Getting your player ready...
Gardening expert Bob Stewart turns over a tomato leaf.
“See the purple lines in the leaves? That’s an indication that the plants are missing something.” To thrive, plants need certain elements from the soil, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The purple means the plant is missing phosphorus.
“Plants don’t cough and sneeze,” Stewart says, “but they show different colors, and that color on tomatoes says, ‘I need more phosphorus.’ ”
Also, plants bought from a nursery often have roots that have begun to grow in the shape of the container. Stewart’s suggestion: “Gently break it apart at the bottom, to expose some of the roots.” This allows the roots to grow down into the soil.
