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The leaves of the tomatoes on the street are twisting. Why do tomato seedlings curl leaves

Despite the fact that tomatoes require constant care, and they cause a lot of trouble to gardeners, many gardeners are willing to spend time and effort on growing them. One of the most common problems with this crop is leaf curl. Twisted leaves prevent full photosynthesis, and the plant begins to wither from deficiency. nutrients.

The main causes of leaf curl

There can be many reasons why tomatoes curl their leaves. There are main reasons causing such problems in tomatoes.

Improper watering and root damage

If, after planting tomato seedlings, you notice that the leaves on it are changing, the root system is most likely damaged and the plant receives less nutrition. The reason may be that the seedlings have outgrown and their grown roots are damaged. It will take some time for the plant to adapt. When it takes root and repairs the damage, the leaves will most likely return to their normal shape.

One of the causes of leaf curl is too much or too little moisture. The plant, when thirsty, so as not to die, evaporates less moisture, but its leaves are twisted inward. To avoid this, water the plant little by little, but often.

Over-watering can also cause leaf curl. Tomatoes can suffer from frequent and heavy natural rainfall and their leaves curl up at the edges. If the cause of this phenomenon is the stagnation of moisture in the soil, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that it seeps water faster.

High air temperature, pinching errors

Another reason for twisting the leaves can be unsatisfactory temperature conditions. Usually the bottom layer of soil is much colder than the surface. The temperature is balanced by ventilating the greenhouse.

If the leaves on tomatoes curl in open ground conditions, they are affected by heat. This usually happens when the temperature rises above 35°C. Such heat can contribute to the accelerated decay of useful elements. At the same time, the plant cannot fully assimilate them, the so-called starvation sets in, the tops dry and curl up, sometimes the color flies around. To protect the plant from such stress, it must be sprayed with urea (one and a half tablespoons per 10 liters of water). Four days later, treat with potassium permanganate.

Improper pinching can also lead to leaf curl. This procedure should be carried out at least once or twice a week, without waiting for thickets. If this is done more often, the plant may become stressed due to the large number of removed shoots. Pasynkovanie is best done on a sunny day, so that the wound heals faster. If you have to stepson in cloudy weather, the sections must be treated with wood ash.

Under the right stepson it is supposed to remove stepchildren from healthy bushes, leaving weak stems and those that look suspicious. To cope with the stress received during the procedure, foliar fertilizer with a biostimulant will help the tomatoes.

Wrong feeding

Painful reactions in tomatoes can be provoked by improper feeding, lack or excess of any element.

An excessive amount of zinc can be reflected in the twisting of the edges of the leaf plate and in the purple color of its lower part.

Curling the leaves of seedlings down may indicate a lack of copper, sulfur or boron. If the edges of the leaves curl up, they lack calcium and phosphorus. Another indication of this is the presence gray shade. To avoid unpleasant consequences, balanced complex formulations, such as potassium monophosphate, should be added.

Diseases and garden pests

Having found pests, plants must be immediately treated by spraying, with drugs such as Alatar, Fufanon or Biotlin. You can use folk methods in the fight against insects: infusion of onion gruel with husks, infusion of marigolds, etc.

Diseases that lead to leaf curl:

Unfortunately, there is no way to cure tomatoes from these diseases. Therefore, the affected plants are removed from the garden and burned. To prevent this, it is necessary to take preventive measures:

  • digging and deep cleaning of the site after harvesting;
  • tillage before planting;
  • choosing the right precursor plant.

Not always twisting foliage in tomatoes may require treatment. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the selected variety before planting. For example, in tomatoes "Cherry", "Japanese Crab", "Fatima", "Honey Drop", twisting of the leaves is considered normal.

Ways to treat tomatoes from leaf curl

You should find the cause of this phenomenon and try to eliminate it. If pests are to blame, the plants are treated with special preparations. But before you buy them, you need to carefully study the instructions. Some products cannot be used when the plant already has fruits, as toxins will accumulate in them.

You can not fertilize tomatoes with manure or slurry that has not had time to overheat. This will lead to an excess of ammonia, it can harm the plant..

Excessive amounts of nitrogen will cause the plant to form a thick stem, a large number of stepchildren, and the leaves are folded into a tube. To improve the situation, it is necessary to add wood ash to the ground.

