Vegetable growing » Tomatoes
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Kira Stoletova
If the top of the tomato begins to wither or curl, you should immediately determine what exactly is causing the plant discomfort.
Why do the tops of tomatoes curl?
Not enough potassium.
The edges of the leaves on tomatoes begin to curl, after which they gradually dry out, which means that the plants do not have enough potassium.
5. Tomato leaves begin to curl downwards.
This phenomenon is a fairly serious sign that the plants are affected by bacterial cancer. At first, the lower leaves begin to curl, then they turn brown and eventually simply dry out, then this is indeed a sign of the plant being damaged by cancer. All such plants must be uprooted and burned so as not to spread this infection throughout the area. But before destroying plants, you should be one hundred percent sure of this. To do this, you need to cut off one stem of the diseased plant, and if there is a brown spot on the cut, then there will be no doubt that the plant is affected by bacterial cancer; it must be destroyed immediately.
Well, if such a spot is not detected on the cut, then you should not rush to destroy such plants; they may not have enough boron, phosphorus or other microelements, due to which the leaves may curl. Such plants need to be fed either with complex fertilizers, or Polymicro, Sudarushka.
Tomato diseases
A situation where the upper leaves on tomatoes are curled into a tube may indicate that the plants are affected by infectious diseases caused by pathogens.
They are conditionally divided into the following groups:
- fungal;
- viral;
- bacterial.
The most harmful and dangerous among them are bacterial black spot, late blight, tobacco mosaic and leaf curl viruses.
The most effective therapeutic measures against these diseases are mandatory and careful compliance with all agronomic techniques used in growing tomatoes, as well as the implementation of preventive measures to protect against infections.
Pests also contribute to this ignoble task, for example, aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. If they are detected, the plant must undergo insecticidal treatment with special systemic preparations.
In tomatoes with deformed leaves, photosynthesis is disrupted, they do not receive sufficient nutrition, so you cannot count on a stable and healthy harvest. If you find a plant with curled leaves, you need to quickly find out the reason and only then take the necessary measures. Of course, this is not an entirely simple matter, but you shouldn’t give up either.
Main reasons
Most often the problem is heat, lack of fresh air and changes in microclimate. These are violations of agricultural practices that have a bad effect on any plant, and tomatoes are no exception.
Varietal features
Before you sound the alarm, study the characteristics of your seedling variety. For example, there are several small species for which curly leaves are absolutely normal.
Heat
If the temperature around has long exceeded 30 degrees, then the tomatoes are simply very hot. The leaves are curling because they are trying to escape this heat. In this case, partial shade and more fresh air are needed.
Low temperature
If tomatoes are unexpectedly frozen due to a hard frost or other reason, the leaves may also curl. This is a natural reaction of the plant to stress, but under favorable conditions it will recover on its own.
Dryness
The tomato is not the most capricious plant, but it still requires regular watering. And the hotter it is, the more often you will have to do this, up to once every 2-3 days on hot days. Be sure to monitor the condition of the soil and keep in mind that the roots of tomatoes are quite deep, so you need to water the soil well and not superficially.
Excess moisture
When water stagnates in the soil, a favorable environment for the development of fungi is formed, and the roots begin to rot. In this case, the tomato leaves curl not down, but up along the edges. It is necessary to dry the soil and carry out preventive treatment with fungicides.
Root damage
When the root system is damaged, the plant always directs all resources to its restoration. Therefore, carefully loosen the soil and replant the seedlings, use preparations for immunity and rooting. If the leaves begin to curl after planting in the garden, under favorable conditions they will recover within a couple of weeks.
Lack of nutrition
All garden crops need regular fertilizing, because most problems arise precisely due to lack of nutrition. In this case, the leaves not only curl, but also turn yellow, fade, become stained, or dry out at the edges. We recommend combining root feeding with spraying.
Oversupply
When there is too much fertilizer in the soil, it is even more dangerous than when there is not enough of it. Most often this happens when adding organic matter, because it seems more harmless. But too much microelements leads to developmental disorders and can even destroy the plant due to burns to the roots.
Too much nitrogen leads to the fact that the lower leaves grow excessively fleshy and large, and the upper ones curl. And when there is too much zinc, the leaves curl down, hang and turn purple. In any case, you need to urgently stop feeding and you can try to slightly reduce the reaction with sawdust, ash or shavings.
