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What to do with a broken stem of a tomato. Why do tomato seedlings wither and fall at home? black leg of a tomato

If something does not suit the tomato seedlings in care, then it immediately signals this with the help of its leaves. They change color, curl up, down, or inward, and wither. Knowing the meaning of these symptoms, you can quickly and effortlessly help the tomatoes return to normal. They will continue to grow and develop.

If you do not pay attention to these problems in time and do not find out the possible causes, the seedlings may die or weaken and subsequently give a poor harvest.

When the cotyledon leaves curl up, this means that soon they will fall off and real leaves will begin to grow, this should not cause excitement. If permanent leaves curl, then this is an alarming sign and you need to understand the reasons.

There are several reasons why leaves may curl, these are:

  1. Neglect of preparing seeds and soil for sowing;
  2. Deficiency or excess of nutrients;
  3. Excessive watering;
  4. Insufficient watering;
  5. Increased dryness of the air;
  6. High room temperature;
  7. Poor lighting or lack of light;
  8. Exposure to direct sunlight;
  9. Defeat by diseases;
  10. Pest damage;
  11. A tight container in which seedlings grow;
  12. Mechanical damage during pinching, transplanting;
  13. Sort feature.

Leaf curl is in some cases a varietal feature of hybrids such as: Oxheart, Fatima, Honey Drop, Japanese Crab, as well as some varieties of cherry tomatoes and tall varieties.

If the leaves on the whole seedling are thin, equally twisted downwards, then this is a varietal feature of the plants. The leaves curl because the vein grows faster than the leaf blade.

What to do to help seedlings

When the first signs of leaf curl appear, which are not characteristic of this variety, you need to immediately deal with the problem and eliminate it.


Neglecting the preparation of seeds and soil for sowing leads to the fact that the seedlings begin to curl the leaves, it begins to weaken and get sick.

Disinfection of seeds and land, their complete preparation allows you to get strong seedlings and avoid most problems.

Sometimes tomato seedlings lack fertilizer. With a nutrient deficiency, the leaves curl up, dry out and fall off. Tomatoes need a lot of nutrients to grow well.

Healthy seedlings are strong, not elongated, with bright, green leaves. To restore and strengthen the tomato, they need to be watered with a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea. The solution must be diluted in half the dosage indicated on the package.

In some cases, plants lack one or another trace element. By characteristic signs, you can determine what exactly they are missing and fix the problem.

  • With an insufficient amount of boron in the ground, the leaves of the tomato seedlings twist and brighten.
  • With a lack of calcium, the leaves are pale, twisted.
  • With zinc deficiency, both the leaves and the upper part of the shoots are bent down. They also become brittle and rough.
  • The shortening of the shoots and the twisting of the leaves into a tube indicates a lack of copper and sulfur in the plants.
  • With a lack of iron, the leaves become thinner, turn yellow and sag.

Fertilizers are selected according to these characteristics. You can also apply complex mineral top dressing. They are introduced twice a month when watering the plants.

In addition to the lack of trace elements, plants can suffer from their overabundance.

A large amount of zinc and boron in the earth can be determined by the following features:

  • Zinc - the leaves are bent down, the bottom of the plate from the edge becomes purple;
  • boron - the bent tips of the leaves dry, become brittle. The curling of the foliage starts from the bottom of the plant and spreads to the top.
  • An excess of nitrogen leads to a deficiency of potassium, phosphorus and zinc in the soil. To correct this, it is necessary to reduce or temporarily exclude nitrogenous top dressings and introduce phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. At the same time, the leaves will rise, acquire a normal appearance.

The leaves also curl up and then wither due to excess moisture. This problem can be avoided by using drainage at the bottom of the tank and loose soil when sowing seeds and diving seedlings. In the container for planting seedlings, there must be drainage holes. Excess water will come out through them, and the roots will be saturated with oxygen. Watering seedlings should be moderate, but regular.

