Help! Yellow spots...

[babice]

A few of my seedlings have yellow spots on their true leaves. I don't currently see any greyish or brownish spots so not looking like the pics I see of TSWV. One of the leaves on one of them is almost all yellow. Is it possible I should give them some fertilizer like tomato tone or something? Or is it possible I have a larger problemo developing? I don't know how I could be overwatering or anything...I'm pretty much letting them dry out (literally...the peat pot is bone dry and the whole thing is very light weight) before I put them in a large cookie sheet to bottom soak up water. And I really haven't fed them....just a dusting of Plant Tone when I first put them in the pots (peat pots). I'm growing them under T5 light and have fans going the whole time I have the light on (which is 14-16 hours a day).

[babice]

Hmmm...I just reread this quote so maybe I should try this.

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I give them a very dilute liquid fertilizer, one of those ones that is made for houseplants and comes with an eyedripper, when the leaves start getting pale. Usually it's around 4 weeks or so, then again when they get pale again. I use about 3 drops per gallon, seems like about once every week or two. Not much, at all.

[RayR]

It might be your soil is too dry. A plant can't take up nutrients in bone dry soil, no matter how much nutrients are in the soil. Try putting your peat pots into plastic sandwich bags,it will keep them from drying out so fast. You have to keep those peat pots hydrated, I've seen yellow plants before in peat pots and it is always because the soil is too dry and the plant is starved.
Did you dust the top of the soil with Plant-Tone or did you mix it into the soil. The latter works much better. A mild fast acting liquid feeding might be in order now though, use a fish/seaweed if you are growing organically.

[babice]

RayR - you're right. I just dusted it on top. I will try these ideas. THANKS!

[babice]

I have a 5-1-1 fish emulsion that I guess I'll use. I am going to wait until tomorrow though when I'll water them because they don't look today like they need water.

[raindrops27]

I had this same problem you have described last year, and I don't think it was due to a lack of water, or overwatering I never did find out what it was. It was so invasive I had to throw them out and start over. I hope you fertilizing corrects the problem good luck!

[babice]

Originally Posted by raindrops27

I had this same problem you have described last year...I had to throw them out and start over...

Guess I should start a 2nd round of seeds then, just in case?

[babice]

I'm attempting to attach photos...these aren't mine but these look exactly the way mine do.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by babice

I'm attempting to attach photos...these aren't mine but these look exactly the way mine do.

I had this exact same problem this year, but it only happened after I put in some fertilizer. I planted them anyway, and the problem just rectified itself. It looked for all the world like a nitrogen deficiency, but happened after (immediately after) adding fertilizer? I wish I knew what went on.
My season is over now

[babice]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

My season is over now

What? Why is your season already over?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by babice

What? Why is your season already over?

In South Florida we have a reverse growing season. Nightshades mostly need overnight temps below 70 degrees to set fruit, and that doesn't happen for us until the end of October. I start my seeds in September, and they go into the earthboxes and set outside approx. the first week of December.
By April it is getting hotter, and the heat and humidity are usually in full swing by the end of April, so my plants are starting to fade now, sadly

[babice]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

In South Florida we have a reverse growing season...By April it is getting hotter, and the heat and humidity are usually in full swing by the end of April, so my plants are starting to fade now, sadly...

Wow! That IS sad! Mehbe I'll ship you some if I can get any this year!

It's funny because I lived in Alabama for a very long time and never knew that about the tomato growing season. But I didn't grow toms while I was there...I was doing a lot of landscape type stuff but no veggies at that time. Been gardening for like 15 or so years but just started my foray into veggies last year.

[babice]

Update on the 6 seedlings I have with yellow spots on a true leaf: (1) still does not look like it is TSWV, (2) I separated them from my other toms, (3) yesterday afternoon after I bottom-watered them, I top fed them a very diluted solution of the 5-1-1 fish emulsion (directions said to use 1/2 tsp in a quart of water; I used 1/4 tsp and stirred it up but I still didn't get the entire 1/4 tsp in the dilution because there were some clumps left after I poured it), (4) this morning they looked...mehbe a little better. The worst one really had not perked back up yet. I'm going to check them tonight and, upon amideutch's recommendation, if they still don't look better I'm going to give them a spritz with diluted aspirin water.

Upon further pondering after I read ginger2778's post, I realized that I DID actually add some MG seed-starting mix to the tops of each of my tom pots the day before I noticed the yellow spots. These 4-wk old seedlings had been in peat pots for 2 weeks with the original seed-starting soil and it just looked like the pots could use more soil so I added the MG SS mix. Don't really know if it's what caused these 3 types of toms to suddenly have yellow spots but it's worth noting. From now on I don't plan to use the MG SS mix for toms; will use for my flowers and herbs.

[babice]

Day 2 in the ICU - sprayed the sick toms with the aspirin water last night. Now I've got them on bed rest and not letting them have visitors. They gave me a couple of weak smiles this morning but they still look too sick to let them out of the ICU...if I could put them on I.V. fluids I would. (bah ha...I crack myself up). amideutch told me to be patient...so we'll let them continue on bedrest and hope they start getting well soon.

[Crandrew]

So what ended up happening to the patients doc?