Late stepsoning
Tomatoes should always be divided on time, up to 7 cm, because stepsons that are too large take up a lot of resources. The plant constantly suffers due to stress and nutritional deficiency, so the leaves begin to curl.
Thickening the beds
If tomatoes are planted too close, they are simply cramped and lack sun and air. Because of this, the leaves curl and wither, fungus develops and the tomato withers. When disembarking, be sure to maintain the recommended distances.
Diseases
Most often, a fungus affects the leaves, but it is easy to identify by other symptoms - the presence of plaque, a change in color. The upper leaves become deformed if the tomatoes are affected by stolbur. And if the plates curl, wither and turn black, this could be bacterial cancer.
Pests
Some pests build nests on the underside of leaf blades, causing the leaves to curl. These are ordinary aphids or whiteflies that are much more dangerous for tomatoes. During their life, they secrete a sweet substance, which causes the leaves to stick together even more and the fungus to progress.
Why do tomato seedlings curl leaves, reasons
Young tomatoes react to a stressful situation by curling their leaves. A variety of reasons can cause leaf deformation; we will highlight the most important of them:
- unfavorable microclimate;
- violation of agricultural technology;
- imbalance of minerals in the soil;
- development of diseases;
- pest attack.
Tomato leaves may curl downward in dry and hot weather, for example, if the seedlings have been standing in direct sunlight for several hours. In this case, the plants will quickly come to their senses, but still, you should not subject them to such a test every day. Young tomatoes will have the same reaction to a sudden change in room temperature.
In the case when seedlings are affected by diseases, in addition to leaf curling, there will be other symptoms - wilting, the appearance of spots. If timely measures are not taken, the plants can quickly die, since they do not yet have a strong enough immune system.
If there is an imbalance of minerals in the soil, tomato leaves may also curl. This is often caused by an excess of nitrogen and a lack of phosphorus. Sometimes the cause of such trouble is cramped and crowded seedlings. Seedlings lack nutrients due to too dense planting.
Seedlings may also turn up their leaves due to an attack by aphids, thrips (sticky insect secretions will appear on the leaves) or spider mites (the pest can be identified by the presence of a thin white web). In any case, the situation requires a preliminary analysis and only after that it is worth taking action.
How to help tomato seedlings and what products to use
Leaves on tomato seedlings can become deformed in different ways.
Twisting can occur either up or down. Sometimes leaves may only curl on the tops of tomatoes. Each such case requires an individual approach. It will take some time for the leaves to return to their normal shape. If the measures taken corresponded to the reasons that caused the deformation, the plants will respond to them with gratitude and acquire a full appearance:
- Check if the watering regime and lighting are appropriate. Water the tomatoes once every 5-7 days when the top layer of soil dries out. You will need to spill the soil to the bottom so that water appears from the drainage hole. Tomatoes like rare but abundant watering. Water should be applied at the root, without getting on the plants themselves. Give the seedlings the brightest place possible. On the northern windowsill, tomatoes simply need lighting. On a south window, cover the glass with a sheet of white paper or gauze to reduce the light output. If the room is too hot, open the window for ventilation.
- If there is a lack of microelements, use mono fertilizers or complex fertilizers to saturate the soil with nutrients. The dosage of drugs must be strictly observed; an excess of minerals is no less harmful to plants than a deficiency. Feed the tomatoes with superphosphate, boric acid, potassium magnesia or a fertilizer containing a full range of macro- and microelements (“Malyshok”, “Krepysh”, “Zdraven”, “Agricola”).
- If the cause of leaf curling is a bacterial or fungal disease, diseased seedlings should be removed immediately, and the remaining ones should be treated with a solution of fungicide or potassium permanganate. It would be even better to transplant the seedlings into fresh, sterile soil. If you notice pests on seedlings, treat the seedlings with insecticides as quickly as possible. The sooner the fight starts, the greater the chance of saving young plants.
When sowing is thickened, pick up the seedlings into individual containers. Just a few days will pass and you will see how they perked up and began to look much better. The soil for picking should be taken the same as that used for sowing in a common container. In this case, adaptation to the new environment will be faster in tomatoes.