To avoid the consequences of improper feeding, it is better to buy fertilizers that contain all the necessary elements, for example: Kelkat Boron or Kelkat Zinc.

You can protect plants from excessive sun by shading tomatoes. You can put spanbond or nurastil on them. It is also necessary to mulch the soil to cool the bushes in extreme heat. To do this, it is enough to lay a layer of grass 8-10 cm.

The next rule to follow is to water the plants once every two to three days. If the beds are mulched, watering is reduced to once a week. It is important to consider that the roots of tomatoes are located very deep, so a lot of water is required: 8-10 liters per fruiting bush. But you need to pour it so that it has time to be absorbed.

At the same time, excess water must be avoided. If tomatoes are planted in clay soil, water will accumulate on the surface during heavy rains and not go deep into the ground for a long time. The roots will always be in the water. To prevent the disease, at the time of planting the plant in the ground, fill the hole with loose earth. If this method does not help and the water has flooded the surface of the earth, you can dig a groove so that it drains.

Tomatoes, according to gardeners, are a moderately whimsical plant. If we talk about hybrid varieties preferred by the people, then thanks to the diligence of breeders, the problems of growing bets are practically reduced to zero. However, whether it is a determinate or interdeterminate variety of tomato, the leaves often have a specific curl: up or down.

The reasons

When the leaves of tomatoes curl, it gives the plant a sickly appearance and, as a rule, such leaves wither. A change in the shape, color of the leaf indicates the malaise of the plant. Some diseases begin to affect the lower leaves, while others - the upper ones. But the result is always the same: defeat from the beginning to the top.

Consider a few of the main reasons why leaves curl.

  • If, after planting healthy seedlings in the garden, after removing the weed with a chopper, and also after hilling, you notice that the foliage has curled up, then most likely you have damaged the root system. Which can lead to poor nutrition of the bush. In such cases, there is nothing to do, because with minor damage, the plant will independently take its previous form. With severe damage to the root, nothing can be done, it will wither anyway.
  • Intense heat outside, on a windowsill, or in a greenhouse can also cause leaves to curl. This is a natural process in which the plant reduces the amount of moisture that evaporates through the leaves. This reason is easy to recognize, because as soon as the heat subsides, the plant immediately takes its previous form.

  • With weak or irregular watering, the edges of the leaves curl up to the top, forming a boat.
  • Leaves can curl with an excess or, conversely, with a lack of trace elements. In such cases, the leaves tend to dry out.
  • Tomatoes grown in a greenhouse are more likely to be attacked by pests than their "comrades" grown in the garden. Aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, settling on the plant, cause the leaves to curl up into a tube.
  • Pinching too hard can also cause the leaves to curl. Remember that a tomato is not a grape that recovers quickly after such procedures. Therefore, you should not get involved in the formation of a bush.
  • And the most difficult cause is plant disease. Establishing a diagnosis is quite difficult due to the many variations of diseases.

Diseases and pests

As for diseases that attack plants, they most often appear in densely planted places where water from overflow does not have time to dry out. In addition, if the soil is not regularly loosened, then various pests also start in it.

Consider the most common diseases found in vegetable gardens in different regions.

  • When a bush is damaged by stolbur, the leaves, acquiring a color from pink to purple, not only curl, but also change their appearance at the top of the plant. And the lower part of the bush becomes yellow. If a peculiar color of the foliage is found, spraying with the Fitoplasmin solution should immediately be started.

  • If twisting the leaf leads to its further withering, then these are signs of a bacterial cancer that affects shrubs. The manifestation of the disease begins at the bottom of the bush. First twisted, and then withering leaves are covered with reddish-brown spots. Rising higher, the disease progresses to the complete destruction of the bush. Cancer develops in densely planted areas with excessive watering. Especially if the bush has injuries. The disease is easier to prevent than to get rid of it. For this, watering should be moderate. When working with a chopper, try not to injure the bush. Although, according to experts, you can get rid of the disease if you recognize it in time and start processing it with copper sulphate.

