Seedlings are an important stage in growing tomatoes. The future yield of the bushes depends on how healthy and developed they are.
But sometimes problems arise. For example, leaf curling. This can be caused by various factors, and this article discusses some of them.
Lack of light
One of the most common factors that causes curling of seedling leaves is a lack of light. If the seedlings do not receive enough light, they begin to grow in the direction of distortion, trying to find more light. This leads to curling of the leaves. Additional signals: elongated stems, pale leaf color, brittle stems.
Moving the tomatoes to a well-lit windowsill or using backlighting will help correct the problem.
Low temperature
Another reason could be low temperature. If the seedlings are in too cold a place, this can lead to curling of the leaves. The optimal temperature for tomatoes is 23-26 degrees.
Lack of moisture
If the seedlings do not receive enough moisture, their leaves begin to curl to conserve moisture. This is how the plant tries to reduce the area of water evaporation.
The problem is solved by regular watering.
Complex of errors
Most often, leaf curling occurs in hot weather with a lack of moisture. For example, you put tomatoes on the southern windowsill, where the bright spring sun is baking, and from below it is "helped" by a radiator. Plus, you forgot to water the plants. As a result, the leaf curls.
Monitor the condition of the plants and the room temperature to avoid such a reaction.
Phosphorus deficiency
A lack of phosphorus is easy to determine. The leaves curl up and take on a purple tint underneath. The problem can be solved by adding any fertilizer with phosphorus.
Curling of tomato seedling leaves can be caused by various factors, including lack of light, low temperature, lack of moisture, overwatering, and lack of nutrients. Saving the plants is very simple, just eliminate the cause. Even if the curled leaves do not straighten out, new ones will grow normally.
