Growing tomatoes in itself is not a complicated matter. Even beginners usually have no problems – as long as they stick to the rules. If not, the plants may rot. Would you like to know what exactly this means and how you can save rotten tomatoes?
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A relatively large amount of time and effort goes into growing vegetables. It is all the more annoying when the plants do not develop as expected. But when it comes to horny growths, it can be said that it is nothing to worry about if you act in time.
What does this phenomenon actually mean?
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If the seedlings and young plants shoot up too much in a short period of time, they will not be able to form stable stems and will sooner or later fall over due to the weight. The tissue is too weak because the plant invests almost all of its energy in linear growth. This is the so-called horny growth and occurs as a result of incorrect care or when the site conditions are not right.
How to prevent horny growth
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Even if you’re already in this mess, you’ll probably want to know how you can avoid the problem in the future or what you did wrong in the first place.
Cultivation is a wonderful idea, but please do it at the right time. If you start too early, the growing conditions may not be right and the plant will rot. Light is one of the most important factors. If it is too dark for the plant, it will grow longer because it is striving to reach the light. Without enough light, it hardly produces chlorophyll. The result is a pale green instead of the lush green. If necessary, lower the temperature after germination, which is 20 to 25 degrees. If it stays so warm afterwards, it also stimulates rapid growth. The seedlings therefore do better at temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees.
Save rotten tomatoes – this is your chance!
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Luckily, you usually notice the horny growth in good time, so you still have the opportunity to change something. The magic word is: change.
Support the tomato plants if necessary
Plants that have already collapsed or appear to be on the verge of collapse should be supported first before taking any further action. Simple shish kebab skewers are sufficient for this.
The piling trick
Hilling is a popular trick for some vegetable plants to strengthen them. You can also use it for stabilization if you want to save your rotten tomatoes. To do this, simply add some more soil to the pot, forming a small pile with the highest point on the tomato stem. This not only supports the latter, but new roots form from the stem (which is the actual purpose of this care measure).
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The location is obviously unfavorable. In order to stop further rapid growth, you first need a cooler location. This should also be suitable for the night hours (the plants should not freeze).
Provide more light! Tomatoes are only allowed outdoors after the Ice Saints. But you can also pamper them beforehand with fresh air and, above all, plenty of light. So feel free to put them on the balcony or terrace when the weather permits (at least 13 degrees). Under no circumstances should the young plants be exposed to the sun (not even for a few hours!) and they should also be protected from wind.
You should soon notice that the plants are recovering. They will produce more leaves and become greener.