Problems with eggplant seedlings cannot be avoided. Every gardener who independently grows eggplant seedlings at home knows that eggplant is a rather capricious vegetable that needs special care. Its seedlings are more tender compared to tomatoes and peppers, so difficulties with cultivation are inevitable. If vegetables turn yellow or wilt for no reason, do not rush to draw conclusions and have a detrimental effect on the plants with a large dosage of fertilizers. First, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination of the appearance of the seedlings, which will indicate the possible reason for the wilting of the seedlings.
If wilting of the leaves of eggplant seedlings occurs during the daytime under the influence of sunlight, and in the morning they are in normal condition, there is no need to worry. But if this process occurs despite normal watering and regardless of weather conditions, there are several reasons. Factors influencing eggplant seedlings:
Through the conductive system of the plant from the root system to the vegetative organs of eggplants, moisture heated by the soil. If the soil temperature is not high enough, the liquid transport processes are disrupted. The plant becomes dehydrated even with sufficient watering. Eggplant is a heat-loving plant.
In order for it to grow and develop well, it is necessary to maintain its optimal temperature - not lower than 13° at night and 22-26° during the day. You need to find out if there are any drafts or cold air flows from the street that cool the soil. And also measure the air temperature.
If watering is insufficient, the appearance of the leaves will be sluggish, thinned, and they will fall down under their own weight. The changed color of the vegetative parts of the seedlings does not indicate a lack of moisture. The need to change the watering regime will be indicated by the presence of dry, lump-shaped soil.
Do you think the main reason for the wilting of eggplant seedlings is...
Fungal diseasesIrregular watering
If, after picking or transplanting, the cotyledon leaves of eggplants wither, this is considered an acceptable phenomenon. The strength lost by the plant during adaptation to the new environment and damage to part of the roots can lead to the death of the old lower leaves. The reason for the dried out top of the plant is not a change in soil.
Early symptoms of fungal diseases often manifest themselves as simple wilting of eggplants.
Expert opinion
Filatov Ivan Yurievich, private farmer for more than 30 years
The most dangerous disease is verticillium wilt, which is diagnosed quite late and is almost incurable. You can avoid seedlings being damaged by fungi by using a green cut from the root part of the stem.
If the leaves wilt, even with sufficient watering, you first need to check whether the soil is acidifying as a result of excess moisture. A clear sign is the presence of a musty smell and rotting of the root system:
To reduce the risk of possible wilting of eggplant leaves, all working tools and containers used to store seedlings must first be disinfected.
They also use a prepared solution of potassium permanganate, in which the seeds are kept for some time.
To avoid oversaturation with moisture, it is necessary to use a drainage layer.
One of the reasons for seedling wilting is blackleg. It is almost impossible to cure an infected plant. Therefore, it is imperative to adhere to preventive measures:
It is necessary to find the reasons for the change in the condition of eggplant seedlings, establish the correct diagnosis and provide emergency assistance to the sick plant. All these actions will help you get a rich harvest. To do this, you need to observe the seedlings every day and fulfill simple but necessary requirements.
You can also watch a video where they will tell you what the main problems eggplant seedlings have.
Typically, yellowness on plant leaves is a sign of improper care or the development of a fungal disease. In the absence of competent actions on the part of the summer resident, the seedlings will die. Therefore, it is important to know why leaves fade and how to prevent it. This is exactly what our article is about today.
The green part of the seedlings withers for many reasons. Knowing them, you can understand how to solve the problem.
Eggplants require sunlight, but an overabundance often leads to leaf wilting. This is easy to detect if the green part of the plants begins to “come to life” in cloudy weather. To avoid such a problem, eggplants are grown in places where direct sunlight reaches only in the morning or evening.
Soil acidification occurs when it is watered frequently. As a result, moisture stagnates on the surface, which causes plants to wither. To prevent the problem, the soil is regularly loosened and dolomite flour is added to it - it lowers the acidity of the soil and reduces the risk of the spread of rot and mold.
One of the main mistakes of beginning gardeners is planting seedlings into the ground early. With a sharp change in temperature, the vegetable crop begins to wither, and dies during night frosts. Therefore, seedlings are planted in the garden when stable warm weather sets in and the soil warms up to +15°C.
Most often, eggplants are affected by fungal diseases.:
If most of the crop is affected, get rid of diseased plants so that the disease does not spread to other bushes.
The wilting process immediately after picking seedlings associated with the adaptation of culture to new conditions. To help the eggplants tolerate transplantation normally without experiencing stress, work is carried out in warm but cloudy weather. Seedlings are pre-hardened by taking them out into the open air.