Lack of calcium in the soil - yellow spots on the leaves
One of the factors affecting the plant is a lack of calcium, and the tips of young leaves have an irregular shape. Yellowish spots appear on the plates of young shoots, and sometimes the top leaf turns yellow completely. While mature leaves become rich green and significantly increase in size, that is, they have full growth and look healthy.
But the likelihood of an insufficient amount of calcium in the soil is small, since the soil is periodically limed and fertilized, so the cause of disease in the cultivated crop may be the use of large doses of nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which makes it difficult for plants to absorb calcium microelements. For non-root feeding, you can use calcium nitrate, which should be dissolved in water in the correct proportion (20 grams per 10 liters of water).
Tomato leaves with a lack of calcium in the soil
Watering and lighting
Growing tomatoes requires proper watering. Plants can suffer from both a lack of moisture and its excess. Moreover, the latter can cause rotting of the roots and rapid withering of plants. Therefore, you should calculate how and when to water. The regularity of watering is determined by the age of the tomatoes.
Young, densely sown seedlings require daily watering, and it must be done in the morning. For seedlings that have undergone diving - one watering every few days, when the soil has dried out. Adult tomatoes are irrigated once a week, but abundantly, so that the soil is well saturated with moisture. Water for irrigation should be settled and warm. After watering, it is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse in order to reduce humidity.
Growing tomatoes requires proper watering. Plants can suffer from both a lack of moisture and its excess.
Therefore, ventilation of the greenhouse and lighting should always be in the first place. If the deficiency occurs due to shortened daylight hours, then this can be corrected with additional lighting. Or you can simply spread foil on the floor of the greenhouse; it will reflect the light and the illumination will improve.
Incorrect pinching and pinching of tomatoes
The reason why the leaves of tomatoes curl in a greenhouse may be improper pinching and pinching of the bushes.
A mistake could be the massive removal of all lower leaves immediately after planting the seedlings in the greenhouse or in the next two weeks.
They can be picked no earlier than 3 weeks after the tomato has been planted in its permanent place. Such actions help improve ventilation of the plant, and therefore reduce humidity. In addition, more light, moisture and nutrients will be directed to the development of ovaries and fruits.
Pinching is a necessary procedure during which side shoots are removed from tomatoes. Only stepsons whose length is 10 centimeters or more can be removed.
Common Tomato Diseases
Curling of plant leaves can be a consequence of viral and fungal infections. But in addition to this manifestation, others arise that are characteristic of a particular disease.
Diseases and their treatment:
- Bacteriosis. The cause of the disease is seeds that have not undergone the disinfection procedure. This makes young plants vulnerable. With bacteriosis, tomato leaves not only curl down, but also become smaller over time. The emerging flowers turn white. Seedlings slow down in growth. It is impossible to get rid of bacteriosis. Infected plants must be removed by the roots and burned so that the disease does not spread to other tomatoes.
- Fusarium. A fungal infection that spreads to tomato seedlings from the soil. First, the lower part of the bush is affected, and then all the leaves. The infected specimen is disposed of, and the soil is treated with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate. Neighboring bushes are sprayed with fungicides.
- Thin leaf virus. Another reason why leaf plates curl. Most often, the disease appears during periods of summer drought. The leaves turn into thin tubes, and the fruits appear very small. Treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate mixed with urea helps with this disease. In advanced cases, plants die.
- Bacterial cancer. It is considered a greenhouse disease. Tomatoes growing in open ground do not suffer from it. Develops at very high temperatures (more than +25 degrees) and excessive humidity. The leaf blades curl, and cracks along the entire length and ulcers form on the trunks. If you cut the stem, the brown ring inside will be clearly visible. The fruits become deformed and their seeds turn black.
Ash is an alternative to synthetic mineral fertilizers
Instead of ready-made mineral products, many vegetable growers add ash, which contains potassium, phosphorus and all the microelements plants need, and in an easily digestible form. The ash remaining after burning sunflower tops, straw, birch, pine, fruit trees, grass and shrubs is considered a worthy replacement for many mineral and microfertilizers.
The easiest way to feed, if you don’t know what to do when tomato leaves curl, is to water the plants at the root and spray them with an ash infusion from a spray bottle, which is prepared by diluting two glasses of sifted ash in 10 liters of water (leave for a day before pouring into Strain the sprayer; filtration is not required before watering the bushes).