Despite the fact that for rapid growth tomatoes need heat, its excess can cause the appearance of a thin-leaved virus, which even affects the taste of tomatoes. The bush becomes lethargic, and its fruits are tasteless. Excessive lighting, whether it be solar or lamp, can even affect seedlings on the windowsill. The infected bush must be removed immediately, as there is a risk of infection of healthy seedlings. It is not difficult to recognize the disease, since the sheets twisted inward with a tube become thin, turn yellow, and appear on them. gray spots. Over time, the foliage falls off completely. The disease is not subject to treatment, only prevention will help to prevent it. To do this, in a hot summer, it is advisable to spray the bush with a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of one gram per liter of water.

You can get rid of many problems when growing tomatoes by treating the seeds before planting. To do this, before planting, it is enough to soak the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate for several hours. This procedure must be followed if you are using purchased seeds from a little-known manufacturer, since there is no guarantee that the soil or bush from which the seeds were taken was healthy.

In addition to diseases, twisting of the leaf plate can occur due to attacking sucking pests, the timely recognition of which can save the life of the plant.

If it is the bottom sheets that are curling on your plant, then try shaking it. It is possible that you will scare away the whitefly, whose favorite place is the greenhouse.

Seeing her, the plant must begin to be sprayed with any poisonous insect substance ("Fufanon" or "Mospilan"). In the absence of marked drugs, you can try to remove the pest folk method: cooking water solution yarrow at the rate of 150 grams per 5 liters of water, to which half of the piece is added laundry soap. Since the whitefly comes to life in cloudy weather, it is more desirable to carry out processing in the morning and evening, focusing on the lower sheets. Yarrow for infusion can be replaced with garlic or dandelion. Folk remedies are good when the tomatoes are already ripening on the bushes. The use of insecticides is permissible 3 weeks before harvest.

Aphids, unlike whiteflies, start mainly in open field, and the leaves because of it begin to curl at the top of the bush. It's easy to recognize her. To do this, you need to turn the sheet over, and if it is there, then you can easily find it. Often, the accumulation of aphids is accompanied by ants, which are, as it were, its carriers. The following drugs will be effective for the fight: Aktara, Iskra, Proteus. From traditional medicine apply irrigation with infusions of wormwood or celandine with the addition of about one hundred grams of laundry soap. You can prevent the appearance of this pest by spraying the bushes once a week with an infusion of ash. To do this, we dilute one hundred grams per 10 liters and insist for 2 days.

The spider mite, like the whitefly, loves a poorly ventilated greenhouse environment. Settling on the plant, it sucks the juice from the leaves, after which they curl and dry out. This pest leaves a web on the underside of the leaf. To combat it, the treatment of the bush with preparations is suitable: Borneo, Flumite or Oberon, the use of which is also allowed 3 weeks before harvesting. If the deadlines are running out, then folk remedies will help: an infusion of dandelions, onions or garlic for 3 liters of water 500 g. And if garlic, then 10 cloves will be enough.

Micronutrient deficiency

A deficiency or, conversely, an excess of trace elements such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) can lead to leaf curl.

Necessary for any plant in the right amount of nitrogen favorably affects growth and yield. Tomatoes need this trace element for early stage development and during flowering. In other periods, on a normalized nitrogen background, the plant needs phosphorus and potassium.

The lack of nitrogen begins to appear on the lower leaves, which, lighter, curl, and their veins acquire a blue tint with a red admixture. A similar color affects the trunk and leafy cuttings. The plant stops growing, and new foliage appears, turning pale green. All this leads to premature flowering, small fruits and poor-quality harvest.

Excesses of this substance appear in large, but fragile, uncharacteristic for the variety sheets, which are later twisted into rings, in a rich dark green color and a powerful trunk. Bushes shed their inflorescences. Fruit ripening is delayed, which also leads to poor yields. Due to excess nitrogen, the absorption of iron is inhibited. For this reason, the plant often gets sick.

Phosphorus is no less important for plants than nitrogen, as it takes part in the formation of the root system and predicts the laying of the future crop. Its deficiency makes the plant vulnerable to low temperatures and soreness.

A characteristic sign of a lack of phosphorus is considered to be twisting the leaf up., which on the underside, like the stem, acquires a purple color. With prolonged starvation, the plant stops growing completely, and the leaves curl down. Against this background, the fruits, losing the aroma inherent in tomatoes, are formed small.

New leaves, twisting, with an excess of substance, already appear thin with light veins. Their edges acquire a burnt color, and there are spots on the lower part.

