Tomato Leaf Curl - Ask Extension
My tomato plant leaves are curling up, some more than others. Some have leaves curled over the entire plant. A week ago I did not notice this! Shou...
Knowledgebase
Tomato Leaf Curl #875365
Asked June 30, 2024, 3:37 PM EDT
My tomato plant leaves are curling up, some more than others. Some have leaves curled over the entire plant. A week ago I did not notice this! Should I rip these plants out or are they salvageable? They are next to healthier looking plants. Can I spray the with something now that the entire plant seems to have leaf curl? Should I remove most of the affected leaves? Help, please. Thank you and have a good day. Linda
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your questions, Linda. Unfortunately, we can't diagnose your plants' problem(s) just through photos. wilting leaves can be a response to too little or too much water, one of two dozen diseases, and several insects. Your black plastic may be preventing adequate water to reach the roots. I'd suggest that you remove it, get a soil water mete, and measure how damp the soil is.
If the garden structure doesn't drain, over 20 diseases can cause wilting. https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-and-disease-descriptions?title=tomato
Aphids can infest the plant, and they suck out the sugars being created in the leaves. Sorry this doesn't solve the problem, but you're going to have to do more investigation of its environment. Good luck!
If the garden structure doesn't drain, over 20 diseases can cause wilting. https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-and-disease-descriptions?title=tomato
Aphids can infest the plant, and they suck out the sugars being created in the leaves. Sorry this doesn't solve the problem, but you're going to have to do more investigation of its environment. Good luck!
Thank you for your prompt response. However I don't feel like any of my questions were answered.
I also should have given you more information. It is not black plastic around the tomatoes...it is landscape fabric. Underneath the landscape fabric is the Garden in Minutes grid watering system. I water until I see water leaching out of my beds, about 15 minutes. And I only water when needed. I amend my soil every year with organic materials that provide nutrients, reduce compaction and aerate the soil. Therefore the soil is rich fertile soil that drains well. I have been a gardener most of my life and have not had a situation with leaf curl that is so drastic and that has attacked my plants so fast. I use landscape fabric (and have for years) because it keeps the soil off the plants that can cause viruses. There are no aphids on the plants and no nodules that indicate overwatering.
I also rotate my tomatoes between beds every year. I usually get some leaf curl, especially at the bottom of the plants but not on the entire plant. Last year I did not have this issue but the weather was totally different - not much rain after May. I kept the tomatoes well watered and they did fine. With all that said I suppose since it has been a much wetter year that could be affecting them somehow but they are not overwatered.
I'm spraying the affected tomatoes with Revitalize and even mixing it with water and adding it to the soil in hopes they will still produce. They have blooms on them and a few tomatoes. I just wasn't sure if I should rip them out since they are next to healthy looking tomatoes. I removed the bottom stems even though I feel whatever is affecting them has already traveled up the plant.
Do you think it is okay to leave the plants that have leaf curl? Will they produce? That seems to be the only problem on them at the moment.
Thank you and have a good day.
Linda
I am sorry that you feel that your questions weren't answered. We can't "answer questions" (solve problems) without enough information. Revitalize is a fungicide. It works only if applied before the fungus invades the leaves. Once a fungus is established, it is useless. Since the cause of the wilting is still unknown, I suggest that you take leaf samples to either the Clackamas County or Washington County Extension offices when Master Gardeners are there to examine the plant tissue. Good luck!