To protect seedlings from diseases, preventive spraying with special preparations helps.
10 days after the formation of the cotyledons, after the seedlings of the tomato grow and get stronger, it is sprayed with a solution of Energen, Epin, Zircon (5-6 drops per liter of water), this will protect the plants from diseases. In addition to plants, the soil in which seedlings grow is also treated with a solution.

If the lower leaves of the tomato began to fade quickly, changed color and withered, cracks and sores appeared on the stem and petioles, this is a sign of bacterial cancer. When the stem is cut across with such a lesion, a brown ring is visible. Such plants must be removed. To prevent the disease, healthy seedlings are sprayed with a solution of copper oxychloride (40 grams per 1 liter of water).

Pest damage to seedlings occurs due to poorly cultivated soil, high humidity and proximity to affected plants.

Whiteflies, red spider mites and aphids can damage tender young plants. Insects settle at the bottom of the leaves and suck the juices, as a result of which the leaves twist and turn yellow.
When pests appear, they are treated with protective preparations, for example, Tantrek, Aktara, Akarin, Fufaron, Actellik, Biotlin, Karbofos.

Leaves and shoots in case of damage must be cleaned of pests and their traces of stay with a cotton pad dipped in soapy water. Then the seedlings are sprayed with a protective solution. The concentration of the solution must be reduced by 2 times, in comparison with that indicated in the instructions.

Instead of chemicals, you can use an infusion of onion peel or celandine. They process all parts of the plant, especially those growing below the affected leaves. A week later, the procedure is repeated.

If the leaves curl up or down

Often the leaves curl down from lack of moisture. To eliminate this problem, you need to monitor the condition of the soil. On the surface, it should be wet.

Seedlings need to be moistened according to their age, the older they are, the more moisture they need. Watering is done in the morning and only with warm water. In this case, water should penetrate through the entire earthen room. Surplus is immediately drained.

Another cause of leaf curl can be increased dryness of the air. They can also curl up. To normalize the humidity, the air in the room must be irrigated once a day, using a simple spray gun or a special air humidifier.


When the air temperature in the room is high, lowering it and regular ventilation corrects the problem, and the seedlings continue to grow and develop.

Also, radiators can be covered with a damp towel or a container of water can be placed next to them. These methods allow not only to lower the temperature, but also to humidify the air.

The leaves of tomato seedlings often curl from direct sunlight. If the seedlings are in the sun, the light must be diffused. For example, hang tulle on the window or attach white paper to the glass so that direct sunlight does not touch the plants. Plants can also be rearranged. The best option for placing seedlings is a window on the east or west side.

At the same time, insufficient lighting also harms plants. With a short daylight hours, additional lighting is installed next to the tomatoes.

If they curl inward


The upper leaves are twisted due to mechanical damage to the plant during a one-time or abundant pinching. Lateral stepchildren are removed gradually, 1-2 pieces over several days, preventing them from growing longer than 6-7 centimeters.

The leaves may curl if the seedlings are already too big, and the roots are cramped in a small cup or pot. Transplanting to a larger container or soil can correct this problem.

Inside, the leaves can also curl if the roots are damaged during transplantation. When damaged, plants cannot get enough nutrients and react by curling their leaves. Additional top dressing corrects the problem.


If all care activities are carried out in accordance with the requirements, then the plants will quickly gain strength and take root without problems in a new place during transplantation.

  1. When sowing a tomato, first of all, you need to disinfect the seeds and the ground. In both cases, a solution of potassium permanganate is used.
  2. The sown seeds are covered with a film or glass and cleaned in a warm place.
  3. When the first sprouts appear, the shelter is removed from the containers, and the seedlings themselves are exposed to a bright, warm place.

Every 2 weeks. Mullein infusion diluted with water and complex mineral fertilizers are suitable for this. Top dressing can be alternated.

Should be moderate, but regular. Shoots are irrigated from a spray bottle. The grown sprouts are watered with a teaspoon, syringe or pipette directly to each plant or a watering can without a nozzle along the edge of the container. Older plants are watered into the pan, this contributes to the formation of a strong root system.

