Tomato – a fruit or vegetable? is the question of the decade! Biologically the tomato is a fruit; but, why do people even worry? Well, this debate goes on and on and will probably never end. On the other end of the spectrum is the opinion, why is any type of classification required for a tomato that is so tasty and so healthy? Tomato is the best source of anti-oxidants that keeps us young, eliminating the signs of aging. So let us just stick to the basics and enjoy our delicious tomato!
Nurturing Tomato plants
Going green is the way of life today and tomatoes are no exceptions at being organic. Tomato is an herb-like sprawling plant that is sensitive to the temperature of the environment. These plants are very prone to yellow leaves for numerous reasons. The reason may either be insects, fungi, pests, plant diseases or nutrient deficiencies. In the initial stages, caring for tomato seedlings separately is the first step. For organic tomato production, it is essential to carefully pre-select disease-free and healthy tomatoes after which the seeds are isolated. Also tomato is ideal for growing in-house for our own kitchen, which produces the most pesticide-free tomatoes.
Problems that produce yellow leaves in tomato plants
Tomato plant leaves turning yellow is one of the problems while growing this fruit. This fruit is so versatile in its usage all over the world that these problems definitely need to be addressed eventually. Whenever yellow leaves are found on the tomato plant it calls for immediate attention. The following checks are mandatory before determining the cause:
• Check the color of the tomato leaves, the color of their veins, the zigzag stem and branching pattern. Most of the discrepancies are found in this examination.
• Check the underneath of the leaves for insects and the lower most layer of leaves for lack of sunlight and water.
• Check the stem, vascular system and roots for discoloration of insect infestation.
Some of the other problems that occur are:
Tomato leaves when infected with curly top virus often turn into yellow tomato leaves and subsequently stop growing. The flea beetle causes small holes in these leaves that force it to turn yellow. The yellow leaves on tomato plants also have a tendency to develop white or grey centered spots with black or brown margins, called the septoria leaf spots. Most often than not, the root reason for tomato plants turning yellow is due to nutrient deficiency, like lack of phosphorous or nitrogen. This deficit is compensated by adding special fertilizer salts and also maintaining a temperature controlled environment for the precious tomato plants to grow.