Recognizing the cause is the first step to solving this common problem.
Tomatoesare among the most popular backyard garden cropsand with good reason.
Butgrowing tomatoesis not without its challenges.
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One problem growers commonly encounter is twisted or curling tomato leaves.
This is because of a variety of factors, some more serious than others.
Several factors can cause tomato leaves to curl, and some are more serious than others.
They may curl during the hottest part of the day or because oflack of rain.
Theyll also curl when more serious issues arise.
Curling tomato leaves are certainly alarming, but sometimes the cause is rather simple.
The symptoms of physiological leaf curl vary slightly from other causes.
Affected leaves tend to curl upwards and inwards, with damage generally beginning on the lower, older leaves.
Other causes include pests, herbicides, and disease.
Foliage may bend downward, leaves may be discolored, or growth may be stunted.
Other plants may also be affected.
How Do You Fix Leaf Curl On Tomato Plants?
If tomato leaves are curling, the plant isn’t a lost cause.
Here are some reasons for curling tomato leaves and next steps to take to store your crop.
Insufficient Watering
Tomatoes require constant moisture rather than fluctuating periods of wet and dry soil.
Plants respond by curling their leaves to reduce sun exposure, which reduces water loss.
Alayer of mulchhelps keep the plant from losing too much moisture during evaporation.
In addition to too little moisture, overwatering can also cause tomato leaves to curl.
Too Much Fertilizer
you could manage environmental stress by avoiding excessive fertilization, especially nitrogen.
In this case, give the plant time to return to normal.
If this happens, give the plant a few weeks to recover and grow more leaves.
Prune plants judiciously and hand weed around the base of plants to avoid damaging roots during cultivation.
Excessive Heat
When temperatures sit at a steady high, tomato plants get stressed.
Shading plants from the hot afternoon sun can be an option in areas prone to high heat.
Plant tomatoes in an area where they get someafternoon shade.
Add mulch around the base to hold in moisture, and confirm the plants are sufficiently watered.
Check the undersides of leaves for insects.
If needed, use insecticidal soap to control aphids.
Herbicide Drift
Herbicide drift is another common cause of leaf curling in tomatoes.
The damage sparked by herbicide drift looks different from environmental stress.
Typically, herbicide damage affects the new growth first.
Herbicide damage also tends to affect many plants in the garden, not just tomatoes.
Residue from this herbicide can persist on treated hay and hay products for 18 months.
How Do You Treat Tomato Leaf Curl Disease?
There are no chemical controls for viruses, and affected plants do not recover.
They will die or remain stunted without setting additional fruit.
Remove infected plants as soon as possible to reduce further spread.
Plant viruses are transmitted by insects or dirty tools.
To minimize infection, always clean and sterilize pruning equipment between plants.
Manage insect vectors by reducing weeds in and around the garden and treating pests when outbreaks occur.
The most effective measure it’s possible for you to take in limiting viral infection is planting disease-resistant varieties.
Look for resistant varieties whenselecting tomato plantsfor the garden.
You dont need to remove curling leaves from a tomato plant.
You may need to get rid of a diseased plant to prevent the spread to others.
During the first 10 days,water tomatoesdaily at soil level around the roots and not overhead.
Once roots are established, reduce watering to a few times a week, depending on rainfall.
As the temperature rises and the plant begins to produce fruit, increase watering slightly.
Check the soils moisture, and water if the top few inches are dry.
