Content
Tomato is the most common vegetable grown in every garden. This culture can even be found on the balcony and window sills of apartment buildings. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to grow a tomato without proper care. The tender and heat-loving plant is often affected by various diseases and pests. For example, you can observe how tomato seedlings wither and the leaves curl, which is very alarming for novice vegetable growers. There are many reasons for this problem. We will now try to find out which of them should alert the gardener and which ones should not be feared.
Why do tomato seedlings curl their leaves?
Reasons why the leaves of tomato seedlings may twist, so many.To make it easier to find a solution to the problem, we decided to group all the reasons according to the method of occurrence:
- characteristics of the variety and environment;
- failure to comply with the conditions for growing tomatoes;
- seedling disease and pest damage.
The first two problems are easier to solve. They can even be prevented by frequent monitoring of tomato seedlings. Moreover, it is advisable to pay attention to plants not only during the day, but also at least once at night. Corrected agrotechnological errors in a timely manner will help restore tomato seedlings to their previous appearance.
The third problem is the most difficult. And, if pests can still be dealt with somehow, then tomato seedlings may not have time to be saved from many diseases. Most often, tomatoes are affected by bacterial diseases due to the fault of the gardener. This occurs due to reluctance to take preventive measures. Agricultural technology for growing tomato seedlings involves disinfection of seeds, soil and planting containers. Some gardeners simplify this process. They suggest that just treating the tomato seeds is enough. Then they say that last year’s seedlings grew well, but this year is unsuccessful due to some natural disasters. In this case, nature has nothing to do with it, there is simply a lack of compliance with agricultural technology for growing tomatoes.
Features of the variety and environment
Tomato leaves are very sensitive to environmental conditions. If you watch them, you can see how they react to drought, waterlogging, heat, cold, and drafts. The shape of the leaves indicates that environmental conditions are unpleasant for tomatoes. If something is wrong, they begin to curl. Moreover, the leaf does not necessarily take the shape of a tube. It can be in the form pumps or, in general, bend only in certain areas. Interestingly, a tomato leaf can curl its leaf blade in and out.
Tomato varieties characterized by curled foliage
When growing tomato seedlings at home, it is advisable to study the characteristics of each variety even at the stage of purchasing seeds. In the future, this will help avoid panic when the grower sees tomatoes with curled leaves. The fact is that this form of foliage may simply be a characteristic of a certain variety of tomato. This most often occurs in indeterminate tomatoes. In many crops one can observe thin stems covered with hanging narrow carved foliage. By their nature, such tomato leaves themselves may curl slightly. This is not a disease of seedlings, and you should not rush to immediately treat tomatoes with different preparations.
Take, for example, several popular varieties: “Fatima” and “Honey Drop”. In these tomatoes, from the moment the seedlings are grown, slight curling of the foliage can be observed. A prime example would be most cherry tomato varieties. It is almost impossible to imagine this plant with perfectly even foliage. When planting tomatoes, you need to inspect the appearance of the seedlings. If one variety has thin foliage that is slightly curled, but neighboring tomatoes of another variety have smooth, even leaves, don't worry. These are just features of the variety. When the disease appears, it affects all tomato seedlings growing nearby.
The effect of heat on tomato leaf shape
An observant person has probably seen more than once how the foliage of many plants and even trees curls in hot, dry weather. This is especially true when there is a hot wind blowing outside.Tomato is no exception either. When it gets hot, its leaves immediately become like tubes. And this is all because the plant is trying to reduce moisture evaporation. A sheet rolled into a tube reduces its area and becomes thicker, which means it will warm up less under the sun's rays. It’s interesting to watch these tomatoes in the evening. As soon as coolness sets in, the leaves straighten out and become even and smooth. They prepared to rehydrate by soaking up the morning dew. When the sun rises and the heat sets in, the tomato leaves will take on their traditional tube shape.
However, it is necessary not only to observe such a natural phenomenon, but also to help the tomatoes survive the heat. First of all, growing tomatoes need to organize shading. It is best to do this with white agrofibre. The lightweight material will hold onto any wire structure, but it only needs to cover the tomatoes on top. Fresh air must flow from below the ground, otherwise the plants will simply become steamed.
