermicompost, a handfull around each tomato plant does wonders

some say that you should never feed tomato plants untill the 1st flowers form .... I feed them from the time they are planted in the ground, and it works for me (I also brew my own AACT and use that on all plants including veg/herbs)

I also use fish hydrolosate (biobizz fish mix), and add that to my AACT and also use it as a foliar feed on all my plants ..... it does not make the veg/plants taste of fish

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rainbowgardener
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Now I would be excited to to see any growth or a sign of a flower.. I know I am impatient


You are impatient. :) It isn't going to flower until it is about three times as big as it is now. Just keep taking care of it. When it is a bit bigger and conditions are right, get it in the ground. Then it will take off and grow rapidly.

amylong
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Wow three times..I'm scared to put it in the ground because of all the bugs..I know my yard has ants and every night I check to see if there is anything on them....major yuck yuck factor..my brother was like..why you plant stuff if you cant handle bugs lol

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rainbowgardener
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So how's your little tomato plant coming along by now? :)

amylong
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My plants are still in their little cups. I hope once I move them to the ground or into my smart pots, they will grow more. Maybe it's because I have to see them every night that I may not notice their growth. :S

They were outside today for most of the day. Two of them showed signs of drooping leaves and I pulled it into the shade and gave it some sips of water and it perked back up. with the crazy weather, I have been hesitant to put them into the ground, but I think I should or else I am afraid they won't grow. Hopefully by this weekend after my class is done, I will be be able to get four of them into my 10gallon pots. Thank you for asking. Hopefully I can get tomatoes. I will definitely bury them deep deep. My peppers, I hope picks up soon too. I see little third leaves coming. It is so exciting to see them slowly grow.

https://imgur.com/WLFlWlx
https://imgur.com/VNjh2Bq
https://imgur.com/guuzsAy

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rainbowgardener
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They are looking pretty healthy, but you are right, growing a little slowly. If your weather isn't cooperating to get them in the ground (or large containers where they will stay), I would up-pot them into a little bit bigger containers now. They are probably getting a little root bound in the cups.

amylong
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thanks:) ok. I will try this weekend to get them in the ground or bigger pots:)

amylong
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those ten gallon smart pots were bigger than I thought! I got most of the base filled out. My dad took ten of the other bigger seedlings and planted them in the ground:( So far they look ok. they say the ones I put in the pot wont give me tomatoes:( and that I should return my pots..but I want to try out the pot anyway, see which tomatoes grow more haha
https://imgur.com/EbazhcB
https://imgur.com/GAoMQSv
those two are the cherry tomatoes...hopefully they grow bigger soon so I can fill the pot more....:(
I just finished putting my big tomatoes in there too. hopefully they grow bigger soon:(

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rainbowgardener
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There's no reason you can't get plenty of tomatoes from a plant in a ten gallon pot assuming the right conditions (mainly plenty of sun) and good care (frequent watering and occasional feeding).

amylong
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I hope so:) and the pots are taking up much more space than I anticipated..thus I may try the shoe organizer thing for winter if possible:( The plants look happier being in the pots. I hope they are spreading roots and thus I haven't seen growth. I have been putting my egg shells, and pieces of banana peel in there. Right after I got them in the pots, these few days have been raining and raining:( and windy too:(



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