In order for the plant to become resistant to pests and temperature extremes, it must be enriched with potassium. With a lack of potassium, young leaves grow small, twisted downwards. Their edges dry out and crumble. Old foliage, crumbling over time, acquires a yellow-red color. The plant as a whole acquires a variegated color scheme. The bush, giving energy to the formation of stepchildren, slows down its growth. Tomatoes covered with dark spots ripen at different intervals.

The plant with an excess of potassium acquires a brown color. The leaves, wrinkled, curl and fall off.

For example, an adult plant loaded with fruits begins to shed flowers with an excess of nitrogen against the background of a lack of potassium. If at this time there is a shortage of phosphorus, then the existing fruits will acquire dark stripes. Such an imbalance of trace elements can lead to the appearance of yellow veins in the fruits or yellow spots on their stalks.

You will learn more about the causes of leaf curl in tomatoes by watching the following video.

landing errors

Leaf curl both inward and upward, leading to a decrease in yield or its complete loss, can be caused by mistakes made by gardeners during planting and growing. Before purchasing seeds, you need to decide on the place where future tomatoes will grow. Choosing a variety, we start from its characteristics. If this is a greenhouse, then it is more expedient to purchase interdeterminant varieties, famous for their high bush up to 5 meters. For open ground, determinant bushes are suitable, which, with low growth, can give a bountiful harvest. Outdoor sudden changes in temperature or greenhouse high humidity for a particular variety can cause death.

Many mistakenly believe that a large amount of moisture or water will only benefit the plant. But this is far from true. Excess moisture, like excess light, leads to various ailments or the appearance of insects. Watering should be rare, but plentiful. Excess sun is easily determined by twisted sheets, which always straighten out in the evening.

You should not plant seedlings with inflorescences, as it will take all the energy of the plant, not allowing it to take root. A weak root system is a guarantee of plant death, which first manifests itself in leaf twisting. If, for whatever reason, you could not transplant the plant into open ground in a timely manner, and inflorescences have already begun to appear on it, then they must be removed before planting. After that, we determine the seedlings in a hole with a sufficient amount of water.

During the landing period, excess moisture will only be a plus. Don't be afraid if you overdo it with water, and you end up with something like a swamp. Excess moisture will evaporate, and the roots, having saturated, will make the plant stronger.

If your tomatoes belong to varieties that require the mandatory formation of a bush, then the main thing here is not to overdo it with removing extra leaves. This can also cause the death of the plant, which will begin to appear in the curling of the foliage. It is better to start pinching when your plant has reached a five-centimeter height.

Treatment

Of course, problems are easier to prevent than to cure, but if the warning is still late, then something has to be done to save the crop.

Twisted no matter in what form the leaves speak of the malaise of the plant. It is necessary to observe the plant in order to correctly determine the cause. If the twisting of the leaf becomes daytime, then, as noted above, the plant suffers from excessive light. Many in the hot summer try to save the plant by daily watering, but this can only harm the roots, which will begin to rot. In such cases, greenhouse plants must be provided with good ventilation, and outdoor plants with potassium, which is responsible for resistance to adverse weather conditions. The lack of any trace element is easily replenished with top dressing purchased in specialized stores. Or you can water the plants with water infused with ash. In addition, the ashes also contain phosphorus, which strengthens the root system. There is little phosphorus in the ash, so if you need to enrich the bush with this particular element, then the solution on the ash should be with a large addition of the latter, or digging to the roots of dry ash is allowed. The peculiarity of getting rid of phosphorus starvation is that phosphorus is absorbed with sufficient illumination, so it is pointless to carry out top dressing in cloudy weather.

If your plant suffers from a lack of nitrogen, which manifests itself in lightening the lower leaves, the veins of which turn blue, then when enriching the plant with this substance, remember that nitrogen is a rapidly evaporating element, so it must be added directly to the soil. It would be useful to know that manure is enriched with nitrogen, for this reason it is necessary to fertilize the soil with it once a year.

But you do not need to abuse this, as nitrogen supersaturation may occur, which will negatively affect the plant (see above). In such cases, you can save yourself by the so-called washing of the soil or additional lighting.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of diseases, pests It is recommended to pay attention to a few tips from experienced gardeners.