The air temperature in the room is first slightly lowered and in the first 7 days they maintain 15 degrees during the day and 10 degrees at night. To do this, open the window a little at night. In the second week, the temperature rises by 4 degrees day and night. This temperature regime is observed until 3-4 true leaves appear.


Then the temperature of the content for the tomato should be 20-25 degrees during the day and 16-20 degrees at night. At higher temperatures and increased dryness of the air, the room is ventilated and irrigated with an air humidifier or a spray bottle once a day.

Daylight hours for seedlings should be 12-14 hours. If the daylight hours are short, in the morning and in the evening the plants are illuminated with a phytolamp.

Plants should grow in the light, but direct sunlight should not touch the leaves, as they can cause sunburn. Light must be diffused.

When the plants have 2 true leaves.
Sprouts dive into individual pots measuring 6 by 6 or 8 by 8 centimeters. As a container, disposable cups, peat pots, cassettes or wide boxes are used, the height of which should be 15-20 centimeters.

  • The soil mixture is poured into the container, the same as when sowing seeds.
  • The earth is watered with a warm solution of potassium permanganate.
  • After transplanting, the plants are watered after 4-5 days, this allows the plants to take root and not damage the roots.
  • After a dive, supplementary lighting stops for 3-4 days, then resumes.

To protect seedlings from diseases and pests, preventive spraying with chemicals or folk remedies is regularly carried out.

Stepchildren, formed on grown plants, are carefully cut off. They are removed gradually.

After 20-25 days, the strengthened seedlings are transplanted into larger containers or a greenhouse, a greenhouse.

Seedlings are hardened off before planting. First, the window opens. When the air temperature outside is 10-12 degrees, containers with tomatoes are taken out for 2-3 hours. After a week, the seedlings are left outside for the whole day, and at night they are brought into the room or into the greenhouse. In hardened plants, the stems become bluish-purple. When hardening, seedlings are watered abundantly.

Plant transplantation must be done in a timely manner. The root system should not be stressed.
When transplanting seedlings, it is better to use the transshipment method, this protects the plants from technical damage and promotes rapid rooting and growth.

Subject to all growing conditions, problems with leaves in tomato seedlings can be avoided. At the same time, plants develop well, and subsequently give a healthy and abundant harvest.

Why leaves curl on seedlings: video

Why do tomato leaves curl: video

Timely installation of the reasons why the leaves on the tomato seedlings are twisted provides half the success in saving the plants. Proper care allows you to quickly restore plants, and in most cases avoid these problems.

In many regions of Russia, the weather brings surprises - then late spring frosts, hail, heat, or, conversely, a cold and rainy summer. We, too, have not been spared by these natural phenomena. And the plants planted in open ground suffered the most. Like me revived damaged tomatoes?

At the end of May, when I had already planted ground tomatoes, a large hailstorm with a strong wind suddenly passed. Where the plants were closer to the fence, the stems survived - only the leaf beat off. But most of the plantings were badly damaged: there were stumps 5-15 cm high, there was no leaf at all. Most of the neighbors did not bother with beaten plants, they just planted new ones. We had nothing to plant, we had to take care of what was left.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE storm, I walked through the area with tomatoes, raked the hailstones from the plants and, where the tops with the growing point were preserved, cut them off and put them in cups of water. Then she diluted the HB-101 preparation and sprayed all the surviving stumps and stems (to make it easier for the plants to endure stress). However, out of 254 roots, 9 roots were broken at the base, there was even nothing to restore. Since the hail was in the evening, I did not have time to do anything else.

The next day, early in the morning, all plantings were treated with a solution of the drug from fungal and bacterial diseases - the stems were badly damaged, it was necessary to protect them from possible diseases. Fortunately, it so happened that on the day when the hail passed, in the morning I fed the plants with mullein infusion (just a week had passed after planting the seedlings), so the soil was saturated with nitrogen. This gave impetus to the growth of green mass ... and I could only wait for the stepchildren to give the stumps.

