Does this picture mean anything to you? Leaf curl/yellowing

[NorEaster]

These are Red Pear tomato plants. I'm growing a few varieties of tomato's.
This variety doesn't seem to be doing very well.

I think what may have happened is first the 6 lamp T5 light fixture was placed to close (4inches or so) from the plants, and then second to much water. I have since moved the light to about 10" away, and started watering less.

The only other thing I can think of is lack of nutrients where I went with a soiless peat based mix. However, the cotyledons on those plants are not yet completely yellowed/rotted away.

Then you take the Big Beef variety, and they seem to be doing very well with no issues at all. Grown in the same medium, under the same light, with roughly the same watering schedule.



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[rainbowgardener]

What made you think your light was too close? I'm thinking 4" was about right and at 10" (1/6 th the light intensity), your plants will get spindly and leggy.

Too much water and too little nutrients are good possibilities. We've had a number of people write in here this spring asking what's wrong with my seedlings and it turns out they are in a sterile seed starting medium. That works ONLY for germinating seeds. By the time they have true leaves they need added nutrients.

[NorEaster]

What made you think your light was too close? I'm thinking 4" was about right and at 10" (1/6 th the light intensity), your plants will get spindly and leggy.

That was my interpretation when I started.

Too much water and too little nutrients are good possibilities. We've had a number of people write in here this spring asking what's wrong with my seedlings and it turns out they are in a sterile seed starting medium. That works ONLY for germinating seeds. By the time they have true leaves they need added nutrients.

Great, I have a full set of fox farms nutes waiting. I'll let everything dry out completely and then start following their feeding schedule starting with 1/2 dose.

I didn't realize feeding was necessary before the cotyledons were gone. Thanks for the info!

[rainbowgardener]

I'll let everything dry out completely

Not too completely! They are still babies. If they totally dry out, they will die. What you are aiming for is barely damp.