Advice from experienced gardeners
If the soil is moist, watering is correct, but the tops still wither, then succinic acid will help again. First dissolve the acid packet in hot water, then pour it into a bucket and pour over the tomatoes. After 3 days, you can repeat the same watering.
If this does not help, then the tomatoes should be fed with the following composition: 10 g of calcium nitrate and 10 g of ammonium nitrate should be diluted in a bucket of water. Pour from 0.5 to 1 liter at the root, depending on the growth of the seedlings.
This fertilizer will help make the stem thicker, increase the green mass so that the upper ovaries begin to form.
Curling of the top leaves of tomatoes due to improper watering
When the foliage begins to curl inward, and each leaf begins to look like a kind of boat, problems with improper watering become apparent. It's no secret that tomatoes need a lot of moisture, but this does not mean that they need to be filled with large amounts of water every day. With excess liquid, the roots located at the top develop much faster than the bottom ones, which leads to uneven saturation of the entire plant.
Watering should be done abundantly, but not often. Once a week is enough, in dry weather you can increase to two. It is necessary to monitor the top layer of soil; it must be constantly moistened.
Irrigation errors
Each plant adapts to current conditions. When there is not enough moisture, the bushes begin to save life-giving moisture, and accordingly, not all plant organs receive it. The leaves begin to curl so that less water evaporates from their surface. Infrequent watering conducts moisture only to the upper layers of the soil, while the lower layers do not receive it at all.
Make sure that the water does not spread over the entire ridge; for this, an earthen roller is usually made around each bush.
Watering should be very plentiful, especially if you are growing tomatoes in clay soil. In this case, frequent watering must be carried out in conjunction with measures to remove excess moisture from the roots. After all, poor drainage can lead to withering of bushes due to lack of oxygen.
Moreover, when planting bushes in clay soils, you need to prepare holes with loose soil so that the roots receive enough oxygen.
Causes of yellowing leaves in tomatoes
Some reasons for yellowing leaves are common - both when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground.
For example, sometimes tomato leaves turn yellow when the roots are damaged during transplantation of seedlings to a permanent location. Sometimes the seedlings are cramped in the containers in which they were planted, and the roots are damaged during growth. And also the root system can be damaged already in the garden bed due to inaccurate loosening or weeding.
In some cases, tomatoes are difficult to tolerate transplanting. Especially if the conditions for growing them have changed significantly - temperature, humidity, soil characteristics.
Nature arranges it in such a way that in such situations all forces are directed towards the growth of shoots, and the first leaves, having served their purpose, turn out to be superfluous and turn yellow from a lack of nutrients.
In these cases, you don’t need to do anything: the tomatoes will adapt to the new place, straighten their roots and grow additional ones. They will need strength for this process for some time. Tomatoes may drop yellow leaves that are starved of nutrients. Their condition is quickly restored.
To help seedlings take root faster, you can spray them with compositions to stimulate growth - “Kornevin”, “Epin”, “Zircon”.
But there are many situations when plants need help.
In the greenhouse
Most often, greenhouse tomatoes begin to turn yellow due to errors in care. The following conditions are unacceptable to tomatoes:
- Little light. This may be due to weather conditions, dense film covering, high plantings in the neighborhood, or non-compliance with the requirements for the distance between tomato bushes.
- High humidity. The maximum permissible air humidity for tomatoes is 60–70%.
- Acidic soil. Acidity should not be higher than 6.2–6.5 pH.
- Depleted soil. Lack of nutrition is detrimental to tomatoes. Complex fertilizers actively saturate the soil with minerals: Agricola, MultiFlor, Zdraven.
- Mistakes when watering. Tomatoes do not require excess water, especially constant ones. Tomatoes need to be watered once every 7-10 days, about a bucket of water for each bush. In hot weather, you can water more often to prevent the soil from drying out.
- Diseases. Diseased tomatoes need to be treated urgently using special medications. These may be Trichodermin, Fitocid-R, Quadris and others.
In an open garden
Although in most regions tomatoes do better outdoors than in a greenhouse, outdoor tomatoes are more dependent on climate and weather conditions.
Therefore, the causes of yellowness may be:
- Heat. In the scorching sun, tomatoes can get burned. On such days, it is better to cover the tomatoes with light, breathable material.
