TOMATO PLANT YELLOWING: WHAT DOES THE PLANT NEED?

July 8, 2022

Some leaves of my 1 ½ feet tall potted tomato plant had turned yellow. Older leaves of a plant, usually, turn yellow. However, some leaves in the mid-section of my plant had turned yellow as well. Some other leaves of the plant had turned brown. Some leaves had become dry.

If the plant had not received enough sunlight, the plant’s leaves could not photosynthesize properly. The plant was receiving a good level of sunlight! It was hard to suspect that the plant had received too little water or nutrients.

I thought that the plant had been losing sap due to the feeding activities of tiny insects. Tiny insects are difficult to see with naked eyes. Using magnifying glasses, I did a thorough check on the plant. I could not see tiny insects, therefore, I had to rule out the possibility that the yellowing was caused by tiny insects.

Plant roots might not had enough room in the pot to grow or they might had access to a limited amount of nutrients. The leaves had not wilted so it was difficult to suspect that the roots had been damaged.

I tried to push the soil with my fingers; the soil had hardened. It was not possible to push the soil with the fingers. Roots might not had a healthy environment. Were they able to absorb enough nutrients from the soil? It was quite possible that the plant had not received enough nutrients for some time.

Soil is made up of solids and organic matter. Particles that make soil don’t fit together very well. Therefore, a portion of the soil—not occupied by solids and organic matter, in other words, the space—is the room for the movement of air and water within the soil.

I had to loosen the soil. What should I add to the soil? I was interested in adding Gliricidia වැටමාර leaf mold to provide the plant’s roots with the access to nutrients without delay and to loosen the soil. I removed a few inches of the soil with a spade, the leaf mold was added, and put the soil back to the pot. A few days later, the yellowing stopped. I noticed that the tomato plant's health has improved a lot!

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