Q. I planted tomato plants in an old barn area that has not been used for horses or chickens or any animals in about 20 years. Now my tomato plants that I planted one week ago are turning white, not yellow like transplant shock but white. Do you know why?
-Lancaster, New York
A. Did you set the plants outside in the shade for a few days to get them acclimated to being outside? If not, my guess is that they have sun scorch. They should get used to the sun in a few days and put out new leaves.
If this doesn’t work, I would suggest getting the soil tested. It may show an excess of some element that is affecting the plants.
In fact, if you haven’t done a soil test, you should. There is a good chance there could be lead in the soil…paint used before 1978 contained lead so the soil around the barn could have been contaminated. (Don’t think that would cause the white leaves though.)
It would be great to hear how things work out.
-Barbara Emerson, Have Green Thumb
Manchester, Massachusetts
And a second answer!
A. The problem you are having on your tomatoes is probably wind or sunburn. We have had a lot of the same problem here at our garden center. When the plants are newly transplanted, the root system cannot always keep up with the leaves losing moisture to the dry winds we have had here in the Northeast. The result is the leaves turn white. The plants may recover from this if you can give them some fertilizer. In the future, make sure that the plants are put into the garden on a cloudy day. It makes it a bit easier on the plants to have a day or so to develop some roots before being exposed to sunshine. You can also create a windbreak by placing a piece of cardboard into the soil. It should be placed in the soil so that it blocks the wind that would be hitting the plant. Hope this helps you out.
-Tim Lamprey, Harbor Garden Center
Salisbury, Massachusetts
