Newb question about my seedlings

exnavycook · April 30, 2015

Hello all! New to growing from seed. I got 43 Cherokee Purple tomato seedlings going about 3 weeks. About a week ago I noticed the base of the stem and the under side of the leaves have turned purple.

I'm not too worried about it but was wondering what is going on with them. I germinated the seeds in a moist paper towel and put them in miracle grow potting soil. They sprouted out of the dirt in 2 days. I have a small grow cabinet with 3 cool fluorescent lights and 2 warm lights. I keep the soil moist but not wet or soggy.

The temp naturally maintains around 75-88 degrees and until yesterday had them full lights 24/7. I have started putting them outside in the shade for most of the day. here are some pics I took. Any advice would be helpful. I'm sure as they grow I will be asking all kinds of other questions since I'm new to this. This forum is a wealth of knowledge, glad to be here.

Stvrob · April 30, 2015

They look great! Welcome aboard!

bughunter99 · April 30, 2015

They look great. In the future, don't keep lights on 24/7.
No more than 16 hours is the ticket.

crmauch · April 30, 2015

The purple color is normal for some varieties of tomato, they're doing fine! I see a lot of them are getting their true leaves.

crmauch · April 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by bughunter99

They look great. In the future, don't keep lights on 24/7.
No more than 16 hours is the ticket.

I have a question about this. I've been raising tomatoes (and other things) for years. I used to use a timer for lights, but for a number of years I've just ran my lights 24/7. I am happy with the results. What's the issue with running them constantly (if anything, when I had the lights turning off the plants seemed to get leggier).

Gardeneer · April 30, 2015

Purple color is normal at that stage.
What happens is that the roots cannot yet uptake phosphorus. So it looks like a phosphorus deficiency. But MG potting soil should have enough P.

I would keep the temps around 70F. Over 75F is too high.
Also, plants need a darkness / sleep time. So 16 hrs on / 8hrs off is conventional .

exnavycook · May 1, 2015

Thanks for the info. I got a timer so now they're 16 on and 8 off.

jhamilton1208 · May 1, 2015

Not to hijack... BUT on the timer thing. I ran 24 hr fluorescent this year and didn't have any problems, other than my plants got a little too big in the time I had planted the seeds in my Root Riot cubes. They were over twice the size of my father-in-laws who does the whole timer/greenhouse thing. Mine were in the basement at about 65 degrees roughly. I read in a study (which I'm fixing to post the link to..) about leaf chlorosis and necrosis under continuous light being reported...

Anyways, the experiment was (I think it was originally about energy consumption/conservation or something another..) that they wondered what less intense light for longer period (24 hrs) vs more intense for a shorter period (16 hrs) and the results showed that the 24 hour had more fresh weight, dry weight, and leaf area than the 16 hr even with more intense light by the 16hr bunch. The only thing the 16 hr had more of was stem length, so that correlates what crmauch said about being leggy. They also stated that they didn't have any of the problems associated with chlorosis or necrosis - but they also had a change of temperature during what should be the "night period" even for the continuous. So basically all variables were supposed to be the same other than light exposures. They theorized that maybe the temperature change kept the "problems" from 24hr exposure occurring. (Mine at home had no temperature changes. Unless my son turned on the heater when he was playing xbox and then it got to about 72ish.)

http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/...2/374.full.pdf

Maybe someone that's more "scientific" than me can fully understand it better. My eyes start crossing about halfway down, so I just went to results...

And speaking of Temperature. Basque Daily did a study and stated the quality of a tomato depends on temperature instead of light. Decreased light did decrease production though, from what I read.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0325131558.htm

Edited part : As far as the purple, mine did the same thing. Underside of leaves and all. Didn't seem to phase them. Once out in the sun it cleared right up.

exnavycook · May 4, 2015

Thanks jhamilton. I'm always looking to learn new things and gain insight through other people's experience.

May 1, 2015	#8
jhamilton1208 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Church Hill, TN Posts: 14	Not to hijack... BUT on the timer thing. I ran 24 hr fluorescent this year and didn't have any problems, other than my plants got a little too big in the time I had planted the seeds in my Root Riot cubes. They were over twice the size of my father-in-laws who does the whole timer/greenhouse thing. Mine were in the basement at about 65 degrees roughly. I read in a study (which I'm fixing to post the link to..) about leaf chlorosis and necrosis under continuous light being reported... Anyways, the experiment was (I think it was originally about energy consumption/conservation or something another..) that they wondered what less intense light for longer period (24 hrs) vs more intense for a shorter period (16 hrs) and the results showed that the 24 hour had more fresh weight, dry weight, and leaf area than the 16 hr even with more intense light by the 16hr bunch. The only thing the 16 hr had more of was stem length, so that correlates what crmauch said about being leggy. They also stated that they didn't have any of the problems associated with chlorosis or necrosis - but they also had a change of temperature during what should be the "night period" even for the continuous. So basically all variables were supposed to be the same other than light exposures. They theorized that maybe the temperature change kept the "problems" from 24hr exposure occurring. (Mine at home had no temperature changes. Unless my son turned on the heater when he was playing xbox and then it got to about 72ish.) http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/...2/374.full.pdf Maybe someone that's more "scientific" than me can fully understand it better. My eyes start crossing about halfway down, so I just went to results... And speaking of Temperature. Basque Daily did a study and stated the quality of a tomato depends on temperature instead of light. Decreased light did decrease production though, from what I read. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0325131558.htm Edited part : As far as the purple, mine did the same thing. Underside of leaves and all. Didn't seem to phase them. Once out in the sun it cleared right up. Last edited by jhamilton1208; May 1, 2015 at 07:40 PM. Reason: Purple comments...

April 30, 2015	#2
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	They look great! Welcome aboard!

April 30, 2015	#3
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	They look great. In the future, don't keep lights on 24/7. No more than 16 hours is the ticket.

April 30, 2015	#4
crmauch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Honey Brook, PA Zone 6b Posts: 399	The purple color is normal for some varieties of tomato, they're doing fine! I see a lot of them are getting their true leaves.

April 30, 2015	#6
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Purple color is normal at that stage. What happens is that the roots cannot yet uptake phosphorus. So it looks like a phosphorus deficiency. But MG potting soil should have enough P. I would keep the temps around 70F. Over 75F is too high. Also, plants need a darkness / sleep time. So 16 hrs on / 8hrs off is conventional .

May 1, 2015	#7
exnavycook Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Greenbrier County, WV Posts: 9	Thanks for the info. I got a timer so now they're 16 on and 8 off.

May 4, 2015	#9
exnavycook Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Greenbrier County, WV Posts: 9	Thanks jhamilton. I'm always looking to learn new things and gain insight through other people's experience.