Agatha Christie's Mystery of the Dead Tomato Seedlings

[gunslingor]

They had their whole lives in front of them, ruined by the evil tent growing overlord. Lol.

Anyway, they all started turning the deepest possible purple a week or so ago. Yesterday I noticed weird pimples on the purple. Most are roma VF, then tons of other variety. I used light warrior seed starting mix on the front ones that are about dead and ocean forest on the back ones. I'm starting to think this seed starting mix has zero nutrition, I've never used a seed starting mix before.

I keep my house at about 70 so doubt it's the temperature being too cold.

I grew from seed so virus is unlikely.

Last night I moved then from a table with a 450w light to the tent with 3x 450w lights, I gave then neptune harvest but maybe I gave em too much, to thick, 25% to 75% water.

This morning they look dead, many are... feel like the entire batch is ruined. The tent was at about 80 F last night. The leaves all point up, the ones that are most alive seem to be the leggiest ones

I honestly don't know wtf happened, I've never seen tomatoes this purple, did I water too much? Don't think I'll ever use light warrior seed starter again. Stems are brown and rotted, in 1 night. Some are snapped, maybe too much fan? Hope the season isnt screwed, guess i start over tonight.

 

[YumYum]

I used light warrior seed starting mix on the front ones that are about dead and ocean forest on the back ones. I'm starting to think this seed starting mix has zero nutrition, I've never used a seed starting mix before.

It says it contains worm castings so it has something in it. It doesn't give an npk number so don't know. It also says "Start feeding plants within five days of planting or germination" so that tells me there is not enough nutrients in it so your hunch that it has no nutrients is probably right.

Light Warrior® Seed Starter - FoxFarm Soil & Fertilizer Company

Light Warrior® Seed Starter is designed to promote an environment beneficial to seed germination and root development. Use Light Warrior® Seed Starter for seed germination, cuttings and new plant starts for both indoor and outdoor cultivation.

foxfarm.com

I've had plants get purple under the leaves under an led grow light but not ones grown in sunlight. I usually move mine out into the sun when its warm enough to help them and the purple goes away so it is the grow lights. Mine is a cheap shop light though. Yours however looks like nutrient deficiency on all levels.

Also I would not close that tent to raise the humidity levels at all. I would open it or even get them out of there if they were mine. That would be a recipe for fungus to grow to take them out.

 

[gunslingor]

Well, your not wrong about humidity. Constant battle in georgia. I read thst tomatoes like it humid, 85% they say... but I think that ignores diseases and the less humidity the better in reality. I'm gonna buy a demindifier... I have to use the tent, since I bought it, lol. Plus I can fit 8 more tomato plants in there, so it better be able to handle the seedling. I grew san marzano in there over winter, humidity and blossom end rot were a problem... wrong verity and got greedy with suckers... can't seem to get tomatoes right, only cucumbers and peppers have done really well. Septoria got my tomatos last year, scared of it this year .

Also upgrading my fan.

I guess they were nutrient deprived, then I gave too much nutrient and too much light and heat... like feeding a starving person 10 lbs of Chilli and making them run 10 miles, I killed the bastards. Maybe I moved the lights too close, maybe there is some weird heating effect when the lights are close to the ground. The light they were under before last night was further away, they were all struggling.

I think I'm just going to start over, start in the tent this time so everything is used to it, use potting mix instead and probably feed them grow big synthetic fertilizer to hopefully catch them up... less than 1 month till I should start planting I think, crap, I think I might be screwed. What do you think, start over or give up and buy seedlings from somewhere?

 

[YumYum]

I would hit them with some water soluble fertilizer if it were mine since it is fast acting. I'm not sure now that you say you think you overdosed them with fish fertilizer but hey what can it hurt at this point. Better than trashing them.

Why do you worry with using the tent? I don't use one or need one. However I can see it being useful to relect light but I would leave a big area open so the plants can breathe.

Start some tomatoes the way you normally would and then start some 180 degrees different and then see what grows the best. You would have to be successful at some point and then make note of that.

 

[gunslingor]

I would hit them with some water soluble fertilizer if it were mine since it is fast acting. I'm not sure now that you say you think you overdosed them with fish fertilizer but hey what can it hurt at this point. Better than trashing them.

Why do you worry with using the tent? I don't use one or need one. However I can see it being useful to relect light but I would leave a big area open so the plants can breathe.

Start some tomatoes the way you normally would and then start some 180 degrees different and then see what grows the best. You would have to be successful at some point and then make note of that.

Good points.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I'm gonna buy a demindifier

I think you might have meant a dehumidifier, but I love that idea, the ultimate toy for the exasperated.

 

[gunslingor]

I think you might have meant a dehumidifier, but I love that idea, the ultimate toy for the exasperated.

That hilarious, why are my typos so hilarious, the other day i typod my colleagues name, instead of Jerlin I called her Merlin.