Environmental stress is the most common reason for tomato leaves to curl. Tomato leaves certainly curl from drought stress, but they can also curl if the plant gets too much water. Hot temperatures can cause tomato leaves to curl. Excessive nitrogen fertilization will also cause tomato leaves to curl.
Some authors claimed tomato leaves curl up due to high winds , which blow dust, causing low humidity and water loss through the leaf surface. The condition is usually called physiological leaf roll. It is also caused by other factors such as heat and low moisture.
This of course begs the question “What causes tomato leaves to curl?”
I discovered An example of a plant experiencing severe leaf curl caused by damage to the plant. Tomato leaf curl is akin to a stomach ache in humans. Some causes are benign and others are a symptom of more severe problems. Additionally, some can be easily remedied while others are untreatable.
As long as there are other growing points remaining, the plant can recover, and the leaf curling will only be a temporary observation . What does leaf curl look like on tomato plants?
One idea is that to combat Tomato leaf curl, grow indoors, ensuring constant temperatures and adequate moisture is available to the plants during the initial stages of growth. Tomato leaf curl can at times affect the newly developing leaves or all the plant leaves .
Although physiologic effects for tomato leaf curl do not affect the overall growth or crop yields of plants, when the tomato leaf curling is due to a viral infection, removal of the infected plants is necessary .
This is a type of physiological leaf curl or leaf roll that is triggered when the weather suddenly gets too hot and dry and there may be inadequate root development. Physiological leaf roll will start at the bottom of the plant with older and lower leaves and work its way up the stem.
How to diagnose tomato yellow leaf curl virus?
To confirm tomato yellow leaf curl virus, submit plant samples to the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (http://plantclinic. tamu. edu). Pull up and dispose of diseased plants. They key to solving the problem of twisted or curled leaves is to identify the source or sources of the problem.
Here is what my research found. the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) was first identified in a greenhouse in California in 2007. Although yellow leaf curl virus was found in other parts of the world, it was not introduced to the Americas until the 1990s and has since had a severe outbreak in Mexico that devastated fruit production during the 2005-2006 growing season.
What is the difference between tomato leaf curl and pinworm?
The difference is that the Curly Top Virus only causes leaf curl on the top leaves. Tomato pinworms will cause an upward curl on every leaf they feed on from the base of the plant up. Unlike with leaves curling upwards that’s caused by heat stress, Curly Top Virus causes leaf discoloration, too, and new growth becomes leggy.
Why are my tomato plants leaves turning yellow?
Yellow Leaves On Tomato Plants In Containers It’s more common to see tomato plant leaves curling when the tomato plants are in containers. This is mainly down to the following reasons: Insufficiently Sized Container – Look to re-locate to larger sized 1to 2 square feet.
The answer is that the tomato may be able to recover from herbicides and still yield a good crop . If you notice curling leaves on new growth, you may want to pull out the plant entirely and start again. Make sure the manure or compost that you use in the garden has not been contaminated.