- Cold weather. When the temperature drops significantly, the roots of tomatoes stop delivering nutrition to the stem and foliage, as a result of which the plant’s metabolism suffers. Therefore, in cold weather, plants also need to be covered.
- Dried soil. Tomatoes cannot receive nutrition from such soil, which can cause the plant to die.
- Excess water. In rainy weather or when there is close groundwater, small roots rot. Mulching the soil with mowed grass or pine litter, as well as fertilizing with potash fertilizers will help. You can build a canopy over the plants to prevent excess water from getting into the soil.
- Pests. Tomatoes can be attacked by aphids, mole crickets, cutworms and whiteflies. Sometimes the larvae of the cockchafer live in the ground in a tomato bed. To get rid of them, insecticides are used: “Ratibor”, “Akarin”, “Tomato Rescuer”.
What to do if the leaves of tomato seedlings curl upward
The reasons why the leaves of tomato seedlings curl in a boat are also associated with errors in care, unsuitable conditions, and diseases. But you have the power to fix everything, you just need to be attentive to the needs of the plants and their condition:
- Tomato leaves may curl upward if the seedlings are thirsty. In an effort to reduce the evaporation of moisture when there is a lack of it, tomatoes roll their leaves into a boat, thus reducing the area of the evaporated surface. Water them a little more often and make sure that the earthen ball is completely saturated with water.
- If the tomatoes are hot, their reaction will be the same. The optimal temperature regime for growing tomatoes involves keeping them at a temperature of 20-22 °C during the day and 16-18 °C at night. In hot weather on the windowsill, the temperature can rise to 30 °C and the plants become uncomfortable. You urgently need to ventilate the room or move the seedlings to a cooler place.
- Curling of the leaves upward may indicate a lack of calcium. Plants slow down their development and sometimes stop growing completely. Feeding with calcium nitrate will help save the situation. 20 g of fertilizer are consumed per 10 liters of water.
- In mature seedlings, leaf curling can be caused by lack of pinching. When forming a bush, you should not allow the stepsons to outgrow and take away nutrition from the main stem. You need to remove excess shoots before they reach a length of 5 cm.
Sometimes the curling of the leaves in a boat occurs immediately after a dive. Most likely, the root of the plant was damaged during transplantation, which is why it cannot normally absorb water and nutrients for some time. In this case, you don't need to do anything. After some time, the oppressed bushes will recover on their own.
Why do the tops of tomatoes curl in a greenhouse?
With your help, I think I managed to cope with the acidity of the soil. Tomatoes are developing well. They bloom powerfully, the leaves are dark green. But in the middle row opposite the doors, the tops of tall tomatoes seem to be “curled up”, curled into a “fist”.
I read literature. Explanations vary. Basically, I fill it with too much water.
This is not the case, because I rake the soil, it is dry. There may be insufficient watering. The middle row is practically blown through and the soil dries faster than the side beds. The plants are tall, powerful, and bloom.
I think they need good watering. Not 2 times a week, as they say in various reference books. With such heat in a polycarbonate greenhouse, the soil dries out very quickly. Maybe I'm wrong.
Many summer residents face this problem. Tomato leaves can become curly for various reasons. You indicated one of them correctly - insufficient watering during hot periods. A plant experiencing a lack of moisture will have curled leaves.
Thus, the tomato manages to reduce moisture evaporation by reducing the surface area of the leaf plate
At the same time, the lower leaves, illuminated less by the rays of the sun and better ventilated, remain normal. Important! Choose a watering mode based on the appearance of the plants
But remember that excess moisture provokes the occurrence of fungal diseases
Choose a watering mode based on the appearance of the plants. But remember that excess moisture provokes the occurrence of fungal diseases.
Excess nitrogen in the soil
If there is an excess amount of nitrogen fertilizer in the soil, the plant begins to fatten. At the same time, the plants have powerful stems, dark green leaves and curly tops. The plant directs all its strength to the growth of green mass.
Unfortunately, there will not be a large fruit harvest if measures are not taken. It is necessary to balance the amount of fertilizer in the soil by fertilizing with potassium, which is contained in wood ash. Dilute a glass of ash in a bucket of water and pour over the tomatoes. Spraying the leaves with a solution prepared from one teaspoon of potassium sulfate and a liter of water also helps.
