Why tomato seedlings get more and more wilted after planting, and how to fix it

The tomato seedlings you planted are drooping more and more every day, with limp, floppy leaves? Today we will teach you, step by step, how to diagnose+give first aid, and the tomato seedlings will quickly perk up 

1. Root suffocation

When transplanting, were you afraid the seedling would fall over, so you buried it very deep in the soil? This is a mistake. The roots of tomato seedlings need to breathe fresh air, and burying them too deep causes a lack of oxygen and makes them droop more and more.

Symptoms: the whole plant is wilted and droopy, and when you pull it out the root system is blackened and gives off a sour, foul smell up close.

First aid: gently loosen the soil around the roots and lift the seedling up a little so the base of the stem is exposed by 1-2cm; use a small trowel to carefully loosen the soil, but do not damage the roots! Loosen it once every 2days, for one week in a row; water with a little diluted rooting powder solution to help new roots grow quickly.
 
tips: when transplanting, remember "shallow enough not to expose the roots, deep enough not to bury the crown". It is enough for the top of the seedling root ball to be level with the soil surface.

2. Root damage

Low temperatures in winter and spring, or a shaky hand that poured in too much fertilizer? The fine roots of tomato seedlings are extremely fragile, and both frost damage from low temperatures and root burn from concentrated fertilizer will injure them.

Frost damage from low temperatures

Symptoms: leaf edges dry up and wither, and the root system turns yellow and brittle

First aid: let it bask in the sun during the day to warm up, cover it with a plastic bag at night to keep it warm, and spread a layer of straw around the roots for insulation.

Root burn from concentrated fertilizer
 
Symptoms: leaf tips become scorched, and when the seedling is pulled up the roots are blackened and rotted.

First aid: water heavily to dilute the fertilizer, watering for 3days in a row; apply a microbial agent as a drench (per mu 5kg) to repair the root system; stop fertilizing for 1month, and once the seedling has recovered, apply light fertilizer frequently.
 
tips:compound fertilizer must be diluted with water 1000times! Chicken manure must be fully composted for 3months or more!

3. Root rot
 
If the seedling wilts especially quickly and is accompanied by root rot, there is very likely a pathogen in the soil! Once root rot breaks out, it can kill the whole plant in just a few days!

How to diagnose

1.pull up the seedling and check,whether the main root and lateral roots have turned brown and soft-rotted.

2.look at the leaf symptoms, whether yellowing starts from the bottom and gradually spreads upward.

Emergency treatment:

1.Isolate diseased plants! Immediately pull them out and destroy them, do not leave them in the ground.

2.Disinfect the soil by drenching the roots with hymexazol +carbendazim diluted in water, pouring 500m per plant.

3.Prevent healthy seedlings by spraying Bacillus subtilis once a week to strengthen resistance.

tips: Change the soil to save lives! Ground that has been planted with tomatoes continuously must be mixed with new soil +organic fertilizer in a fresh ratio!

4. Daily seedling care
 
1.When buying seedlings, choose ones with strong white roots and thick, substantial leaves.

2.Let it dry and get wet alternately! Water thoroughly only after the top 2cm of soil has dried.

3.Pull back the soil every week to check the state of the root system.

4.Do not plant Solanaceae plants in the same plot of land in consecutive seasons.