7-Reasons Of Yellow Leaves on Tomato Plants!

Yellow leaves on tomato plants are very common. These yellow tomato plant leaves could be due to several reasons, and in this Post we will dig deep into their causes and how you can fix them. So let’s begin.

1- Nutrient Shortage?

The first and the most common cause of yellowing tomato leaves is nutrient shortage. Tomato plants are heavy feeders and require a variety of nutrients on a regular basis in order to perform well.

Many times, when a tomato plant faces any kind of nutritional deficiency, it turns its leaves yellow, brown, patchy, etc. In the case of yellow tomato leaves, nitrogen and magnesium deficiency could be the main reason.

Low nitrogen levels in the soil cause the leaves to turn yellow. Magnesium is also an important element that is essential for chlorophyll production, and chlorophyll is the compound that makes leaves green.

So magnesium deficiency can also turn leaves yellow. If your soil pH is very high or very low compared to neutral (around 7), this can also trigger yellow leaves because in such an environment the roots won’t be able to absorb nutrients properly from the soil.

To fix this, simply use a fertilizer that contains both nitrogen and magnesium. For accuracy, you can also check the soil pH using a pH meter and balance it accordingly.

You can also use compost tea. A detailed guide on making compost tea as well as a good tomato plant fertilizer at home is linked Here.

2- Seasonal Effect!

Another common cause of yellowing tomato leaves is seasonal effect. Tomato plants are mostly grown in a moderate environment, but when the season changes, the plant feels stress and may turn a few leaves yellow.

This mostly happens in extreme conditions when the temperature fluctuates a lot. But this is totally natural. The plant won’t die because of this, and within a week or so it will adjust to the new season.

Just make sure the new leaves growing on your tomato plant are green and healthy.

3- Compact Soil Media!

Soil media plays an important role in the healthy growth of tomato plants. If your soil media is compact or water-blocking, this can also result in yellowing leaves.

Simply dig into the soil and check whether it is loose enough and whether it is holding too much moisture. In the case of poor soil media, you should change it, but very carefully. If your soil media is good enough, there is nothing to worry about.

Tomato plants like a soft, loose, and well-draining soil media, so make sure of that. You can also make a good soil mix at home by following This Guide.

4- Shock of Some Kind…

Yellow leaves on tomato plants can also occur due to shock. Any kind of shock to the plant can result in yellow leaves. This stress or shock could be due to recent transplanting, change of location, overuse of fertilizer or pesticides, or too much or too little moisture in the soil.

So make sure you are following the proper method while transplanting, watering, or fertilizing. A shocked plant can recover by eliminating the cause of the shock.

If it’s overwatering, let the soil dry out a bit. If it’s excess fertilizer, add plenty of water so the excess nutrients can leach out of the soil. This way, you can bring your plant back to a normal state.

5- Less Sunlight?

One more thing you must check in case of yellow leaves is the plant’s location. Tomato plants are flowering and fruiting plants, and they need a lot of sunlight to grow well.

If your tomato plant is placed in a dark area with no direct or indirect light, this will definitely result in pale yellow leaves. If you see the branches growing long and leggy with pale leaves and no deep green color, it is due to lack of sunlight.

Place the plant in a location where it receives a few hours of sunlight daily, and it will recover.

6- Pest Attack?

One cause of yellow leaves on tomato plants is pest attack. Just like nutrient deficiency causes yellow leaves, pests also suck out nutrient-rich liquid from the leaves, known as sap.

This liquid is full of essential nutrients, and when pests suck it out, the plant doesn’t get enough nutrition and the leaves start turning yellow.

This is why you may have seen yellow leaves on tomatoes when they are attacked by leaf miners or other sucking pests. Simply use a good pesticide like neem oil spray to control the pest attack.

And afterwards apply a good fertilizer to restore nutrients to the plant. This may take some time, but the plant will recover. A detailed Guide on making neem oil spray at home is also added Here.

7- Natural Aging!

Yellow leaves are very common on tomato plants. You may notice that the plant is growing really well, but the lower leaves are still turning yellow.

This happens because the lower leaves are older, and as part of the natural aging process, they turn yellow and fall off. There is nothing to worry about.

This is completely natural. Just make sure the overall health of the plant is good and that the new leaves are growing green and healthy.

That’s all about yellow leaves on tomato plants. Feel free to follow our guide on tomato plant leaf curl disease, which is also very common.