Tricks of aphids
Small black aphids, which first settle in the axils of the leaves and then move to the stem and petioles of the leaves, can also cause leaf curling. When sucking juices, aphids introduce a specific substance into the plant tissue, which deforms the stem and curls the leaves.
Insects hidden in the folds of leaves are difficult to kill with insecticides. Important! When spraying, try to wet all the axils and folds of the leaves. A sick plant under the pressure of aphids looks exactly as you describe
Curly virus
This is perhaps the most unpleasant reason, because viral diseases of tomatoes cannot be treated. Plants become infected through insects and cutting tools. It is better to remove diseased tomatoes immediately so as not to infect other plants.
Break out the stepsons manually without using pruners.
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Chloritic leaf curl
The top leaves of tomatoes may curl due to chloritic leaf curl. This viral infection is characterized not only by curling of the top, but also by a lighter color of the leaves, as well as a slowdown in the growth and development of the bush. The disease is transmitted through contaminated soil and seeds. Therefore, before sowing, pre-treatment of seeds should be carried out and soil disinfection should be organized.
The spread of the pathogen is facilitated by increased air and soil humidity
If a tomato bush is affected by a disease, then it is safer and easier to dig it up and burn it, and disinfect the soil. Radical actions will help stop the infection of tomato plantings and save your energy and resources.
Tomato leaf curl is a viral disease. Carrier: butterflies, whiteflies. In my experience, there is no cure. Just tear it out and burn it.
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Soil problems
Due to the inability to apply crop rotation, the soil in the greenhouse “deteriorates” faster than garden soil. The soil becomes depleted, accumulates toxins after chemical treatments and nutrients, and becomes a permanent refuge for fungal spores and pests for wintering. An imbalance of microelements in the soil or obstacles to their consumption is another reason for leaf curl.
Attention!
In soils with high acidity, there is often a lack of elements important for tomatoes. But plants growing on alkaline soil cannot fully absorb them, even if the soil is saturated with useful substances. To grow tomatoes, the soil in the greenhouse must be neutral or slightly acidic.
If the leaves curl upward, the plant may need copper, magnesium, molybdenum or have an excess of boron, zinc, magnesium. If the leaves curl down, there is likely a lack of zinc, calcium, and boron.
Lack of microelements
Ideally, laboratory analysis of soil samples is necessary; a less reliable way is to try to determine the need for microelements by other criteria.
Localization of curled leaves | Element | Susceptible to soil deficiency | Deficiency Symptoms |
Lower leaves | Magnesium | Acidic soil, sandy and sandy loam sod-podzolic soils. |
|
Molybdenum | Acidic, light soils. |
| |
Zinc |
| ||
Upper leaves | Calcium | Light, acidic soils, usually peat. Saline soils. |
|
Bor | Acidic or alkaline soils saturated with calcium carbonate. |
| |
Copper | Sandy and peaty acidic soils. |
|
As a response to a lack of microelements, foliar spraying is recommended.
A strategic solution to the issue is to periodically (every 2-3 years) replace the soil in the greenhouse. You can use the soil on which cabbage, pumpkin, cucumber, beets, turnips, carrots, and green onions grew last season. It is necessary to adjust the structure and acidity of the soil to values that are optimal for tomatoes.
Excess microelements
Micronutrient poisoning is caused by improper feeding. The situation is aggravated by long-term cultivation of tomatoes in one place - substances accumulate in the soil.
Excess of microelements, leading to leaf curling, manifests itself in symptoms:
Magnesium – darkening, shredding of leaves, severe curling of young leaves, dying of tips.
Excess magnesium can be accompanied by symptoms of calcium deficiency because it interferes with the absorption of this element from the soil.
- Zinc – transparent spots, irregularly shaped growths appear on the lower leaves, and necrosis develops.
- Bor - areas of leaves dry out, damage begins from the lower tier of the bush.
It is more difficult to solve the problem of excess microelements than to solve the problem of deficiency. It is recommended to limit fertilizing and provide abundant watering to flush out substances from the soil. Regularly replacing the soil in the greenhouse is a good preventative measure in this case as well.
Diseases and pests
All sorts of infections and pests cause great damage to plants. Pathology of leaf blades is caused by insects:
- aphid;
- whitefly;
- spider mite
Curling of leaves is also one of the signs of diseases, including:
- brown spot;
- tobacco mosaic;
- fusarium;
- bacterial cancer.