  • The variety is selected taking into account the place where it will be grown. Thus creating a favorable environment for the plant.
  • Before sowing seeds, it is advisable to soak them for several hours in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. This will help to strengthen the seeds if they are taken from a diseased plant or soil.
  • For the winter, we fertilize the soil with manure, which will enrich it with the necessary trace elements.
  • Digging the garden in spring prevents the appearance of underground pests, destroys the root system of weeds and enriches the soil with oxygen.
  • We plant seedlings in open ground only if the earth is warm. The appearance of the first weeds will tell you about this.
  • Before planting seedlings, it is recommended to take them outside to acclimatize for at least a day.
  • Water the plant rarely, but plentifully. It is advisable to avoid getting moisture on the sheets, which darken because of it.
  • If tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse, then good ventilation must be ensured.

But as soon as you see, subject to the above measures, the curling leaves of the plant, you must immediately look for the cause and eliminate its consequences.

Every gardener grows tomatoes in his garden plot, despite the fact that they cause a lot of various troubles, this is one of the most popular vegetables in our country. The most common anomaly that occurs with tomatoes in the garden is leaf curl.

In this article, we will take a closer look at why a tomato leaves curl in a boat and how to help them in this situation.

Root damage

One of the most common causes of leaf curl is damage to the roots. If the rhizome is damaged, the leaves begin to curl, just a few days after they land on the garden plot. This is due to the fact that the plant does not receive enough nutrients from the soil, as well as moisture, after watering.

If you do not see additional reasons for concern (pests or plaque on tomatoes indicating a disease), then in this case, experienced gardeners recommend waiting a few days. In a few days, the bush adapts to the growth conditions in the garden, restores its roots. If the twisting was caused by minor damage to the rhizome, then the leaves begin to level out already 3–4 days after restoration.

Wrong watering

Tomatoes are one of the vegetable crops in the garden that need regular and abundant watering. If failures occur in the irrigation mode, then this negatively affects the plant and, in addition to twisting the leaves, there may be problems with yield.

Tomatoes should be thoroughly watered immediately after planting in open ground. Subsequent watering is recommended to be repeated no earlier than 10 days later. Further watering should be carried out several times a week, the best option considered once every 2-3 days.

Important! In the process of formation of ovaries and ripening of fruits, the number of waterings should be increased, at least 1 time in 2 days.

To preserve moisture near the rhizome, experienced gardeners recommend watering more often, but at the same time in small portions.

Do not forget about overflow, tomatoes do not like stagnant water, as this can also lead to twisting of the leaves and even death of the bush. Tomatoes can easily tolerate a slight drought, but if this is repeated regularly, twisted leaves will also become a consequence.

When watering, water should fall under the bush, and not on it, as this will negatively affect the plant. Recently, planted tomato seedlings are recommended to be watered exclusively warm water, for this you can pre-prepare the barrel with water and place it in direct sunlight.

Air temperature

Very often, twisting of the leaves occurs as a result of strong temperature changes. Temperature differences should not average 8 degrees, otherwise the plant will start to hurt. In addition, high temperatures should be taken into account, at which tomatoes become unwell. If the air temperature exceeds 35 degrees, then the leaves begin to curl and this happens as a result of the fact that the plant thus prevents moisture loss and, with regular watering, the leaves even out over time.

Often, even in greenhouse conditions, it is not possible to find the optimal air temperature. And for this, it is recommended to ventilate the greenhouse at least 2-3 times a day.

Incorrect selection of fertilizers

With regards to the issue of tomato fertilizers, gardeners recommend finding a "golden mean". After all, the lack of fertilizers is bad, and their excess is even worse for plants. If a large amount of manure is placed under each bush, and then watered with various herbal infusions, then the tomato has a "defensive reaction" and in this way it begins to twist the sheets to reduce photosynthesis. And during the fermentation of various organic substances, in which ammonia begins to be released, and burns on plants can even form.

As a result of the resulting burns, the leaf curls and dies over time. Such phenomena can be observed in newly planted seedlings or already in adults.

Lack of nutrients in the soil

Twisting leaves may indicate that the plant does not receive adequately some trace element. In most cases, tomatoes lack phosphorus, boron, iron, or potassium.

  1. If the plant needs phosphorus, then the tomato leaves are curled up in a boat at a right angle from the stem. In this case, they acquire a dark green or purple hue.
  2. If tomatoes need such an element as potassium, then the leaves of the tomato are curled up in a boat from the middle of the leaf, and characteristic light spots will appear on the fruits.
  3. With a lack of iron in tomatoes, in addition to twisting, the leaves become weak, begin to wither, turn yellow and eventually fall off.
  4. If a plant has a lack of boron, then only young leaves begin to curl and change color.