BUT 3 DAYS AFTER THE HAIL THE WAVE OF COLD COME- On June 2, there were frosts (minus 3 °). Before frost in the evening, I watered all the plantings, covered them with non-woven material, and the next day, at sunrise, I began to smoke on the plantings. I must say right away that there is no effect from smoke, only non-woven fabric saved the plants. Before that, I had never watched how frosts occur, I had only to see their consequences. So, when the sun begins to rise, at about 4 o'clock, the air becomes transparent, rings directly, literally in a matter of minutes dew falls and freezes. I stood at the garden with cabbage and saw how tiny droplets of water first formed on its leaves, quickly turning into ice. The nonwoven material is also wet and icy.

By half past seven, when the sun rose higher, the ice melted. It was this cold for 3 days. I didn’t smoke anymore, the landings were under non-woven material. Fortunately, there were no losses, all plants survived.

A week after the hail, I fed the tomatoes with nettle infusion. By this time, stepchildren began to appear, the bushes curled up. In the future, she fed tomatoes every 10 days until about July 20, alternating nettle infusion and mullein infusion.

The weather was rainy, moderately warm, and the bushes quickly began to grow. In July, after tying and shaping greenhouse tomatoes, hands reached the open ground. By this time, the bushes were 1-1.5 m high, actively blooming. The stems had to be raised so that they did not touch the ground, as it was raining and phytophthora could begin.

FOR PLANT PROTECTION they installed metal U-shaped trellises, pulled the cable in isolation, and I started the garter. First of all, I removed all the leaves to the first brush. 10 days after the garter, it again passed and removed all the leaves, leaving them only at the top. And after another 10 days, she cut off all the newly grown leaves to the crown. By this time, tall tomatoes were already above 1.7 m, many ovaries had formed - just a wall of fruits!

... The bushes of the neighbors were torn out already at the end of August, and with us, thanks to the complete removal of the old leaf, the bushes in the open field remained green until the end of September and the fruits were fully ripe, there were even no diseases.

In our area, for one successful season, there are often two not very favorable ones. The weather conditions that develop in May and June are especially bad for plants. Nature seems to be joking with summer residents: at first it confuses with unusually warm weather in April, and then brings down heavy cold rains, which continue for several weeks, as if specially prepared for them. I heard that this happens in other regions of Russia, and in Belarus as well.


All hope for experiment

Many at this point, just like me, already have time to plant seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, not to mention planting potatoes, root crops and onions in the ground. At very low temperatures and excessive humidity, cucumbers are the first to surrender. This vegetable has to be resown, sometimes even 3 times, and the first greens begin to appear only by the end of July. The heat-loving bell pepper begins to hurt and then for a long time does not dare to start growing again after a temperature shock.

And although every time I collect a good harvest, it is still much worse than in more favorable years. And in order not to depend so much on nature, in one of these last years, when conditions were truly catastrophic for every summer resident, I decided to conduct an experiment. And it all started with tomatoes, with which an interesting story happened.

Made life

I am a weekend summer resident, and I simply do not have the opportunity to go to the site more often. Therefore, on weekdays during the period of prolonged rains, I served at work with a heavy heart. In addition, at that time the family budget failed, and there was no money for the urgent purchase of a large amount of covering material and arcs that could be installed over the beds.

A week after planting, my tomatoes, resisting the cold, still steadfastly held on to the garden, but after another 7 days they began to give up their positions: more than half of the planted plants fell ill with a black leg and fell ill. It also let me down that when planting seedlings, I quite deeply buried the plants in the soil. But this is what I always did: never before on my light sandy soil did tomatoes rot from a deep planting, but on the contrary, they formed many additional roots and grew strong and strong. However, in such conditions, when the earth in the garden literally floated from the amount of precipitation, my seedlings had no chance to survive.