Treatment and pest control are not always successful, so the main measure is prevention.
Pests that cause leaf curl
Various types of aphids (black, white, potato) are found on tomatoes, and the pest appears at any stage of the growing season. Entire colonies of insects are found on the underside of the leaf.
The whitefly butterfly is dangerous, the larvae of which, like aphids, feed on the juice of the leaves and stems of tomatoes. Adults destroy the leaves, and literally in 4-5 days only the stem and side shoots remain from the tomato bush.
Spider mites live on the back of the leaves and also suck the juices from the plants. It is not difficult to detect: the leaves become discolored, curl, and a barely noticeable cobweb appears.
For pest control use:
- preparations Fitoverm, Akarin, Borneo - against ticks; Actellik, Confidor, Pegasus - from whitefly; Fitoferm, Biotlin, Akarin, Karbofos - against aphids;
- infusions of herbs: onion, garlic, tobacco, dandelion;
- ash solution (watering, spraying);
- dusting plants and soil with ash;
- the use of phytophages - insects that eat pests.
As a preventive measure:
- acquire healthy seedlings;
- remove plant debris from the beds and from the greenhouse;
- observe watering and ventilation regimes;
- after harvesting, disinfect shelters with potassium permanganate and copper sulfate solution;
- freeze the soil in the greenhouse;
- before planting tomatoes, treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection;
- attract beneficial insects to the site: ladybugs, hoverflies, destroying pests;
- plant plants with a strong aroma near tomatoes: marigolds, chamomile, dill, garlic.
Important!
Do not forget about crop rotation, alternating crops on the site.
Infectious diseases
Infections that cause curled tomato leaves are difficult to treat.
With tobacco mosaic virus, yellowish spots appear on the surface of the leaf blades, the border curls and dries out. The infection quickly spreads to neighboring plants, damaging tomato plants. Remove affected plants and burn. Treat the bushes growing nearby with Avixil, an infusion of whey. Sprinkle the soil with Farmayod solution.
Leaf curling and wilting are observed with bacteriosis, and symptoms often appear overnight. Bacteriosis cannot be treated. Immediately remove the plant from the garden bed or greenhouse and check neighboring tomatoes.
Fusarium disease causes curling and wilting on plants that have entered the fruiting stage. What distinguishes the disease from a lack of nutrients is that it starts from the bottom and goes up, drooping of the top and curling of the leaves occurs later, first the leaves on the side shoots at the bottom wither and turn yellow. The drugs Fundazol and Vectra are used for treatment, but they have little effect. Remove affected plants, burn them, replace the soil or disinfect them (Trichodermin, Planriz solutions).
Disease prevention:
- purchasing high-quality seed material;
- disinfection of seeds before sowing (potassium permanganate);
- disinfection of equipment and greenhouse structures;
- removal of plant debris from beds and greenhouses during the growing season and after harvesting;
- compliance with the watering and fertilizing regime;
- selection of varieties and hybrids resistant to infections;
- compliance with the planting scheme, avoiding thickening of tomatoes.
Diseases can be avoided with proper agricultural practices and careful care of plants.
When curling tomato leaves, there is no single recipe for help. The main thing is to find out the reason, and only then take the necessary measures.
Pest Control
Insects are one of the reasons why leaves curl.
Another common cause of leaf curling is damage by various pests - insects. These could be aphids, mites, whiteflies and others. To make sure that this is where the problem lies, carefully examine the leaves from the inside. If pests are found, take immediate action.
Aphids most often attack tomatoes in the greenhouse, since this temperature regime is most suitable for them. It first attacks the stem, after which the lower leaves begin to curl. It is best to remove this bush from the greenhouse to avoid infecting others. To prevent damage, treat the remaining plants with a special solution, which can be purchased at a specialty store. You can also use chamomile infusion, prepared yourself.
Whiteflies attack tomato seedlings in a similar way to aphids. The methods of controlling this insect are similar.
Tomatoes can also be affected by harmful microorganisms. Among them, the most common viruses are thin leaf viruses, tobacco mosaic, and bacteria (bacteriosis).
