Hey everyone! I'm a newbie trying to start seeds indoors, and I've done my best to create a good environment for my tomato saplings. However, I've noticed that over the last couple of days, the first leaves that sprouted are falling off, and the leaves seem wilted and curled. They're getting about 12 hours of light from 18 inches above, I have a heat pad set to 85°F, I water them every other day, and there's a circulating fan. Meanwhile, my pepper and basil plants seem to be thriving. Any ideas on what might be going wrong?
3 Answers
Looks like your soil might be too dry. A weak fish emulsion fertilizer will give your plants a nice boost!
Don't worry too much about the falling leaves; those are the cotyledons and it’s completely normal for them to drop off. They help feed the plant in the early stages. A diluted fish emulsion might help with the wilting—try using it at about 1/4 strength for the first couple of waterings. Also, you might want to take the heat mat away now since it’s mainly for germination and could be drying your soil out faster than you want. Your plants will likely need repotting soon, too, since those starter cells are a bit cramped! Overall, it sounds like you're doing a great job!
I’d use it just a couple of times to give them a boost. Once they’re in larger pots, you can switch to a regular feeding schedule.
I was planning to transplant them today into larger 4x4 cells. Should I keep using the diluted fish emulsion until the last frost, or just a couple times?
Just curious, what kind of soil are you using for your seedlings?
I’m using a 'jiffy natural and organic seed starting mix.' It’s just what I found at Home Depot.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll get right on that.