Many gardeners grow eggplants in a greenhouse: there are no drafts or sudden temperature fluctuations. Despite this, plant leaves often begin to wither. This happens for various reasons:
During cultivation Vegetables in open ground wither if not properly cared for.: lack of light, too frequent or rare, non-compliance with crop rotation.
Advice. Eggplants are planted only where perennial herbs, peas, and cucumbers were previously grown, and only after at least three years.
Fungal diseases lead to leaf wilting. In this case, the green mass first slowly turns yellow, then withers and falls off, and the bushes themselves die.
If the leaves wither during the day, but in the morning or evening they are in normal condition, this means that this is how the plant reacts to the sun’s rays. If the process is delayed, despite good watering, regular fertilizing and weather conditions, withering is provoked by such factors:
Control methods depend on the cause occurrence of wilting:
Other methods will help in the fight against fungal infections. To combat Verticillium wilt, they often weed the beds, remove weeds, and do not overfeed the plantings with nitrogen fertilizers. To avoid damage by fusarium, the crop is moistened moderately.
If the seedlings are still sick, they are treated"Vitaros" or "Previkur".
To prevent leaf wilting follow the basic rules of agricultural technology for growing crops:
Plantings are regularly inspected in order to notice signs of damage in time.. When symptoms of fungal diseases are detected, plants are treated with special preparations.
Advice. Eggplant is a rather demanding crop, so it is important to create comfortable conditions for its cultivation.
Choosing a variety helps a lot to avoid leaf wilting., suitable for cultivation in the region, taking into account its climate and weather conditions.
This the crop is demanding on soil: Grows best in sandy or loamy soils. In other cases, it grows more slowly, produces a small harvest, and requires more careful care.
Many summer residents do not grow seedlings in peat pots: despite the fact that they provide plants with nutrients, seedlings in them often wither.
When planting eggplants in open ground, you should not:
For prevention, all tools and containers are disinfected for storing seedlings.
Leaf wilting is a common problem in eggplant cultivation. It is associated with improper care of capricious crops (insufficient shading of plantings, frequent watering, excess fertilizer, unsuitable soil composition), and disease.
It is important to follow the agricultural practices of growing plants and regularly inspect the seedlings in order to begin “resuscitation” measures in a timely manner.
Today we will find out why eggplant seedlings wither and fall? What to do if the leaves of eggplant seedlings dry out?
The main reasons why eggplant seedlings turn yellow:
Soil is not the only, but important source of nitrogen for growing eggplants. If a plant does not receive a sufficient amount of macronutrients through the root system, then it draws the necessary material for building new cells from itself.
The oldest ones are at risk - the lower cotyledon leaves, which turn out to be less of a priority for the plant than the upper growing ones.
Important! The more decompensated the macronutrient deficiency is, the higher the yellowness “rises” up the seedling.
Carefully dig up the plant and free its underground part from the soil. If the root system is unharmed, and the cotyledon leaves turn yellow and wither, the seedling emergency nitrogen-containing fertilizer is required.
Remember that you must use purchased products strictly according to the instructions, so as not to overdo the dosage and not harm the seedlings.
Excess soil moisture has the opposite effect on the seedling: yellowing starts from the top. During inspection of the root system, moist particles of soil are found between the intertwined roots.
Remember! In acidified water, bacteria and fungi intensively multiply, their metabolites shifting the pH of the soil to the acidic side. In severe cases, only complete replacement of the soil will help save the seedlings.
At the bottom and walls of containers with seedlings there is stagnant water and a wet green coating - a sign of the growth of fungal flora.
Help measures are as follows: if possible replace the soil in the seedling box.
If water stagnates at its bottom, make several large drainage holes and be sure to place the box on a pallet.
Fusaria – a fungus that lives in the soil and attacks weakened plants. Often, spores are brought into the ground with untreated seeds. Under favorable conditions, destructive fungi are formed from spores, penetrating into plants through injured roots or wounds on the stem.
The appearance of an eggplant affected by Fusaria is:
You can help your plants in the following ways:
Important! Before planting seeds, do not forget about the prevention of fusarium: disinfection of seed material, soil, and containers for seedlings.
The following signs will help you recognize a diseased plant:
Fighting tactics:
Important! The fight against verticillium rarely ends in success, so try to save seedlings that do not have symptoms of the disease.
Direct long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation is fraught with the breakdown of chlorophyll, the green respiratory cytochrome necessary for photosynthesis by the plant.
Leaves who received burns, may have yellow speckles or turn yellow completely.
Please note that only the upper surfaces of the leaves facing the sunny side of the window or greenhouse are affected. If this is the case, then rest assured that the cause is sunburn.
If your seedlings are exposed to the open sun for a long time, they should be covered with paper or cloth from 12:00 to 15:00.