By my next visit, some of the “fallen” tomatoes had already begun to wither, but the upper part, located above the blackening of the stem, in most of these specimens still remained elastic and did not lose turgor. One thought about the purchased seedlings, which the household suggested that I buy at the market and plant in place of the “fallen” tomatoes, caused me extraordinary disgust. Once I tried to plant "foreign" tomatoes, but none of my attempts were successful: either pampered and overfed plants fell sharply ill after planting in the garden, or their fruits did not meet varietal characteristics at all. Therefore, I, unexpectedly for myself, decided to try to reanimate the diseased plants and root them again.

Operation "Resuscitation"

I collected all more or less viable specimens from the garden, washed them from dirt, cut off the dark spike on the stem with scissors, which is otherwise called that same black leg, stepping back 1-2 cm above the affected area. Then I put the plants in a glass of water and took her home. The cuttings turned out so short that only a 70-gram glass was suitable for them, in which I placed all the tomatoes at once so that they supported each other and did not sink in the water.

It was on Saturday, and already on Wednesday, roots began to appear on the cuttings. The following weekend, I took them back to the dacha and planted them in the ground. The rains had stopped by this point, and warm sunny weather had finally set in.

The tomatoes that survived in the garden began to grow sharply, and the rooted cuttings sat in place for another week. However, over time, they turned into exactly the same lush bushes and pleased with a good harvest. I want to note that the fruits on them were somewhat less than on the "normal" bushes, and they began to ripen a couple of weeks later. But after such trials of cold and illness, it is quite natural. I did not expect anything good from this idea at all, but with each new week of the life of these "martyrs" I was more and more amazed at their resilience! The harvest of our tomatoes in that “experimental” year was enough for us both for food and for harvesting.

Many gardeners who grow tomato bushes face sooner or later the fact that the top of the tomato wilts. The most interesting thing is that this happens, regardless of where the tomatoes grow: in a greenhouse or outdoors. A natural question arises: why does this happen, if even the closed space and the right amount of additives do not get rid of this misfortune? Let's try to gradually understand the essence of the problem.

First of all, it must be said that despite the climate suitable for growing tomatoes in the country, these plants themselves are quite capricious and need constant care. Tomatoes are especially prone to diseases that can spread in various ways. Some of these diseases will damage only the plants themselves (for example, leaves fall off), others will affect the entire crop. To treat the disease, you need to detect its symptoms as soon as possible and begin to eliminate the causes of their appearance. Withered plant tops are a symptom of several diseases at once. This is how a plant that suffers from late blight, phomosis and mosaic can react. In addition, heavy watering and excessive moisture can also cause tomato leaves to begin to wilt. Sometimes insects can be the cause of wilting of the top.

Accordingly, each disease must be dealt with in its own way. If the top wilts due to the actions of voracious bugs (bear, wireworms and other pests), then chemicals should be used to combat them. If late blight became the cause of wilting (and greenhouse plants usually suffer from it), then the fight against it should be carried out differently. The fact is that this disease is fungal. It manifests itself not only in the fact that the top of the tomato fades, but also in brown spots on the leaves and stems of the plant. An additional symptom of the disease can be a white coating, located mainly on the lower leaves of the tomato.

Why seedling leaves wither (video)

Prevention measures

Protecting tomatoes from the disease is ahead of time, carrying out special procedures to support them:

  1. It is necessary to plant only those tomatoes that initially look strong and healthy.
  2. Before planting seedlings, the soil must be balanced fertilized. Nutrient deficiencies can cause plants to get sick often and not produce a good harvest.
  3. When planting tomatoes and caring for them (watering and fertilizing), various damage to the crop, even minor ones, should be avoided.
  4. Leaves of dried nettle can be lowered into the holes with seedlings - it is believed that this plant helps the healthy development of tomatoes.
  5. Planting time will also affect their further development. Therefore, weather and temperature conditions must be taken into account.
  6. It is optimal to plant several varieties in one area at once.
  7. A certain distance between plants must be observed.
  8. Do not plant tomatoes in the same place every year. Experts advise planting tomatoes in one area at least once every four years.
  9. In the event that the greenhouse was created exclusively for tomatoes, then the soil in it should be changed annually or the greenhouse should be moved to a new location.
  10. The soil on which diseased plants grew must be disinfected before planting, otherwise late blight will be taken for leaves in the new year.