You can help get useful substances for a tomato with the help of top dressing. If you are one of those gardeners who are opponents of chemicals, then in this case, you can use wood ash as a top dressing. As mineral fertilizers, potassium nitrate or superphosphate is used for top dressing.

Pests

Various pests can cause irreparable harm to tomatoes, as they feed on plant sap. Losing their juice, tomatoes begin to wilt, their leaves curl and yields decrease. Pests such as whitefly, aphids or spider mites can provoke leaf curl.

whitefly

This is a miniature white butterfly, its size does not reach 2 mm. The impact of this pest subsequently leads to the drying of the leaves and the formation of a dark coating on them.

If tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, then preventive measures that prevent the emergence of whiteflies are fumigating the premises with candles with sulfur. The procedure must be carried out before planting a tomato, and also after that several times a year.

If the whitefly was nevertheless found on the tomatoes, then you can get rid of it in the following ways:

  • treat plants with chemicals, in this case Fufanon or Mospilan are used;
  • folk methods of dealing with whiteflies are: the use of a soap solution, as well as infusion of yarrow, garlic and celandine.

It is possible to completely get rid of the whitefly only with repeated processing of the plantation. The use of chemicals should be stopped a few weeks before the expected harvest.

Aphid

If the cause of leaf curl on tomatoes is aphids, then visible damage occurs on them.

In addition to chemicals, you can also get rid of aphids by unconventional methods using a decoction of wormwood or celandine.

Important! The processing procedure is recommended to be carried out at least every 10 days, until the insects are completely eliminated.

spider mite

One of the reasons why tomato leaves can curl is the appearance on the bushes. spider mite. The tick can appear both in open garden plots and in greenhouses. Recognizing it is quite simple, the leaves begin to curl, the tops of the tomatoes change their color, the leaves begin to dry over time and cobwebs appear on the bushes.

You can get rid of the tick by using chemicals; Borneo, Flumite or Oberon are used for tomatoes. As folk remedies often use decoctions of chamomile, dandelion, as well as garlic and onions.

Wrong stepson

If the leaves of the tomatoes are curled in a boat, then the reason for this may be incorrect pinching. This happens due to the fact that stepchildren are removed at the wrong time. When stepchildren become large and there are several of them on one bush, when they are removed, the tomatoes experience a certain “stress” and begin to hurt. Therefore, it is recommended to remove stepchildren when they are still young and only a day before the intended feeding and watering. If you water or fertilize immediately after removing the stepchildren, then bacteria harmful to their life can get into the fresh “wounds” on the tomatoes.

Important! No more than 4 shoots from tall plants and no more than 2 shoots from undersized bushes should be removed per week.

Tomatoes in a greenhouse

Tomatoes grown in greenhouse conditions suffer no less than tomatoes in garden beds. The leaves on tomatoes in greenhouses can curl for the same reasons, the reason for this is:

  • various diseases;
  • pests;
  • temperature fluctuations;
  • improper watering and unbalanced top dressing;
  • as well as improper care.

Therefore, growing tomatoes in greenhouse conditions requires the same care as for tomatoes grown outdoors in the beds.

Diseases

Why do tomato leaves curl up in a boat and how to deal with it? Very often, various diseases are to blame for leaf curl. Diseases can be recognized by additional characteristic manifestations, each of them is different.

Common diseases of tomatoes:

  1. Bacteriosis. It is characterized by a slowdown in growth or even a halt. Seedling shoots are short and weak, and the inflorescences are small.
  2. Thin-leaved virus. The disease is extremely rare and occurs only in cases where the plant did not have enough watering, as well as with significant illumination of the beds.
  3. Cancer of a bacterial nature. Initially, the leaves are twisted into a tube, after which, after a while, they begin to wither and take on a brown tint. At the same time, the stems of tomatoes begin to crack.
  4. Tobacco mosaic virus. On the tops of the plant, characteristic patterns begin to appear, outwardly resembling a mosaic. In addition, after the drawing, swellings appear on the tops.
  5. Fusarium. Initially, the disease begins to progress on the lower leaves, they twist into a tube. After the disease spreads throughout the bush, gradually rising up. After a while, the leaves begin to wither and fall off. In addition to the leaves and shoots wither, a characteristic pinkish bloom appears on the fruits themselves.
  6. Verticillium wilting. The disease manifests itself, like the previous one (fusarium), only in this case the bush does not die, but simply begins to wither.

