Content
Disturbances in the development of tomatoes cause various external changes. One of the most pressing questions when growing this crop is why tomatoes curl up leaves in a boat. The reason may be a violation of the rules of watering and planting, the spread of diseases and pests.
Causes of leaf curling
Improper watering
Tomatoes need plenty of watering. Violation of the moisture application regime negatively affects the development of plants.
Immediately after planting in a permanent place, the tomatoes are well watered. The next procedure is carried out after 10 days. It is enough to water the plants 1-2 times a week, depending on climatic conditions.
With insufficient watering, the leaves curl inward to retain moisture from evaporation. In this case, you need to water the plantings in small portions, but quite often.
Overflow also leads To deformation of plant leaves. When there is excess moisture, the leaves curl upside down. Tomatoes can tolerate short-term drought.If this period drags on, the leaves begin to curl.
It is not allowed to water in direct sunlight. Moisture should not get on the green mass of plants.
You need to water the tomatoes with warm water. To do this, containers with liquid are placed in the sun or heated water is added immediately before the procedure.
Heat
Another factor that leads to curling of tomato leaves is a violation of the temperature regime.
The optimal temperature for tomatoes is +20-22°C during the daytime. At night, the ambient temperature should be in the range from +16 to +18°C.
If the temperature rises to +30°C, the tomatoes stop flowering and the ovary falls off. If the air warms up to +40°C, the plants die.
In hot weather, leaf curling is observed in plantings not only in the greenhouse, but also in open ground. At elevated temperatures, the breakdown of microelements necessary for the development of tomatoes accelerates. As a result, the plant does not absorb them, which leads to starvation.
Tomatoes tolerate drafts well, so when growing indoors, windows and vents must be provided. If there is no possibility of ventilation, the greenhouse can be covered with fabric to create shady areas or the walls can be whitewashed with lime.
Additionally, you can spray the tomatoes with a urea solution.1.5 tbsp is enough for a bucket of water. l. of this substance. After three days, the plants are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Excess or lack of fertilizers
Fertilizer application is a prerequisite for obtaining a good harvest. Excess of nutritional components negatively affects plant development.
Most often, tomatoes are overfed with nitrogen substances, which are contained in organic fertilizers (manure, bird droppings). As a result, the green mass of plants grows intensively, the ovary does not form, and potassium and phosphorus are less absorbed.
Plant leaves curl when there is an excess of the following elements:
- zinc (the edges of the leaf plate are bent, and the lower part of the bush acquires a purple tint);
- manganese (the tops wrinkle and acquire a bright green tint).
A change in the condition of tomato leaves is evidenced by a lack of fertilizers. If the foliage curls upward, the plants need more calcium. With a lack of this element, the development of tomatoes slows down, and blossom end rot appears on the fruits.
The lack of calcium is compensated by adding calcium nitrate to the plants. The consumption of the substance is 20 g per bucket of water. You can add 0.1 kg of ash and 10 g of urea to the solution.
With phosphorus starvation, the foliage curls and acquires a grayish tint. To correct the situation, prepare a solution containing 0.1 kg of superphosphate per bucket of water.
No pinching
Pinching involves removing side shoots on which leaves and fruits grow over time. If you leave the stepsons, the tomatoes begin to branch.As a result, the plantings become too dense, and the plant directs its energy to the formation of foliage.
As a result of improper pinching, fruits that are too small are formed. In the absence of this procedure, the tomatoes' leaves curl. Therefore, timely removal of excess shoots reduces the load on plants.
Eliminating small shoots does not harm the plants. If you remove full leaves, the yield of tomatoes is lost. The procedure is carried out no more than twice a week in sunny weather. If the day is cloudy, then the cut is treated with wood ash.
Plantings that are too dense often lack nutrients or moisture. As a result, the leaves of tomatoes that have not received the required amount of nutrition begin to curl.
Tomato diseases
Curling of tomato leaves is observed when diseases spread. A favorable environment for the development of diseases is dense plantings, excess humidity, violation of the rules of crop rotation and fertilization. When the first signs of disease appear, appropriate measures are taken.