The main causes of leaf curl in tomatoes (video)

Causes of diseases

Basically, tomatoes wither for two reasons: due to improper care and due to poor growing conditions. These reasons can be summed up in three points:

  • overheat;
  • lack of light;
  • poor quality watering.

In some cases, the tops wither at once due to several points. With this option, an integrated approach must be used to remove symptoms.

Poor watering

Tomatoes are very dependent on how they are watered. They wither if the process starts to go against their needs. However, overwatering can be just as harmful as underwatering. Tomatoes can start to both dry and rot. Excess moisture can lead, oddly enough, to wilting. Tomatoes need to be watered in accordance with their period of development. For example, young seedlings need daily watering; and it is desirable to conduct it from early morning, until the sun has risen too much above the earth. For speared seedlings, watering for several days is already suitable. Depending on how quickly the soil dries out. Mature plants will only need to be watered once a week. However, the tomatoes should be watered abundantly.

Tomatoes prefer warm and infused water, which is the most nutritious for them.

Lack of light and overheating

Tomatoes love sunbathing. In this case, their productivity will be higher. If at the same time they are well ventilated in the greenhouse, then excellent development of plants can be expected. Otherwise, the development of diseases and fungi may begin.

If tomatoes grow out of season, then the lack of light will be felt by them more than ever. In this case, additional illumination is simply indispensable. The most optimal for artificial lighting will be fluorescent lamps. Fluorescent lighting should be supplied for about 16 hours a day.

Experienced gardeners, knowing the love of plants for light, line the floor of the greenhouse with foil or white paper, which serves as an additional reflection. In this way, electricity consumption for lighting can be reduced.

Despite the light-loving nature, tomatoes react painfully to extreme temperature conditions. So, if on summer days the air temperature rises to 38 degrees, then the plants begin to wither, the leaves from them can crumble, and the stem weakens. The optimum temperature for tomatoes is around 25-28 degrees. At the same time, at night it should decrease significantly and reach 17 degrees. In order to properly monitor the development of the culture, it is necessary to purchase a thermometer, according to which you need to regulate the air temperature.

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This happened to most gardeners. When checking your garden bed, you may find that the stem of the plant is broken. Maybe you missed it and didn't tie it up carefully. Don't be afraid and don't worry. You can fix the situation yourself.

Instruction

  • 1 The first thing you need to do is assess the damage. Determine, for starters, what exactly is broken, the main stem or a small lateral process. Harvest any fruit growing on a broken tomato stem. If they are nearly ripe you can use continued ripening methods or if they are still quite green you can cook it or use it in a recipe that uses green tomatoes.
  • 2 After you have removed all the fruits, you need to help the stem recover. If it's a small stem and there are a lot of strong alternate stems next to it, just cut it back just below the broken spot. Do this in one clean quick cut, leaving no nicks as this can damage the plant.
  • 3 If the stem is larger and more important, or if the damage is not very strong, you can tie it. Do this to support the plant in two or three places further down the stem. Tie it tightly to a support device (cage or pole, whichever you use). The structure should be strong enough not to move, but not so tight as to impede growth. Use a wide strip of tissue for support just below the damaged area.
  • 4 Remember to keep an eye on the damaged plant for the next few days. The regeneration process should be visible. When a “scar” appears instead of damage, you can remove the fabric and loosen the fasteners. In some cases, this may not help and you just have to get rid of such a stem. Watch the leaves: they should be alive, not slowly dying. If this is the case, just cut the stem just below the damage.