There are ways to prevent leaf curl.

Prevention

To prevent tomato leaves from curling into a tube, experienced gardeners recommend following certain preventive measures.

Prevention measures:

  • protect tomatoes from extreme heat, in strong sun it is recommended to cover the plants;
  • periodically tomatoes require mulching, this helps to cool the roots in extreme heat;
  • it is necessary to adhere to the rules of watering, which is carried out 1 time in 2-3 days, and with well-mulched beds, it can be reduced to 1 time in 5 days;
  • when watering, do not overfill the beds, avoid stagnant water in the garden;
  • Tomatoes require care, namely timely feeding, picking stepchildren, fighting diseases, and picking up pests.

Only if you follow all the rules, you can avoid leaf curl on tomatoes and subsequently get a good harvest.

Any summer resident is interested in why the leaves of tomatoes curl, the leaves may turn yellow at the same time. These tasty and healthy vegetables are susceptible to pests and diseases. To save plants, urgent and most effective measures should be taken.

The following reasons can be named, due to which the leaves of tomatoes are twisted:

  • violation of the temperature regime;
  • violation of the humidity regime;
  • insect damage;
  • defeat by bacterial diseases;
  • nutrient imbalance;
  • incorrect pinching and pinching;
  • root damage.

What should summer residents do to grow healthy plant? Let's take a closer look at each of the causes of leaf curl and how to eliminate them.

By evening, the twisted leaves take on their normal shape and during the night receive the missing moisture from the dew, replenishing the balance. What to do if the weather is hot, dry for a long time and the leaves of tomatoes are twisted? The best way- Shade the plant, helping its foliage to avoid twisting.

You can throw the following materials on tomatoes during hot hours:

  • covering spunbond;
  • agrofibre;
  • lutrasil.

It is not recommended to water the plant in the sun, because the leaves can get burned from droplets of water. A good way to deal with the described cause of twisting is to mulch the soil on the tomato beds. What to do if the plant is not comfortable enough? You can cool the roots with a few centimeters of cut grass.

Violation of the humidity regime

A common reason why tomato leaves curl is a small amount or an excess of moisture. Some summer residents do not treat watering with due attention, relying on the fact that rain compensates for the lack of moisture. Others do not water often enough or in small quantities. With a small amount of water, moisture penetrates only a few centimeters of soil, not reaching the roots located below.

Watering tomatoes is necessary 1 time in three days if the beds are not protected by grass, and 1 time in 7 days on mulched beds. There should be a bucket of water for each tomato bush. It is necessary to pour it out not at once entirely, but in portions, so that all the water penetrates for its intended purpose - to the rhizome.

The reason for twisting the leaves inward is also an excess of moisture. In case of excessive humidity, tomato leaves are wrapped up. The root system of plants can suffocate during prolonged heavy rains, especially if tomatoes grow in clay soil, where water does not go deep into the depths very quickly. If, during planting, the holes are filled with loose earth, this misfortune can be avoided. Grooves can be made to remove moisture from the roots.

insect pests

Causes of leaf curl complements tomato leaf damage harmful insects(aphids, whitefly), sucking out their juices, which leads to twisting of the leaves of the tomato. Tomato leaves will straighten if you start saving from pests in time. If the leaves turn yellow, spots and damage appear on them, you need to spray the foliage with ready-made preparations or use infusions onion peel, celandine, wood ash.

The use of chemicals when growing fruits appear is undesirable, since tomatoes tend to accumulate toxic substances.

If the leaves on the tomato are curled due to the presence of pests on them, you can use the following infusions:

  1. Infusion of wood ash. 2 tbsp. pour the ashes into a bucket of water, mix with 100 g of laundry soap and insist for a day. Then spray the tomatoes.
  2. Foliage will get rid of aphids decoction of onion peel, 200 g of which you need to pour a bucket warm water and insist 12-15 hours.
  3. During the flowering period of celandine, you need to take 4 kg of the plant and insist 2 days in a bucket of water. Such a drug is able to get rid of caterpillars, larvae, aphids.