Drops of water on the leaves take on a lens effect, which promotes the formation of burns. Under the hot sun, moisture evaporates from under the root and settles in the same microdroplets of water on the leaves. The effect is the same.
During such weather, it is impossible to water the above-ground part by sprinkling in the morning and evening hours. After several such refreshing sprays, late blight damage to tomatoes is guaranteed. When the days become hot outside, it is necessary to fluff up the soil under the tomato seedlings more often.You can even mow forest grass and cover the soil around the tomato stems. The grass cushion will reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil, plus it will prevent the tomato root system from overheating.
Effect of lack of moisture on leaf shape
Lack of moisture is a natural cause of tomato leaves curling. Some summer residents rarely appear on their plots, some hope for rain, but it’s a shame when a person diligently waters, but the plant still doesn’t have enough water. The reason lies in the wrong watering itself. Sometimes a vegetable grower is afraid of silting in the soil, and waters the tomatoes often, but in small portions of water. You can understand the incorrectness of such watering by analyzing the structure of the tomato root system. A small portion of water can penetrate up to 5 cm deep into the soil, where there may be a small number of the upper roots of the plant, or perhaps they may not be there at all. The main root of a tomato is located deeper and moisture simply does not reach it.
Adult plants in mulched beds are watered every five days, and in uncovered beds - every two days. Moreover, if an ovary has already appeared on the bush, the tomato requires at least a bucket of water.
Effect of moisture supersaturation on leaf shape
Oversaturation with moisture can be determined by the tomato leaves curled up. If the problem arose from frequent watering, it is easy to solve. But what to do on a rainy summer? After all, humans are unable to regulate precipitation.Even from the moment of planting tomato seedlings, it is necessary to take care of preparing loose soil in the garden bed. Dense soils do not absorb water well, and with frequent rains it will stagnate under the plants. The roots of the tomatoes will not be able to receive the required amount of oxygen, they will begin to rot and all the plantings will disappear over time. If, after all, the soil has not been prepared correctly, it is necessary to at least make drainage grooves from the bushes. Rainwater will flow away along them.
Failure to comply with the conditions for growing tomatoes
Tomato agricultural technology involves the application of various fertilizers that stimulate growth, flowering and ovary formation. This also includes pinching tomatoes. This process is mainly necessary for indeterminate and semi-determinate tomatoes. Disruption of one of these processes affects the curling of leaves of seedlings and adult plants.
Excess fertilizer
Tomato seedlings begin to be fed from the first days of their life and ending with adult plants on which the ovary has already appeared. But everything is good in moderation. Each feeding tomato based on the application of a certain type of fertilizer. For example, excess nitrogen causes tomato leaves to curl into rings. The leaves become fleshy, fragile, and immediately burst when touched lightly with your hand. And it’s not just about nitrate or urea. A lot of nitrogen is contained in bird droppings, manure, and even in some herbal decoctions, which caring housewives often like to add to tomatoes.
Excess nitrogen prevents the supply of phosphorus to the tomato, but at the same time there may be a lack of potassium. Then phosphorus will not enter the above-ground part of the tomato. You can even out the balance and save seedlings from excess nitrogen by adding phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.If the soil contains a sufficient amount of phosphorus, you can only get by with fertilizing with potassium.
Even an inexperienced vegetable grower can be sure that he will not harm his tomato seedlings. However, even complex fertilizers must be applied according to the instructions on the package.
Nutritional deficiencies
Properly prepared soil should contain the required amount of nutrients, which will be enough to grow tomato seedlings without fertilizing. Although many vegetable growers still feed the plants several times before and after picking. Most often, there is a lack of phosphorus in seedlings, especially before planting them in the ground. This can be determined by the curled leaves with a purple tint.
If the leaf curls from the lateral edges to the longitudinal vein, it means that the seedlings are deficient in potassium. From a distance, this plant resembles a curly bush. The problem can be solved by adding wood ash, superphosphate or potassium nitrate to the soil.
