How to stop tomato and bell pepper leaves from turning yellow? With a homemade spray

Do you already have fruit on your tomato and cucumber plants? I’m sure you do, and you’re probably looking forward to harvesting them. We feel the same way. However, it’s very upsetting to see some plants with yellow leaves. In the case of cucumbers, this also means yellow and unusable fruits. That’s another reason why it’s worth writing about why this happens. Among other things, we’ll also recommend a homemade remedy that can stop the leaves from turning yellow.

Why do the leaves of cucumbers and tomatoes turn yellow?

There are several reasons for this. Naturally, pests and diseases—of which there may be several—are behind the yellowing of the leaves.

Potato blight: A classic example

This disease is characterized by yellow spots on the leaves. These spots gradually enlarge and turn brown. A white coating also typically appears on the undersides of the leaves.

Aphids

These tiny insects, which feed on plant sap, can severely weaken plants. Infested leaves gradually become deformed and turn yellow. Aphids are usually visible on the undersides of the leaves.

Powdery mildew

This disease is characterized by yellow spots with white edges on the leaves themselves. Eventually, the leaves typically turn brown and fall off.

Photo: Radek Stepan

Make your own homemade fungicide

We did just that. It’s based on ordinary garlic. Garlic acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. In particular, the allicin found in garlic is highly effective against various diseases. The spray is also environmentally friendly. To make the spray, we needed:

– 1 liter of warm water,

– 1 tablespoon of dried garlic,

– 1 tablespoon of baking soda.

The process for making the spray is simple. Add the garlic and baking soda to a liter of water. Mix everything thoroughly. Then let the mixture sit for about 2 hours so that all the ingredients combine. Finally, strain the mixture and add another liter of water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and then treat the plants.

Photo: Radek Stepan

Sources: Author, YouTube

Photo: Radek Stepan