Leaf Curl

Hairy Moose Knuckles · March 30, 2018

This is strange. At least it's strange to me. I'm not new to growing tomatoes. Has anyone seen this phenomenon? This tomato is from seeds that I saved several years ago. Parent plant was healthy and prolific.

This plant has been this way since day one. I have 160 plants, but only 1 looks like this. It appears healthy. I haven't been able to repot like I normally would, but like I said it's looked funny since it came up.

edweather · March 30, 2018

If it's the only one, then probably a defective plant.

jillian · March 30, 2018

Wow that doesn't look like anything I've ever seen either, maybe someone else has? Especially the fact that it was born that way. I had one seedlings, Viva Italia that was all kinds of twisted and just didn't look normal at all. Thankfully I had started 2 of them, the other is doing great. I tossed the deformed one.

Maybe someone out there can identify your plant's affliction.....it does have me curious as well!

Clay Mountain · March 30, 2018

I've only seen this temporarily during periods of rapid growth. I'd love to see how "Curly" looks when it's all grown up. Maybe you'll have a new novelty.

AlittleSalt · March 30, 2018

I just transplanted a Black Krim that has curled leaves, but not as much your plant. It was in a 6-pack holder with the other 5 looking great. It turned out that the plant wasn't getting enough water. It's already looking better after I transplanted and watered it.

KarenO · March 30, 2018

The cup is too small. A six leaf plant needs at least a 16 oz nursery pot. Also has it been fertilized and kept evenly watered. Looks stressed to me.
KarenO

Hairy Moose Knuckles · March 30, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

The cup is too small. A six leaf plant needs at least a 16 oz nursery pot. Also has it been fertilized and kept evenly watered. Looks stressed to me.
KarenO

Yes, it do need repotting, but like I said, it's looked like this from day one. I'll be setting it out today and watching for the next couple of weeks.

GrowingCoastal · March 30, 2018

I too have had some leaf curl on a few seedlings after transplant. This is the best info I could find info from Cornell U. as reported by someone who had this issue.

scroll to the comments section, 1st one
https://myfolia.com/journals/103285-...-curling-under

bower · March 30, 2018

I've seen tomatoes curl for cold stress, and I've seen them curl for lack of light. My plants that got edema under the LED shoplight also curled the affected leaves, but you could see blisters on em too. Sure seems strange to be leaf curled from birth!

And I forgot to mention: insect attack can get them to curl as well.
There's also a virus I've read about but can't remember which one.

bower · March 30, 2018

There's something called "Tomato Yellow leaf curl virus", although your plant doesn't have any yellow on its leaves I have no idea how much variation there can be.
Some pictures here:
TYLCV leaf curl virus

https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/TYLCV0/photos

The virus can be seedborne, so that could explain why the others are not affected while indoors under lights. It's spread by whiteflies though, so if you think there's any chance it could be a virus, don't plant it out with the others.

Mind you, I always worry about the worst possible thing that could happen. No reason to assume it is a virus.

Nan_PA_6b · March 30, 2018

Well, I can't believe the curling is beneficial. It could give bugs an easier place to hide, and make small humid spaces where fungus can grow. Even if it is perfectly healthy now, it may become a bug & fungus magnet. I'd toss it or isolate it.

Nan

Koala Doug · March 30, 2018

I had some plants do a similar curling-in and corkscrewing thing few years ago. Turned out to be an edema caused by too much water (with little white blisters on the stems/leaves). Because of that, I now only use a very highly porous growing medium.

In my research from the time, I read about many different causes of inward leaf curling/corkscrewing. It is really difficult to say the true reason in many cases.

Spartanburg123 · March 30, 2018

I agree with Clay Mountain, it will be interesting to see if the fruit shape and growth habits are unique. The leaves themselves (other than the cotyledons) don't look curled around the center vein like usual, but the branches themselves are curling. I've never seen anything like this.