Watch a short video on how to deal with yellowness:
If young plants dry out, check to see if one of the factors is affecting the seedlings:
Through the conductive system of the plant, liquid heated by the soil flows from the roots to the vegetative organs of eggplants.
If the ground temperature is not high enough, moisture transport processes are disrupted.
The plant becomes dehydrated despite sufficient watering.
Important! Eggplant is a heat-loving plant. A comfortable temperature for its development is not lower than 13° at night and 22-26° during the day.
Find out if the soil is being cooled by drafts or cold air flows from the street. Measure the ambient temperature - if it is not high enough, use artificial heating of the soil and watering the seedlings with warm water 25-28°.
Insufficient watering the leaves look sluggish, thin and drooping under the force of its own gravity. A change in the color of the vegetative parts of the seedling is not typical for a lack of moisture in the plant. Dry, lumpy soil will indicate the need to change the seedling watering regime.
Wilting of eggplant cotyledon leaves after picking or transplanting is considered acceptable.
Due to the strength lost by the plant during adaptation to the new environment and damage to part of the root system, the old lower leaves of the eggplant may die. If you notice that the top of the plant dries out - the reason is not a change in soil.
Early manifestations of fungal diseases may look like causeless wilting of eggplants.
An experienced gardener will be able to glean a lot of useful information about the health and needs of the plants from the appearance of the eggplant bushes. Based on the condition of the leaves, one can judge the conditions of detention, errors in care, nutrition, diagnose diseases and identify pest damage.
One of the most common problems with eggplants is yellowing and wilting of leaves, which can occur due to several reasons.
Yellowing of eggplant leaves may be a natural reaction to the stress that the plant experiences when it finds itself in new conditions. If the leaves change color towards a yellow tint shortly after planting in the greenhouse, most likely there is no cause for concern - after about 2 weeks the acclimatization process will be completed and the bushes will return to their healthy appearance. In other cases, the yellow color of the leaves is a symptom of pathological processes that require the gardener to take action to restore the health of the plants.
In many ways, the condition of the bushes and the future harvest of eggplants is determined by the quality of care and the availability of conditions necessary for normal development. Yellowing and wilting of leaves in plants can be caused by:
With a lack of moisture, the plant does not send nutrients to the leaves, concentrating them in the more “important” parts - roots, stem, flowers, fruits. In this case, the leaves turn yellow and wither due to starvation. Withering and falling leaves can also be the result of rotting of the root system due to excessive waterlogging of the soil or watering with cold water.
The symptom may appear in eggplants growing on heavy and poor soils with high acidity. The worst option is peat soils. Plants love loose, well-aerated soils.
A sharp temperature change and an increase to +30°C have a detrimental effect on eggplants. In both cases, plant leaves may turn yellow and lose their elasticity. At the same time, both dry and hot air, when the high temperature is due to sunny and hot weather, and excess humidity, when the increase in temperature is associated with a lack of ventilation in the greenhouse, is harmful to the “little ones.”
In greenhouses, the crop often suffers from a lack of light. Yellowing of the leaves can also be a consequence of burns, including from phytolamps used to compensate for the lack of sunlight.
Advice!
You should not plant eggplants in an area where tomatoes, peppers or potatoes grew last season. After these crops, the soil must recover for at least 3 years before eggplants can be grown in this place. The optimal place for planting eggplants is former beds of cabbage, cucumbers, legumes, and perennial herbs.
The effects of pests and pathogens also affect the appearance of plants, including their foliage. Yellowing and wilting of eggplant leaves is one of the symptoms of diseases such as:
A fungal disease in which the symptom appears on the lower leaves. Fusarium affects the inside of the plant, disrupts the functioning of blood vessels, preventing the distribution of beneficial substances throughout the tissues and causing intoxication. Most often, the disease leads to the death of the bush, but in some cases the bush can continue to grow (but slowly) and even produce a small number of small fruits. Fusarium is provoked by: excess watering, increased soil acidity and high temperatures (+25...+28°C).
It usually appears during the period of fruit formation. First, the leaf segments on the lower tier of the bush turn yellow, then brown spots with a yellow rim appear on the leaf blades. The disease affects the vessels of the plant, preventing the movement of juices. The causative agent is a fungus that is activated by a lack of watering and temperatures around +16...+20°C. The disease often appears when excessive doses of nitrogen are applied in the form of root feeding with organic matter (manure is primarily dangerous).
A viral disease that often affects eggplants in greenhouses due to lack of light. Another factor that provokes the disease is a decrease in air temperature. Spots of lighter and darker shades of green form on the leaves; later the leaves turn yellow. The main consequence of the disease is stunting of fruit growth. Ripe eggplants have woody flesh.