Micronutrient imbalance
The tomato is such a sensitive crop that it even reacts to a lack of microelements. The leaves immediately change color, the edges are slightly bent and may curl over time.
An imbalance of boron is manifested by curling of tomato leaves on the middle tier of the bush. Initially, the veins of the leaves become red, after which the entire bush turns yellow or becomes pale.
Young leaves of tomato seedlings react strongly to copper deficiency. Initially, their edges begin to curl slightly towards the longitudinal vein.If at this stage you do not fertilize with a copper-containing substance, the foliage acquires an autumn yellow color, gradually becomes dry and crumbles.
Both components are in good contact with each other, which increases their efficiency.
Excess zinc immediately affects old tomato leaves. Their back side becomes purple, and the side edges curl into a half ring. Zinc deficiency is determined by young tomato leaves. They become brittle, and the side edges bend like a tube into the back of the sheet.
Calcium deficiency can be identified by pale tomato leaves. In addition, their edges will begin to curl up a little.
It should be noted that based on such signs it is difficult even for experienced vegetable growers to determine which microelement is not sufficient for tomato seedlings. If this happens, it is better to fertilize with complex microfertilizers.
Incorrect removal of stepchildren
Pruning brings a certain amount of stress to the tomato. There are rules according to which it is necessary to remove the stepsons when they reach a maximum length of 7 cm. If this is done later or all vegetative parts are pinched at once, the stress reaction will be the tomato leaves curling into a funnel. You must act immediately, otherwise all the inflorescences will fall off. Here the plants can only be saved by fertilizing by spraying the above-ground parts. The harvest, of course, will be smaller, but better than nothing.
Seedling disease and pest damage
Infectious diseases and pests cause irreparable damage to tomato seedlings.Sometimes it is possible to save plants, although a good harvest can already be forgotten.
Manifestation of bacteriosis
Most often, the vegetable grower himself is to blame for this tomato disease. Bacteriosis multiplies due to the reluctance to treat tomato seeds before planting. The disease appears on the leaves of young seedlings. They begin to curl outward and become small. On fruiting tomatoes, bacteriosis changes the color of the flower from yellow to white. Affected tomato bushes slow down their growth. At the top of the plant, the leaves become faded and curl. It is impossible to cure such a tomato. The bush must be removed, and all other plants are treated with pest control drugs, since bacteriosis is spread by cutworms, aphids and whiteflies.
Manifestation of fusarium wilt
This disease is considered fungal. It develops in poor soil, so it spreads throughout the plant from bottom to top. The damage to the tomato bush begins with the leaves of the lower tier. If such a tomato is noticed, it is immediately removed, and the soil where it grew is treated with a thick solution of potassium permanganate. All nearby growing tomatoes are sprayed with a biofungicide or any other similar preparation.
Damage to tomatoes by garden pests
Aphids, red spider mites and whiteflies cause irreparable damage to cultivated plants. These pests are not particularly fond of tomatoes, but sometimes their settlements are found on the back of the leaves. The life activity of pests is based on sucking juice from the plant, as a result of which the weakened tomato leaf curls inward and becomes brownish-yellow. To combat pests, decoctions of onion peels and celandine are used, and sometimes an infusion of wood ash helps.There are many store-bought drugs, but they must be used carefully. Tomatoes tend to accumulate harmful substances.
Leaf virus infection
Typically, the manifestation of the virus is observed in dry summers and with strong lighting inside the greenhouse. The tomatoes do not die, but the leaves become curled into a thin tube. The fruits are small and wrinkled. You can save tomatoes by spraying the foliage with a solution of potassium permanganate and urea. If the results are unsuccessful, it is better to remove the affected tomato bushes.
Conclusion
Video about why tomato leaves curl:
Determining the actual cause of tomato leaf curl is quite difficult. If the measures taken to save the plant did not produce positive results, such a tomato must be removed from the garden, otherwise you may be left without a harvest at all.