Stolbur
Disease affects plants growing in open ground. As a result, the marketable appearance of the fruit is lost. Tomatoes affected by stolbur have deformed leaves. The upper shoots become purple or pinkish, while the lower leaves turn yellow.
The disease is transmitted by leafhoppers, so the main control measures are aimed at their destruction. It is necessary to prevent the spread near plantings weedwhich become a haven for insects.
Planting sunflowers or corn will help protect tomatoes from the spread of leafhoppers. To prevent the disease, plants are sprayed with the preparations “Aktara”, “Confidor”, “Fufanon”.
An effective remedy for stolbur is “Fitoplasmin”. This is the only effective drug aimed at combating the disease. Based on it, a solution is prepared for watering or spraying tomatoes.
Bacterial cancer
If tomato leaves wilt and curl upward, this may be a symptom of bacterial canker. Brown and red cankers appear on young shoots. Tomato wilting occurs from the bottom. First, the lesion covers the leaves of the plants, which turn brown and dry out.
If the necessary measures are not taken, the disease will spread to the fruits. Its signs are small flat spots concentrated near the stalk. Over time, the spots turn yellow and turn into cracks.
The development of the disease is provoked by high humidity and the presence of injuries in plants. Therefore, in a greenhouse with tomatoes, ventilation must be carried out, the soil is disinfected before planting, and the rules of crop rotation are observed.
Before planting in the ground, the roots of the tomatoes are dipped in the Fitolavin solution for 2 hours. If the disease has already appeared, the plants are sprayed with Planriz. Copper sulfate, copper oxychloride, and Bordeaux mixture are used against bacterial cancer.
Tomato pests
Pests cause serious damage to plants because they feed on their juices. As a result, tomatoes become depressed, which negatively affects their appearance and yield.If the leaves of tomatoes curl, this indicates the spread whiteflies, aphids or spider mites.
Whitefly
The whitefly is a white butterfly that lives on the lower leaves of tomatoes. Its impact leads to the drying out of the leaves, on the surface of which a black coating appears.
Before planting tomatoes, the greenhouse is fumigated using sulfur candles. The procedure is carried out twice a year in spring and autumn, when plants are not planted.
When detecting whiteflies, the following methods are used:
- treatment with Fufanon and Mospilan chemicals;
- additional use of yarrow infusion and soap solution for foliar treatment of plants.
Only repeated treatment will help get rid of insects. The use of chemicals is stopped 3 weeks before harvest.
Work should be carried out in cloudy weather in the absence of rain and wind. Folk remedies are used for prevention: infusion of garlic or dandelions.
Aphid
The effect of aphids on tomatoes is expressed in the curling of the foliage and the appearance of visible damage on it.
Chemical preparations “Aktara”, “Iskra”, “Proteus” help to get rid of aphids on plants. During processing, it is necessary to observe safety measures and protect the skin, eyes and respiratory organs with special means.
In addition to chemicals, traditional methods are used. A decoction based on fragrant plants (wormwood or celandine) repels insects.
The product is used by spraying tomatoes. If you add laundry soap to the solution, the liquid will remain on the sheet plate longer.
An ash solution is used to remove aphids.To prepare it, you need a bucket of water and a glass of wood ash. The product is infused for two days, after which the tomatoes are sprayed.
Spider mite
Another reason why leaves curl on tomatoes, is the spread of spider mites. This pest appears in the greenhouse where tomatoes grow. It can be identified by twisted and dried leaves plants, changes in the color of the tops, the appearance of cobwebs.
Chemicals used to treat the greenhouse, soil and plants help get rid of the pest. For tomatoes, the preparations “Borneo”, “Flumite”, “Oberon” are used.
A biological control method is to plant phytophages that destroy spider mites. This method is safe for tomatoes and humans and allows you to get rid of the pest in a short time.
To prevent the spread of spider mites, the greenhouse, plants and soil are disinfected. A popular method of pest control is to use an infusion of henbane, dandelions, onions or garlic.
Conclusion
If the leaves of tomatoes are curled, then you need to pay attention to the conditions in which the plants are located. If necessary, the intensity of watering is increased or decreased, and pinching is performed. If diseases or pests are detected, measures are taken to get rid of them.
