11 Reasons Why Your Tomato Leaves Are Turning Yellow

Yellowing leaves on your Lycopersicon esculentum plants can be heartbreaking — peculiarly when you ’ve envision a summertime brimming with juicy , sunlight - ripen yield ! I know how frustrating it is to descry pallid foliation rather of vivacious green , wondering what fail amiss in your garden . Tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum ) , native to western South America and generally non - incursive in home plate gardens , thrive on balanced attention ; when condition drift , their folio flash warning sign .

Before you resign yourself to store - bought salsa , permit ’s dive into eleven common culprits behind chicken tomato foliage . From watering missteps to nutrient glitch and environmental stressor , each segment below explain the issue , how it impacts your plants ( and the beneficial insects that nest in nearby bare soil ! ) , and what you could do to bushel that healthy emerald lambency .

Nutrient Deficiency in Nitrogen

Nitrogen fuel leafy development , so when level dip , honest-to-god tomato leaf become uniformly yellow while veins remain oddly green . I remember my first tomato plant plot — riotous and hopeful — suddenly developed sick grim leave of absence . A simple soil test let on pitiable nitrogen , a fixable issue with a side - dressing of composted manure or a balanced organic plant food !

tomato evolve in nutrient - poor Andean soils and are n’t invasive , so they rely on you to replenish essential element . Correcting nitrogen want not only restores leaf color but hike the works ’s zip , attract more pollinator like bumblebees — who often nest in loose grease nearby — and improving fruit arrange and overall yield !

Overwatering and Root Oxygen Deprivation

Lycopersicon esculentum get laid ordered wet , but soggy dirt suffocates roots and leads to yellow , droop leaf . When I planted in heavy clay without enough drainage , my seedling looked droopy and greensick within twenty-four hour period ! Elevating beds and adding coarse Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin or perlite to the soil cured that waterlogging and revived my patch .

supererogatory water can also wash away nutrients , combine yellowing . Well - oxygenated origin support levelheaded foliage and furnish sturdy staunch for solitary bees and hoverflies seeking nesting internet site in sunlight - warm soil cracks — so check proper drainage is crucial for both plant and pollinator wellness !

Underwatering and Drought Stress

Conversely , allowing tomato soil to dry excessively gun trigger leafage yellow at the boundary and between vein . I once went on holiday without a drip organisation , only to render to parched pots of crispy , yellow leaves ! abstruse , infrequent watering — hook the tooth root zone — encourages roots to grow down and access wet reserves .

Consistent moisture not only keep leaves light-green but also stomach the bantam earth - nesting bees that aid pollinate your late - time of year blossoms . Mulching around the nucleotide preserve piddle and spar you from daily watering chores — giving you more clock time to check pollinator trip the light fantastic among healthy canopies !

Soil pH Imbalance Locking Up Nutrients

Tomatoes opt slimly acidulent soil ( pH 6.0–6.8 ) . When pH drifts too high or low-spirited , critical nutrients like iron and magnesium become unavailable , induce interveinal yellowing . I discovered this when my plants developed yellow patch despite even feeding — adjusting pH with garden sulphur and dolomite lime bring those green hues back !

Maintaining the veracious pH guarantee nutrient availability and rich increment . Happy Lycopersicon esculentum roots in balanced soil foster vigorous foliar growth , which in turning provides shade and home ground for beneficial ladybeetle and lacewings that raven on pests !

Transplant Shock and Disturbed Roots

Moving tomato seedlings too profoundly or disturbing their root can trigger yellowing as plant struggle to reestablish . I once plopped seedling into deep holes and backfilled heavily — only to see wrinkle , yellow leave the next calendar week ! Planting just deep enough to cover lower stem encourages tough antecedent development without shock .

Anticipating organ transplant tenseness by gradually harden off seedlings in their final pots ascertain they line up to outdoor conditions seamlessly . When plants root securely , they sustain strong foliage that shelter tiny aboriginal bees nesting around the base !

Early Blight and Fungal Diseases

former blight ( Alternaria solani ) often starts as small brown position on older leaves , surrounded by a yellow halo . leave unchecked , the yellowing spreads upwardly . I used to disregard the first specked leaf — until half my works ’s foliage browned , necessitating a fungicide and removal of septic leaves to restore health .

Good air circulation and mulch to prevent soil splashes reduce disease incidence . absent lower yellowed leaves also helps prevent spore spread and pass pollinators decipherable landing place zones on healthy bloom , secure fruit output persist uninterrupted !

Aphid and Whitefly Infestations

Clusters of sap - sucking pests like aphids or whitefly can drain nutrient , causing yellow mottling on Lycopersicon esculentum leaves . I once found my newfangled transplants cloaked in whiteflies — midget chicken leaf follow shortly after . A eruption of water and insecticidal soap knocked them back , and my foliation greened up within days !

further predatory insects — ladybugs , lacewings , and parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant — by interplanting flowers like marigold gives you a natural defense . Those allies often nest in nearby cover crop , so fostering a wildlife - friendly garden keeps yellowing cuss at embayment !

Herbicide Drift Damage

Drifting sprays from nearby lawn intervention or weed killers can scorch tomato leave-taking , leading to chickenhearted streaks and twisted growth . I once lost a words overnight after a neighbor ’s spray drift — heartbreaking ! If you surmise drift , rinse foliage thoroughly and H2O deep to flush residues from the root zone .

Tomatoes are n’t invasive but are sensitive to chemical substance not intended for them . Keeping a buffer storage zone or establish a screen of tolerant ornamentals reduces the risk and preserves the plushy , green canopy that attracts pollinators and good dirt ball !

Magnesium and Iron Deficiencies

When magnesium or smoothing iron level fall , newly emerge leaves turn pale between veins while vein remain dreary unripened . I faced iron chlorosis in alkaline beds — jaundiced new growth was the first clew . A foliar spraying of chelated iron and adding Epsom saltiness for magnesium turn my leaves lifelike green again !

Maintaining balanced micronutrients is crucial for photosynthesis and strong maturation . Well - nourished plants reinforce you with sturdy foliage and abundant flowers that receive bees nestle in the warm spring soil !

Heat Stress and Sunscald

Prolonged temperature above 95 ° F can have jaundiced , bleached patch on leave and fruit . I once left my tomatoes unshaded during a heatwave — those vulnerable speckle shocked me ! Providing afternoon shade with row covers or spook cloth preclude sunscald and observe leaves levelheaded .

Temperature - strain works also bring on fewer flowers for pollinators to visit . protect your tomato from extreme heating sustains both leaf colour and the buzzing activity of bees and fly that control yield set !

Natural Leaf Aging

As tomato plant mature , the oldest leaves near the alkali naturally yellow and drop — this is n’t always a trouble ! I used to panic at every yellowish leaf , only to memorise that healthy plants Hz former leafage to focus free energy on new ontogeny and fruit .

Simply clip aside these yellow bottom foliage to prevent potential disease and improve air flow . This routine maintenance also clears infinite for solid ground - nesting good insects to tunnel safely , bolster your garden ’s ecosystem !

Tomato Leaves Turning Yellow