TheNaturePlanet

If your tomato seedlings look droopy with soft leaves and weak stems, don’t panic. By identifying the cause and applying the right remedy, you can bring them back to health.

1. Root Suffocation (Planting Too Deep)
Cause: Seedlings buried too deep during transplanting suffer from oxygen deficiency.
Symptoms: Entire plant wilts, roots turn black with a sour smell.
Remedy:

Gently loosen soil and lift the seedling so that 1–2 cm of the stem base is above the soil;

Loosen the soil around roots every two days for a week;

Water with diluted rooting solution to promote new root growth.
Tip: When transplanting, keep the root ball level with the soil surface—“not too shallow, not too deep.”

2. Root Damage
Cold Injury

Symptoms: Leaf edges dry out, roots turn yellow and brittle.

Remedy: Provide sunlight during the day, cover with plastic at night, and mulch with straw to keep roots warm.

Fertilizer Burn

Symptoms: Leaf tips scorch, roots turn black and rot.

Remedy: Flush soil with plenty of water for several days, apply microbial inoculants to repair roots, and stop fertilizing for about one month.
Tip: Always dilute compound fertilizer at least 1:1000; ensure manure is fully composted before use.

3. Root Rot Disease
Cause: Soil-borne pathogens attack roots, leading to rapid plant death.
Diagnosis:

Roots turn brown and mushy when inspected;

Leaves yellow from the bottom upward.
Emergency Treatment:

Remove and destroy infected plants;

Drench soil with hymexazol + carbendazim (about 500 ml per plant);

Spray Bacillus subtilis weekly on healthy seedlings for prevention.
Tip: Avoid continuous tomato cropping; mix in fresh soil and organic matter to improve soil health.

4. Daily Care Tips
Choose seedlings with white, healthy roots and thick leaves;

Water only when the top 2 cm of soil is dry;

Check roots weekly by loosening soil;

Rotate crops to avoid planting tomatoes after other Solanaceae crops.