Tomato Leaf Curl? VERY STRANGE
JE McLaughlin
in so many adjacent plants, involving so many leaves--all of the sudden,
tonight. It was as if they all went shocky, with all the leaves curling so
the right side and left sides almost touch eachother, with the central vein
still holding the leaf's longitudinal length. Anyone know what the heck is
happening or what conditions cause this?
It's really hot and dry (near drought) here in Philly, but the plants have
been getting deep-root watering and until tonight, all looked very happy and
healthy despite weather. Thanks for any help. j...@comcat.com
MLW5844
I had the same thing happen to mine last year, and I never did figure out what
was causing it. The only similarity I can think of is, we had record-breaking
dry weather all summer, and I gave my plants several good soakings before it
occurred. Then, just as you said, the leaves curled over night. The curling
never did subside, but new leaves were not afflicted. I look forward to
following this thread to see if anyone can shed light on the problem.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on the new growth at the ends of the stems and see if
the leaves are curled or normal. I would appreciate hearing about it.
Mike W.
Janet Bostwick
the new growth became curled and twisted on five adjacent plants. The new
growth is still producing blossoms. The old growth still looks healthy.
What is happening to the new growth? If the new-growth blossoms set, will
the fruit be affected? Never had this problem before. We have been having
alternate cool and hot weather, and the season has been unusually windy. I
have been doing overhead watering as well as root soaking. Thanks for any
help.
MLW5844 wrote in message <19990720042658...@ng-fj1.aol.com>...
Chatzie
seeing this, I began checking my plants a little more closely. We have had a
small sprinkling of rain almost daily here in NW Florida, and mine started
that curling thing, too. Also, it looks like several of the leaves off the
top of the plants have been cut off at the stem. I looked and looked for the
cutworm, but never found anything, not even a afid.
This is getting spooky. Folks, mine are container grown! They are taller
than they have ever gotten, requiring extensions on the trellisses no less,
but last night, the four center plants started the curling thing. Could
something be doing root damage? That would make the plant sort of "wilty"
like the shock of being transplanted...except they were never moved. I cut
off the branches that had the stem/leaf damage, I shall see this evening if
that had helped any or not.
Looks like time to get out the soap/red pepper/water mix and spray again. In
the meantime, I will go to the library tonight and see if I can find any
references to this in SFG or BH&G Guide.
If anyone knows something about this.......please say something. This is so
strange it is spooky! And I am certain that the others in this thread who
have asked would also appreciate it!
--
Chatzie Massey
The Cottager
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
mmja...@my-deja.com
> This is getting spooky. Folks, mine are container grown! They are taller
> than they have ever gotten, requiring extensions on the trellisses no less,
> but last night, the four center plants started the curling thing. Could
> something be doing root damage? That would make the plant sort of "wilty"
> like the shock of being transplanted...except they were never moved. I cut
> off the branches that had the stem/leaf damage, I shall see this evening if
> that had helped any or not.
Here in Brooklyn, too. Lower leaves started curling on backyard tomato plant
during the very hot weather, ozone warnings, super-bright sunshine a few
weeks ago. I did think it looked a little odd, but I'm new to gardening, so
I haven't seen *everything* by a long shot. I didn't know it was unusual.
Rest of plant is vigorous. Squishing leaves gives a great smell. All new
growth unaffected. FWIW: Site is dry to moist; soil is not over-rich;
temperature rose to 109 deg's during hottest days.
Michael Romagnoli
The only stuff I'm aware of to cause such conditions are overwatering
and Tobacco Mosaic Virus.
-Mike
On Tue, 20 Jul 1999 15:14:14 GMT, Chatzie <cha...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>For what it is worth, I just experienced the same thing last night. After
>seeing this, I began checking my plants a little more closely. We have had a
>small sprinkling of rain almost daily here in NW Florida, and mine started
>that curling thing, too. Also, it looks like several of the leaves off the
>top of the plants have been cut off at the stem. I looked and looked for the
>cutworm, but never found anything, not even a afid.
>
>This is getting spooky. Folks, mine are container grown! They are taller
>than they have ever gotten, requiring extensions on the trellisses no less,
>but last night, the four center plants started the curling thing. Could
>something be doing root damage? That would make the plant sort of "wilty"
>like the shock of being transplanted...except they were never moved. I cut
>off the branches that had the stem/leaf damage, I shall see this evening if
>that had helped any or not.
>
>Looks like time to get out the soap/red pepper/water mix and spray again. In
>the meantime, I will go to the library tonight and see if I can find any
>references to this in SFG or BH&G Guide.
>
>If anyone knows something about this.......please say something. This is so
>strange it is spooky! And I am certain that the others in this thread who
>have asked would also appreciate it!
>
>
>
>--
>Chatzie Massey
>The Cottager
>
>
Chatzie
first...@worldnet.att.net wrote:
>
> The only stuff I'm aware of to cause such conditions are overwatering
> and Tobacco Mosaic Virus.
>
> -Mike
>
Thanks Mike. I was really at a loss, but your solution actually means
something.
The problem here happens to be the oppressive humidity. The water that rains
, though only a little each afternoon, can not evaportae properly in this
high humidity. The air already is "full" of just about as much as it can
hold......which means there is no where for the water in the ground to
evaportate to.
I also found the worm. Not a cutworm, but a hornworm. Since I was looking
for a cutworm, I didn't think to step back and just look at the plant a
minute. There is one thing though, the leaves on top of the ones in the
center of the ocntainer are still doing that curling thing.....and a few more
branches have joined them......I'll go back out afte it stops raining and
take another look.
pheasant
track with the info you are looking for.
Some varieties have a small amount of natural leaf curl, I plant a
variety known as Pik-Red (aka Red-Pak) is a very prolific commerical
variety, that has a large amount of leaf curl naturally. When I first
saw it, I was concerned, but after some reassurance by the nursery, I've
long since ignored it, and have tons of tomatoes every year, you think
your neighbors close the door when they see the zucchini guy coming,
well, it nearly gets to this point with tomatoes too! ;)
Mark
--
THIS year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized
nation has
full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more
efficient,
and the world will follow our lead into the future!
Adolf Hitler - April 15, 1935
"We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary
Americans ..."
--Bill Clinton (USA TODAY, 11 March 1993, page 2A)
lee...@alaska.net
unlike potatoes, rolled tomato leaves do not indicate disease. The
inward curling of young leaves is usually taken as a good sign if they
are dark green. The rolling of older leaves is usually due to excess
deleafing or a wide variation between day and night temperatures.
Provided that pests and disease are absent, there is no need to take
action.
On Tue, 20 Jul 1999 01:43:10 -0400, "JE McLaughlin" <j...@comcat.com>
wrote:
AF
Again, it was an overnight occurance. I'm in the Spokane, WA area, and we've
been experiencing nights with temps down into the low 40's and days up in the
mid nineties (in the shade - and the tomatos aren't in the shade).
So, your data seems to fit. Did everyone else in this thread experience wide
variations in day-to-night temps?
In article <379ecef6...@nntp.alaska.net>, lee...@alaska.net says...
Tim
and other than the leaf curling, the plants seem very healthy. Our
temps up here have been high, in the 90's during day, with 60's at
night. I am chaulking it up to the heat and very dry weather...........
Tim
In article <7nvapj$2g$1...@bgtnsc01.worldnet.att.net>,
Olin
hopper. There is no known control because the leaf hopper is also on most
other garden plants as well as weeds surrounding the garden so you can't
eradicate the leaf hopper without also killing all other insects. The
recommended "control" is prevention by covering the tomato plants with shade
cloth before the leafhoppers appear (they don't like shade and will stay in
the sun). Don't know if this could be the problem everybody else is
having - I don't have any gardening experience in "normal" climates. -Olin,
Phoenix AZ
JE McLaughlin wrote in message <93244852...@news.remarQ.com>...
diana cascioli
JE McLaughlin wrote in message <93244852...@news.remarQ.com>...
>In 25 yrs of growing tomatoes, I've never seen tomato leaves curl
>in so many adjacent plants, involving so many leaves--all of the
sudden,
>tonight. It was as if they all went shocky, with all the leaves
curling so
>the right side and left sides almost touch eachother, with the central vein
>still holding the leaf's longitudinal length. Anyone know what the
heck is
>happening or what conditions cause this?
>
>It's really hot and dry (near drought) here in Philly, but the plants have
>been getting deep-root watering and until tonight, all looked very happy
> and
>healthy despite weather. Thanks for any help. j...@comcat.com
My tomato plants and my mother's have done the same thing. I have also
heard many similar accounts on various newsgroups. My *personal* theory
is that it's been so hot and so dry (I'm in MD just north of DC... not
far from you) that the plants are in a permanent state of wilt. Also,
the darker, heat-absorbing green side of the leaf is now covered by the
curled up lighter-colored underside which may help the plant out in some
way. Like a said, a theory. ;)
The plants are healthy otherwise and are producing tons of fruit, so i'm
not really worried about it.
--
raven- is diana cascioli | Hail to the speaker,
GW Graphic Design | Hail to the knower,
bmeworld.com/raven2 | Joy to him who has understood,
gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~raven | Delight to those who have listened. -Havamal
JE McLaughlin
agricultural chemicals company. I was told this is no more than
environmental stress, and the leaves are curling to conserve moisture by
reducing surface area. I think your light/dark theory also is at play, by
the Divine Plan. Like you and others in this thread, I also have PLENTY of
fruit and the plants are otherwise healthy, albeit curly. YES, we moved to
a full-fledged drought here in Philly, too---with temps in the '90's for 22
straight days. THANKS EVERYONE. WE CAN ALL GO BACK TO SLEEP NOW. Thank
goodness this won't appear on X-FILES. -jim :)
diana cascioli wrote in message <37A6105D...@gwu.edu>...
>
> JE McLaughlin wrote in message <93244852...@news.remarQ.com>...
>>In 25 yrs of growing tomatoes, I've never seen tomato leaves curl
>>in so many adjacent plants, involving so many leaves--all of the
>sudden, .....Thanks for any help. j...@comcat.com
>
>My tomato plants and my mother's have done the same thing. I have also
>heard many similar accounts on various newsgroups. My *personal* theory
>is that it's been so hot and so dry (I'm in MD just north of DC... not
>far from you) that the plants are in a permanent state of wilt. Also,
>the darker, heat-absorbing green side of the leaf is now covered by the
>curled up lighter-colored underside which may help the plant out in some
>way. Like a said, a theory. ;)
>
>The plants are healthy otherwise and are producing tons of fruit, so i'm
>not really worried about it.
>
>--raven- is diana cascioli | Hail to the speaker,
JE McLaughlin
that once curled from enviro shock/stress, they will NOT reverse, regardless
of water or more temperate conditions. So far, that seems to be the case
with my own test plot.
diana cascioli
>
> DIANA - MOST WISE! Yes, I checked with some green house researchers at an
> agricultural chemicals company. I was told this is no more than
> environmental stress, and the leaves are curling to conserve moisture by
> reducing surface area. I think your light/dark theory also is at play, by
> the Divine Plan. Like you and others in this thread, I also have PLENTY of
> fruit and the plants are otherwise healthy, albeit curly. YES, we moved to
> a full-fledged drought here in Philly, too---with temps in the '90's for 22
> straight days. THANKS EVERYONE. WE CAN ALL GO BACK TO SLEEP NOW. Thank
> goodness this won't appear on X-FILES. -jim :)
yes, it's so dry here. I think the entire state of maryland is in
extreme drought--water restrictions are now going into effect. I can't
remember the last time it rained. :(
good guess on my part about the tomatoes. :)
thanks jim!
--
raven- is diana cascioli | Hail to the speaker,