3 stooges like curly howard - Ask Extension
I have an Indigo Rose tomato plant that has extremely curly leaves. The scenario I started the plant from seed and under my grow lights is became abou...
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3 stooges like curly howard #873877
Asked June 20, 2024, 1:20 AM EDT
I have an Indigo Rose tomato plant that has extremely curly leaves. The scenario I started the plant from seed and under my grow lights is became about 2 and 1/2 feet tall. So I did what any good gardener would do, I planted about 1 and one half feet of the stem and football in a horizontal trench and then gently turned to plant upwards so it was vertical and staked it right after I did this I was watering the trench with the stem and root ball in it and around the vertical plant. I have curling up on most leaves except the ones at the top of the plant, also some of the lower leaves are turning brown at the ends I have cut most of these off because they where too close to the ground. I am using 4-4-4 Down to Earth powdered organic fertilizer what is the fix if there is any. All my other tomato plants are growing like weeds and flowering. I have planted Marigolds in between the toms and some bunching onions the grow box that they are in is a about 22" high with a 2 X 6 laid flat on the kast stack of 2 X 8s for a bench. I a. Using the same Down to Earth ferti.izer for all toms. Also c as n you recommend a good cost effective liguid fertilizer for som othe plants that are struggling.
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello David and thanks for your question about your tomato plant with curling leaves. We have had tough weather this spring for tomato plants in general, and the fact that this plant got so "leggy" under the grow light may have added to the stress of the plant when you put it out.
It sounds like you have done everything else correctly and because the top leaves are fine, I would just let it outgrow the leaf curl. Curling can happen due to weather giving too much or too little water, insects (which you don't mention) or the plant not being able to access the proper nutrients which in this case seems unlikely, unless you were adding fertilizer all along the root area. Plants can actually get too much fertilizer so I would stop applying any at all now.
Our soil in the Willamette Valley is very good and most plants don't need fertilizer. If a plant is struggling, send a picture of it in to this help line and we can see what the problem might be.
Fingers crossed for the Indigo Rose,
It sounds like you have done everything else correctly and because the top leaves are fine, I would just let it outgrow the leaf curl. Curling can happen due to weather giving too much or too little water, insects (which you don't mention) or the plant not being able to access the proper nutrients which in this case seems unlikely, unless you were adding fertilizer all along the root area. Plants can actually get too much fertilizer so I would stop applying any at all now.
Our soil in the Willamette Valley is very good and most plants don't need fertilizer. If a plant is struggling, send a picture of it in to this help line and we can see what the problem might be.
Fingers crossed for the Indigo Rose,