Eggplants may respond by yellowing leaves to nutritional deficiencies of many elements, but most often the symptom indicates a deficiency:
Not only bad predecessors, even planting eggplants two years in a row in the same place greatly depletes the soil, depriving it of those nutrients that the plant most needs. If it is impossible to change the location of the beds, annual enrichment and improvement of the soil before planting is required.
Yellow leaves in eggplants are not a disease, but a symptom of some pathological process, so there are no general treatment measures in this case. It is necessary to eliminate the negative impact and take measures to eliminate its consequences.
If the cause of yellowing leaves lies in incorrect agricultural practices, in addition to correcting it, you need to support the plant’s strength and help it cope with stress. In this case, it is recommended to do one of the foliar feedings:
Fusarium spreads quickly throughout eggplant plantings, so it is important to remove affected areas of plants and all weeds from the area. Plant residues must be burned to prevent the spread of fungus. After this, the planting is treated with fungicides. “Fundazol”, “Benazol”, “Consento” are suitable.
Verticillium wilt is even more dangerous for eggplants; it is recommended to remove and burn diseased bushes. The remaining plants need to be treated with Vitaros, Consento, Topsin-M, and Previkur.
Both diseases cannot be cured with folk remedies, but regular treatment of plants that have not yet been infected will help curb the spread of the fungus throughout the eggplant bed. The most effective folk remedies against fusarium and verticillium:
There are no effective drugs against viruses, so the fight against tobacco mosaic consists of prevention and removal of diseased plants and weeds. It is recommended to treat healthy bushes with whey.
In the fight against spider mites, they try, if possible, not to resort to treatment with chemical insecticides. If the pest is slightly affected, it can be effectively removed with biological preparations - “Kraft”, “Bitoxibacillin”, “Kleschevit”. Folk remedies are also quite effective:
Healthy!
The most effective folk remedies against spider mites are a soap or alcohol solution (2 tablespoons of 96% alcohol per liter of water), as well as tobacco sticks (for fumigating a greenhouse).
In case of extensive pest damage, only treatment with specialized products will help - “Sunmite”, “Oberon”, “Aktellik”, “Neoron”, “Confidor”, “Flumite”.
If eggplants do not have enough nutrients, it is necessary to carry out foliar feeding. This method ensures that the necessary elements are received by the plant as quickly as possible, plus it eliminates possible difficulties in the absorption of substances due to the characteristics of the soil or growing conditions.
The main measure to prevent yellowing of eggplant leaves is to provide the plants with good care. Eggplants quickly react to the gardener’s mistakes not only by yellowing of the leaves, but also by the falling of flowers and ovaries; the harvest can be saved only by providing the plants with all the necessary conditions.
Basic measures to prevent the appearance of yellow leaves in eggplants:
On a note!
You should not plant eggplants near the entrance to the greenhouse - in this place the plants are most strongly affected by the temperature difference inside and outside the shelter.
Yellowing of leaves can be caused by a complex of reasons, which complicates diagnosis and selection of the correct treatment measures. Having discovered a disease or nutritional deficiency, it is necessary to critically evaluate the growing conditions, trying to provide an optimal environment for the plants. And vice versa, you should not rush to feed if the agricultural technology is not followed - first of all, you need to improve the conditions. This precaution will prevent excess nutrition of eggplants.
Eggplant has large but very tender leaves. If agricultural practices are not followed, the leaves may begin to wither.
Most often, eggplant leaves wither for the following reasons:
Verticillium wilt often develops on soils where excessive doses of nitrogen fertilizers and unrotted manure have been applied. It is characterized by leaf wilting from the edge to the center and affects eggplants at all stages of development. In the soil, fungi live on plant remains.
To prevent Verticillium wilt from infecting your eggplants, remove weeds regularly and do not overfeed the plants with nitrogen fertilizers. An infected plant can be treated with Vitaros or Previkur. A heavily infected plant should be burned.
Fusarium wilt develops with excessive watering and during periods of prolonged rain. With Fusarium wilt, it is mainly the lower leaves that wilt.
To prevent infection, be sure to disinfect gardening tools and seedling pots. Before planting, it is recommended to keep the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate. Provide air circulation at the roots - this will reduce the risk of infection.
Due to the difficulty of meeting all the conditions when growing eggplants in the ground, summer residents are increasingly choosing a greenhouse for this. In the greenhouse, eggplants will be protected from drafts, cold nights, frequent rains, and scorching sun. But it is in the greenhouse that eggplant leaves begin to wither due to high air humidity, excessive watering and lack of air.
Therefore, when growing eggplants in a greenhouse, you must follow several rules:
