leaf curl

the999bbq · July 9, 2008

Every year there are some plants that show a bit of leaf curl but this year it is massive (PL varieties tend to do better). Is there a definite way to distinguish physiological leaf curl from viral leaf curl (yellow leaf curl,...). The lower leafs do show some yellowy blocks between the veins, but then again for an amateur like me magnesium deficiency+physiological leaf curl could equal yellow leaf curl symptomwise...

Flowers appear normal and the do form fruit (for the time being?) so should I worry for this year's crop ?

Outdoor plants don't seem to have this problem at all - they are smaller than the greenhouse ones, planted practically at the same time though, and they get the same regime in pruning (no extra watering/feeding - watering regime for the greenhouse toms is once a week, about 1,5 liter per plant, one tablespoon of molasses per 50 liters of water; that was my experiment for the year : can you get results only by this feed)

the greenhouse is moved to clean soil every year, it just follows my overall rotation scheme on 9 patches.

No insects visible under the leafs nor 'inside' the curl. no whitefly spotted yet...I think

what are my options here ? should I go back to my 'normal' fluid tomatofeed and hope it is physiological leaf curl ?

Peter

**carolyn137** · July 9, 2008

Peter, leaf curl is very common and most of us experience it with out tomato plants. Leaves will curl if it's too hot, too cool, too wet, too dry,if there's a heavy fruit burden and some varieties just always have curled leaves.

I ignore all leaf curling unless other symptoms appear.

leaf curl is also different than leaf roll. Leaf roll can occur early in the season when root mass and foliage mass are out of balance and as the plants mature leaf curl disappears.

the999bbq · July 9, 2008

ok , thanks Carolyn, sometimes I shoot into panic mode ;-) Other years I have the occasional curling too but this year it seemed extraordinary, but then again European (global?) weather is extraordinary too - my calender says July but you could fool me if you told me it was end March... and since toms have no calendars (lucky #######s) ... ;-)

amideutch · July 9, 2008

Peter, know what you mean. Something out of the ordinary happens and sometimes we hit the panic button. I have a few with leaf curl and a few with some yellowing leaves also. Right about the weather. Last month we had July and this month is looking like April. Weather here on the continent is getting to be like a crap shoot. You don't know what to expect anymore. Ami

duajones · March 19, 2009

Noticing leaf curl on most of my RL plants right now, something that seems to happen every year around this time. First two years I panicked, this year I am ignorning it

duajones · March 22, 2009

As I mentioned I have experienced leaf curl on my plants every year since I started. This year it appeared to be worse than the past couple years but is already clearing up. I first noticed it on the 17th and foliar fed with fish on the 19th. Today it is almost nonexistant. Not sure if the foliar application helped at all but it sure did go away quick this time around.

Polar_Lace · March 22, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by duajones

As I mentioned I have experienced leaf curl on my plants every year since I started. This year it appeared to be worse than the past couple years but is already clearing up. I first noticed it on the 17th and foliar fed with fish on the 19th. Today it is almost nonexistant. Not sure if the foliar application helped at all but it sure did go away quick this time around.

That's good to know Duane. That's just what I done to my smallish tomato and pepper plants. Some were topped off by a recent cold snap. They looked like new seedlings, but since I did that, they have sprouted new leaves at the bottom, where there were no leaves at all! Some of them were just sticks popping out of the soil; but I knew they still had roots, so I took the chance and tried to save them.

In my Pepper plants, there were 3 seedlings that came up unexpectedly within 2 days after the application, that never did germinate. I guess with the fish fertilizer in the soil, they did.

~* Robin

travis · March 23, 2009

In addition to what others have said, much of which is true, some tomato varieties are predisposed to leaf curl and breeders often take advantage of that trait when developing varieties where the curl exposes the fruit to more sunlight in northern or cloudy climates.

On the other hand, breeders incorporate lines of tomatoes that have broader leaves that lay flat and resist curl where shade is needed in climates where the fruit may be exposed to intense sunlight.

Varieties that have the tendency to naturally curl will show that tendency to a greater extent under extreme weather conditions. I've seen leaves curl in response to cool, wet conditions to the extent that the leaves choked off the inflorescences.

July 9, 2008	#1
the999bbq Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 191	leaf curl Every year there are some plants that show a bit of leaf curl but this year it is massive (PL varieties tend to do better). Is there a definite way to distinguish physiological leaf curl from viral leaf curl (yellow leaf curl,...). The lower leafs do show some yellowy blocks between the veins, but then again for an amateur like me magnesium deficiency+physiological leaf curl could equal yellow leaf curl symptomwise... Flowers appear normal and the do form fruit (for the time being?) so should I worry for this year's crop ? Outdoor plants don't seem to have this problem at all - they are smaller than the greenhouse ones, planted practically at the same time though, and they get the same regime in pruning (no extra watering/feeding - watering regime for the greenhouse toms is once a week, about 1,5 liter per plant, one tablespoon of molasses per 50 liters of water; that was my experiment for the year : can you get results only by this feed) the greenhouse is moved to clean soil every year, it just follows my overall rotation scheme on 9 patches. No insects visible under the leafs nor 'inside' the curl. no whitefly spotted yet...I think what are my options here ? should I go back to my 'normal' fluid tomatofeed and hope it is physiological leaf curl ? Peter

July 9, 2008	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Peter, leaf curl is very common and most of us experience it with out tomato plants. Leaves will curl if it's too hot, too cool, too wet, too dry,if there's a heavy fruit burden and some varieties just always have curled leaves. I ignore all leaf curling unless other symptoms appear. leaf curl is also different than leaf roll. Leaf roll can occur early in the season when root mass and foliage mass are out of balance and as the plants mature leaf curl disappears. __________________ Carolyn

July 9, 2008	#4
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Peter, know what you mean. Something out of the ordinary happens and sometimes we hit the panic button. I have a few with leaf curl and a few with some yellowing leaves also. Right about the weather. Last month we had July and this month is looking like April. Weather here on the continent is getting to be like a crap shoot. You don't know what to expect anymore. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

March 22, 2009	#6
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	As I mentioned I have experienced leaf curl on my plants every year since I started. This year it appeared to be worse than the past couple years but is already clearing up. I first noticed it on the 17th and foliar fed with fish on the 19th. Today it is almost nonexistant. Not sure if the foliar application helped at all but it sure did go away quick this time around. __________________ Duane Jones

March 19, 2009	#5
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Noticing leaf curl on most of my RL plants right now, something that seems to happen every year around this time. First two years I panicked, this year I am ignorning it

March 23, 2009	#8
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	In addition to what others have said, much of which is true, some tomato varieties are predisposed to leaf curl and breeders often take advantage of that trait when developing varieties where the curl exposes the fruit to more sunlight in northern or cloudy climates. On the other hand, breeders incorporate lines of tomatoes that have broader leaves that lay flat and resist curl where shade is needed in climates where the fruit may be exposed to intense sunlight. Varieties that have the tendency to naturally curl will show that tendency to a greater extent under extreme weather conditions. I've seen leaves curl in response to cool, wet conditions to the extent that the leaves choked off the inflorescences.