Cultural diseases

There are more than 20 types of pathogens of bacteriosis. Bacterial cancer has become ubiquitous, withering shoots, yellowing of foliage along the edge, its twisting. The fruits are covered with spots - first white, then yellowish. The plant dies on average 2 months after infection. During periods of prolonged rains, cancer spreads extremely widely, since humidity above 80% favors its development.

The leaves on the tomato are also curled due to such a disease affecting young plants as black spot, transmitted by seeds. When affected by spotting, fruits appear dark spots, later you can see that many leaves curled up and withered.

Bacterial cancer and black spot are not the only diseases. The reason is a little less common, but fatal - bacterial spotting (mottling). At low temperatures and high humidity in early spring, planting tomatoes is especially dangerous due to the likelihood of infection with this bacterial disease. During its course, the leaves twist, the flowers dry up and fall off.

Plants can be protected by the following measures:

  • use of bacterial resistant varieties;
  • timely control of weeds, the seeds of which can carry the infection;
  • systematic removal of affected fruits;
  • careful removal from the soil surface before planting seedlings of plant debris;
  • disinfection of beds with a solution of potassium permanganate, which destroys bacteria that kill tomatoes.

Bacterial causes of leaf curl are serious, it is difficult to cure tomato fruits. If a solution of potassium permanganate (you can mix it with a solution of urea) does not positive result, infected plants will have to be destroyed.

Deficiency or excess of fertilizers

Why do tomatoes curl leaves if all the conditions for favorable growth are met?

  • Tomatoes may be short drain nutrients.
  • The green color is lost, the growth of the plant is stunted, the foliage curls up - these are signs of nitrogen starvation.
  • If the leaves turn grayish in color, become wrinkled, yellowish and brittle, there is a potassium deficiency.
  • With calcium deficiency, the lower leaves turn pale, if there is not enough boron, the stem turns black.
  • There may be a lack of magnesium, manganese, copper, which has a depressing effect on tomatoes. Flowers do not form on them, necrosis develops on the leaves.

It is preferable to carry out foliar top dressing, which consists in spraying with nutrient solutions. It is important to observe the permissible concentration of the solution. For top dressing, saltpeter, boric acid, solutions of manganese, zinc, copper sulfate, and ash are used.

Why do leaves on tomatoes curl if there is enough top dressing? Too much fertilizer can also cause leaves to curl in an attempt to reduce photosynthesis. Chemical fumes can burn the foliage and stems of tomatoes. To reduce the concentration of fertilizers, you need to water the plants abundantly, washing the top layer of soil. It is necessary to ensure that the water does not stagnate at the base of the bushes, otherwise the tomatoes will suffer from an excess of moisture.

Mistake pinching

Tomatoes are very demanding plants and can be stunted and spoil even if none of these causes are present.

The reason may be in their incorrect pinching or pinching.

The process consists in pruning individual branches and removing stepchildren. In this case, care must be taken, because if you cut more than 2 leaves per week, the rest may begin to curl, since the mass cutting of an excessive number of branches and leaves upsets the balance between the rhizome and the outer part of the tomato. Also, too early, less than 3 weeks after planting, pinching and pinching plants can do harm.

You can only get rid of stepsons that have reached 7-8 cm, not forgetting to leave a stump about 1 cm long at the base of the stem. This is a guarantee that the shoot will no longer grow at this place. If you systematically remove all stepchildren, you get a bush of 1 stem.

You can strengthen the power of the root system of a tomato by laying its individual shoots in the grooves and burying them there so that only the tops remain above the surface.

Why do tomato leaves curl (video)

Root system damage

During the transplantation of tomato seedlings from pots to the garden, it happens that due to negligence, certain parts of the plant's roots turn out to be damaged. Why do tomatoes turn yellow and curl because of this? While the damaged areas of the root are being regenerated, the tomato does not receive proper nutrition, so the consequences are the same as when the plants are starving. Over time, the rhizome is restored, the plant takes root, and the twisting of the leaves stops.

It is important to know that some varieties of tomatoes have characteristic feature- their leaves do not spin due to diseases or adverse conditions, but are wrapped by nature. Among them are such varieties as Honey Drop, Fatima, cherry tomatoes.

Diseases of tomatoes and ways to deal with them (video)

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