AKmark · March 30, 2018

It will go away.

ginger2778 · March 30, 2018

The good news is that it's definitely not tomato Yellow Leaf curl virus. That has a totally different look and I'm very familiar with it having been its victim for a lot of years. And I think AKMark is right, I believe it's going to grow out of it too.

March 30, 2018	#1
Hairy Moose Knuckles Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Zone 8 Texas Posts: 172	Leaf Curl This is strange. At least it's strange to me. I'm not new to growing tomatoes. Has anyone seen this phenomenon? This tomato is from seeds that I saved several years ago. Parent plant was healthy and prolific. This plant has been this way since day one. I have 160 plants, but only 1 looks like this. It appears healthy. I haven't been able to repot like I normally would, but like I said it's looked funny since it came up.

March 30, 2018	#2
edweather Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Southeast GA, USDA 9a, HZ9, Sunset Z28 Posts: 396	If it's the only one, then probably a defective plant. __________________ You'll be surprised what you'll never have to do, if you put it off long enough.

March 30, 2018	#9
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I've seen tomatoes curl for cold stress, and I've seen them curl for lack of light. My plants that got edema under the LED shoplight also curled the affected leaves, but you could see blisters on em too. Sure seems strange to be leaf curled from birth! And I forgot to mention: insect attack can get them to curl as well. There's also a virus I've read about but can't remember which one. Last edited by bower; March 30, 2018 at 06:06 PM. Reason: add

March 30, 2018	#3
jillian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 880	Wow that doesn't look like anything I've ever seen either, maybe someone else has? Especially the fact that it was born that way. I had one seedlings, Viva Italia that was all kinds of twisted and just didn't look normal at all. Thankfully I had started 2 of them, the other is doing great. I tossed the deformed one. Maybe someone out there can identify your plant's affliction.....it does have me curious as well!

March 30, 2018	#4
Clay Mountain Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Virginia Posts: 26	I've only seen this temporarily during periods of rapid growth. I'd love to see how "Curly" looks when it's all grown up. Maybe you'll have a new novelty.

March 30, 2018	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I just transplanted a Black Krim that has curled leaves, but not as much your plant. It was in a 6-pack holder with the other 5 looking great. It turned out that the plant wasn't getting enough water. It's already looking better after I transplanted and watered it.

March 30, 2018	#6
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	The cup is too small. A six leaf plant needs at least a 16 oz nursery pot. Also has it been fertilized and kept evenly watered. Looks stressed to me. KarenO

March 30, 2018	#8
GrowingCoastal Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Vancouver Island Canada BC Posts: 1,253	I too have had some leaf curl on a few seedlings after transplant. This is the best info I could find info from Cornell U. as reported by someone who had this issue. scroll to the comments section, 1st one https://myfolia.com/journals/103285-...-curling-under

March 30, 2018	#11
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	Well, I can't believe the curling is beneficial. It could give bugs an easier place to hide, and make small humid spaces where fungus can grow. Even if it is perfectly healthy now, it may become a bug & fungus magnet. I'd toss it or isolate it. Nan

March 30, 2018	#12
Koala Doug Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Detroit Posts: 688	I had some plants do a similar curling-in and corkscrewing thing few years ago. Turned out to be an edema caused by too much water (with little white blisters on the stems/leaves). Because of that, I now only use a very highly porous growing medium. In my research from the time, I read about many different causes of inward leaf curling/corkscrewing. It is really difficult to say the true reason in many cases.

March 30, 2018	#13
Spartanburg123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 1,262	I agree with Clay Mountain, it will be interesting to see if the fruit shape and growth habits are unique. The leaves themselves (other than the cotyledons) don't look curled around the center vein like usual, but the branches themselves are curling. I've never seen anything like this.

March 30, 2018	#14
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	It will go away.

March 30, 2018	#15
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	The good news is that it's definitely not tomato Yellow Leaf curl virus. That has a totally different look and I'm very familiar with it having been its victim for a lot of years. And I think AKMark is right, I believe it's going to grow out of it too.