Leaves turning white

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I started my seeds in March, and put them out to harden this week. I started gradually, but after the first day, I noticed the leaves on one plant were turning white. I panicked, put them in the shade, and brought them indoors that night. I repeated the same routine the next day. On the third day (today) I noticed that now SEVERAL plants have white leaves. The leaves are whithering, too. The plants were healthy and green when I put them outside and now they look fairly sick. What happened to them? Sunburn? Will they survive? EEK!

Thanks for any input!

[bcday]

What time of day did you put them in the sun, and for how long?

If the youngest leaves at the top are still green, probably they will be OK, but they won't look pretty until they get some new growth.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

BC, I was looking through the forum and saw the post from "Elle" who cited something similar and Carolyn's consensus was sun or windburn. The only difference was that her plants had been outside for a while and mine were just put out that day. It was a cool, but sunny day. Not sure how long after I put them out that it happened, but the plants were not outside long!

I put them out early in the day - maybe 9 am and they weren't in the sun for long (they were shaded for hours). It was the uppermost leaves that turned white.

I don't care what they look like, so long as I didn't kill them. I have a lot to learn yet about growing tomatoes.

[carolyn137]

DM,

They could be suffering from either sunburn or windburn, or both.

For the first couple of days they should be in shade only, and then the next couple of days in partial filtered sun, and then gradually move them into full sun and it should take about a week to harden them off.

Taking them in at nioght when the temps don't call for it, does nothing positive for them, or negtive, really, so just leave them out unless the temps get too low and/or there are heavy rains, etc.

As BC said, and I agree, they'll recover. The damaged leaves will fall off naturally and new foliage should appear.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Yippee! Thanks, I was hoping for a somewhat positive answer. I've come too far to make a stupid mistake! Now all I have to do is grow the plants and take care of diseases and insects....

Carolyn, remember I asked you about my soil testing? Well I was told by several people to ignore the test results. I don't know why I bothered in the first place. The reports just upset me so much!

[carolyn137]

Carolyn, remember I asked you about my soil testing? Well I was told by several people to ignore the test results. I don't know why I bothered in the first place. The reports just upset me so much!

yes, I remember. But I'm not so sure I'd ignore the report until and unless I saw it, and I had suggested to you to contact your local Cooperative Extension about it since I really don't have the time right now to help with it. But if you shared the results with others whom you trust about this kind of data and they said to ignore it, then so be it.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

My soil numbers were "off the chart" and I called the telephone number referenced on the report, and spoke to a "master gardner" like you had suggested. To be honest with you, I'm not sure he knew what he was doing because he seemed very unsure of himself.

So now it is just a waiting game. I have my seedlings already growing. At this point I have no choice but to plant them. Honestly, my garden can't be any worse than it was last year, and each year I learn more and more thanks to these forums!

I know you are very busy and I appreciate your response. You can't imagine how much you have helped me in the past!!!

[michael johnson]

I had lots of tomatoes almost ruined last season because of this white leaf broblem, I had them on a large table in the conservatory built onto the side of the house, due to high sun most of the day and very high temp- up to 106 degrees, lots of the leaves turned white at the bottom of the plants.

I rapidly introduced some green netting shading to the roof and sides, which stopped the problem straight away.

At planting time I just trimmed off the white leaves and planted as normal- they did ok.

I think it was a combi of sunburn and High temp that caused the problem.

[michael johnson]

Donna- as an afterthought I decided to look up the problem in a very good book on growing tomatoes organicaly.

And it shows you a picture there of tomato plants with the bottom leaves turned white- they state that it is caused by the by-products of gasses, although it doesnt say what that is exactly, I am not sure if they mean normal houshold gas supplies in cooking and heating circulating in the air, or greenhouse gasses such as Co2 etc.

[carolyn137]

Michael,

What you refer to is a problem that can occur in a greenhouse situation re gasses from various heating systems that emit various uncombusted gasses.

In an outside situation high ozone levels have also, although rarely, been associated with foliage damage as well.

[michael johnson]

Thanks Carolyn,

I probably confused some people by using the term greenhouse gasses- what I actualy meant was gasses emitted inside an actual green house, rather than the term greenhouse gas effect commonly used regarding atmospheric changes.

[dokutaaguriin]

Hi Michael,
I don't suppose you would like to post the title of the book- growing tomatoes organically- you consulted?
Jeff

[michael johnson]

Hi- Dokutaaguriin. yes- the book is one I have had for 2-3 years now, and is one of the best on actual tomato growing I have ever come accross-so far,!

It is called- ( Organic Tomatoes- The inside story. ) by Terry Marshall.

And is dedicated to growing organic tomatoes without chemicals. it covers all aspects of growing, deseases,varieties, organic feeding-very interesting, greenhouse construction- complete plans for at least three kinds of greenhouse. composts- absolutly unbelievable regarding photographic evidence of root growth in certain kinds of compost, one in particular had the roots nearly bursting out of the pots- using a compost made from peat collected in an unusual way- from peat filtered out of water running down from mountain streams- apparently it seems to make a lot of difference from peat just dug out of the ground- something to do with ionic irregation and it charges the peat particals with some electrolytic charge etc, - anyhow the roots totaly fill a five inch pot to absolute bursting- against standard examples of normal peat compost types which were just average root development.

The book is full of photographic evedence at all stages of organic tomato growing.

It also includes his favourite feed- which consists of some foul smelling brew made from russian comfrey leaves, I made some once- one wiff- and I was ready to throw up, so I opted out for the lesser of two evils and made some ( Hen dip ) and (sheep dip ) instead- foul stuff- but not as foul as the comfrey soup brew,

The pictures of his crops are fantastic too.

Hope that helps. :wink:

[dokutaaguriin]

Thanks, Michael.
Jeff.
Hopefully I will be able to track it down.

[cdntomato]

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalo...roducts_id=758