I want to talk about what a long-suffering story happened to me with bell pepper - it will be useful to other gardeners. To begin with, I usually sow peppers in separate bowls at the end of February, coordinating the dates with the lunar calendar.

Then I keep everything near the heater (several times a day, if I have time, I put the bowls and directly on it - for 10-15 minutes). And shoots usually appear very quickly - on the 6-8th day.

Then I rearrange the bowls on the windowsill, where it is light and cool. After the appearance of cotyledon leaves, without waiting for the first permanent ones, I dive into cups filled with a mixture consisting of earth from the garden and purchased soil (it gives looseness to the entire soil mixture).

Well, now for the adventure. Last year I sowed Belozerka pepper. I did everything as usual, but contrary to expectations, for some reason, the shoots did not appear on time. I was surprised, but decided that it was just the planting material itself that let us down.

And so that the bowl would not stand idle (and I didn’t want to stay without peppers), I planted the seeds of the Bogatyr and Gift of Moldova varieties there. After the appearance of the loops, I moved the bowl to a hanging shelf installed in the window opening, since my window sills are small, and even those were already occupied with seedlings of flowers.

Everything went back to normal, I calmed down, the peppers too - they began to gradually gain strength. I was already preparing to dive when one day, entering the room, to my horror I found peat tablets with seedlings of flowers scattered on the floor, and a bowl of peppers lying on the side of the window. So, everything is clear: one of my cats looked after himself a sunny place and, deciding to soak up the shelf, turned it over.

Fortunately, the pepper seedlings did not suffer much: the soil even moved to the edge, but the sprouts themselves were almost all intact. I quickly filled the cups with soil and transplanted each pepper into a separate "house".

When transplanting, each root was carefully dug up with a plastic disposable knife (it is very convenient for them to work without damaging the delicate roots), so the whole seedling took root. I made indentations in the cups, watered these holes from a small watering can, put a plant in them and carefully, since the stems were very thin and fragile, poured soil a little higher than the level that was in the common bowl.

New Adventures

I put the cups in low biscuit boxes, on the second day I watered the plant moderately (after picking peppers, both thirst and high humidity are harmful). Then she moved the boxes to a warm bed, covered with a film - she no longer left them at home, fearing a second sabotage by cats. At night, I also covered the seedlings with covering material, and my peppers grew strong, healthy, until one day I had to leave on business for the whole day.

The morning then turned out to be gloomy and cool, and I did not open my landings. But, when I was already on my way, the weather suddenly improved, the sun came out and it started to get so hot that by the evening, when I got home, my peppers were already completely baked - only 10-12 cm high stumps remained from them. how upset I was ... What should I do now? Buying seedlings at the market?

But I don’t like this business, because very often it doesn’t grow out of it at all what the sellers promise.

The next morning she again went to her unfortunate peppers and, when she began to look more closely, she suddenly saw that living buds remained on the stems (where the leaves had crumbled).

Remembering that stepchildren grow very well in nightshade, I decided - come what may: I cut the stems, leaving only green tissues and sprinkled them with a growth regulator.

And I started watching. And indeed, after a while, new shoots began to grow from the stems, soon the bushes fluffed up and, after transplanting into the ground, turned into stocky strong men with a curly “hairstyle”.

I mulched the soil under them with dried grass, watered the bushes depending on the weather (but on average once or twice a week in the afternoon), and if it was too hot, the leaves drooped, then I refreshed them from the sprinkler. The next morning after watering, the earth was loosened so that a crust did not form on it.

And when the buds began to grow on the plants, my heart was relieved. And the pepper did not let me down: the bushes were all strewn with fruits, like small fluffy Christmas trees with toys. The harvest was rich.

Much to my surprise, I saw on my beds not only the bushes of the hero and the Gift of Moldova, but also Belozerka, which disappointed me. So, in vain I sinned on this variety, it turned out to be resistant, withstood all the tests.

Why am I having this whole conversation? And besides, we, gardeners, should not give up and lose heart in the most seemingly hopeless situations.