May 30, 2025, 3:49 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Tomatoes are among the most popular vegetables for home gardening, whether in the garden or on the balcony. However, during cultivation, seedlings may sometimes grow in an unusual manner. In botany, this phenomenon is known as etiolation. This article provides hobby gardeners with tips on how to save their plants.
Leggy tomatoes not only look unusual but are also particularly susceptible to pests. Typically, this unusual growth form indicates that the plants are lacking something. MyHOMEBOOK reveals exactly what they are missing and how you can help them.
How to Identify Leggy Tomatoes
Leggy tomatoes or even just individual leggy shoots on the plant are usually easy to recognize. The seedlings grow particularly fast but droop limply downward. The shoots are unusually long, thin, and quite soft. The tomatoes have less foliage and display a paler green color.
What is the Cause?
When starting tomatoes on a windowsill, leggy growth occurs particularly often. This is because it is usually already pleasantly warm there, but there is a problem: the right light is missing. If it is warm enough for germination but lacks sunlight, the shoots stretch upward in search of light. The plants invest their energy in length growth, hoping to reach a light source.
In doing so, the stability of the cell walls is neglected. The production of chlorophyll also takes a back seat. This plant pigment is primarily responsible for the green color of the plant. Therefore, leggy tomatoes appear light green or even yellowish.
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Can Leggy Tomatoes Be Saved?
In fact, you don’t have to give up on leggy tomatoes. If only individual shoots are affected by the leggy growth, they can simply be removed. However, if the entire tomato plant is affected, the following care tips should be followed:
- If you notice during the pre-growing phase that the sun is insufficient and the plants begin to become leggy, quick action is required.
- To slow down length growth, ideally, place the leggy young plants in a cooler location.
- During the day, the tomato plants can also be placed outside in a shady, wind-protected spot. Important: They should be brought back indoors at night.
- Skewers, such as those used for kebabs, can serve as support for the delicate young plants.