Thin leaf virus develops when the air temperature in the greenhouse is excessively high, as well as insufficient watering. The plant is deformed, but you can try to bring it back to life. A weak solution of potassium permanganate, which should be used to spray the seedlings, will help.
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Repeat this procedure 2 times at intervals of 2-3 days. Although it will not be possible to completely improve the health of a tomato, it is at least possible to obtain small fruits as a harvest.
Bacteriosis occurs in the seeds from which seedlings are grown. If you harvest seeds yourself, you can be sure of their reliability. Otherwise, it is necessary to initially treat the seeds with a special solution. It is impossible to cure infected tomatoes, so it is better to remove infected bushes from the greenhouse.
Tobacco mosaic virus has an extremely negative effect on tomatoes. The leaves not only curl, but also wither and small swellings form on them. Something like a mosaic of light and dark spots appears on the leaves.
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To keep the seedlings healthy in the greenhouse and prevent deformation of the tomato leaves, follow the recommendations. Then you will be able to get a good and abundant harvest.
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Virus-resistant tomato varieties
If, when purchasing seeds, you read on the packaging about 100% disease resistance, know that this is just an advertising ploy. There are no tomato varieties that are completely protected from viruses, bacteria and fungi, as well as harmful insects.
It is possible to distinguish hybrids that begin to bear fruit early and have a certain percentage of guarantee that the disease can be avoided:
- Charisma F1.
- Vologda F1.
- Ural F1.
- Firebird F1.
All of them grow well in greenhouse conditions.
Every gardener must understand that it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it. First of all, this concerns chlorotic curl, which cannot be treated at all. Practice preventive measures and your efforts will eventually bear fruit.
Treatment
Let's consider what control measures will help cope with yellow curl and its other types.
To combat the disease, the bush is sprayed with medicine against various insect pests, especially against the main carrier of the disease - whiteflies.
If there are obvious signs of disease, the bush will have to be dug out of the ground. With part of the soil, the plant is completely burned. After this, foliar treatment of the remaining healthy tomato bushes is carried out. To do this, take 1% Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. After a week or a little more, the treatment is repeated.
Diseases and pests
All sorts of infections and pests cause great damage to plants. Pathology of leaf blades is caused by insects:
- aphid;
- whitefly;
- spider mite
Curling of leaves is also one of the signs of diseases, including:
- brown spot;
- tobacco mosaic;
- fusarium;
- bacterial cancer.
Treatment and pest control are not always successful, so the main measure is prevention.
Pests that cause leaf curl
Various types of aphids (black, white, potato) are found on tomatoes, and the pest appears at any stage of the growing season. Entire colonies of insects are found on the underside of the leaf.
The whitefly butterfly is dangerous, the larvae of which, like aphids, feed on the juice of the leaves and stems of tomatoes. Adults destroy the leaves, and literally in 4-5 days only the stem and side shoots remain from the tomato bush.
Spider mites live on the back of the leaves and also suck the juices from the plants. It is not difficult to detect: the leaves become discolored, curl, and a barely noticeable cobweb appears.
For pest control use:
- preparations Fitoverm, Akarin, Borneo - against ticks; Actellik, Confidor, Pegasus - from whitefly; Fitoferm, Biotlin, Akarin, Karbofos - against aphids;
- infusions of herbs: onion, garlic, tobacco, dandelion;
- ash solution (watering, spraying);
- dusting plants and soil with ash;
- the use of phytophages - insects that eat pests.
As a preventive measure:
- acquire healthy seedlings;
- remove plant debris from the beds and from the greenhouse;
- observe watering and ventilation regimes;
- after harvesting, disinfect shelters with potassium permanganate and copper sulfate solution;
- freeze the soil in the greenhouse;
- before planting tomatoes, treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection;
- attract beneficial insects to the site: ladybugs, hoverflies, destroying pests;
- plant plants with a strong aroma near tomatoes: marigolds, chamomile, dill, garlic.
Do not forget about crop rotation, alternating crops on the site.
Infectious diseases
Infections that cause curled tomato leaves are difficult to treat.
With tobacco mosaic virus, yellowish spots appear on the surface of the leaf blades, the border curls and dries out. The infection quickly spreads to neighboring plants, damaging tomato plants. Remove affected plants and burn. Treat the bushes growing nearby with Avixil, an infusion of whey. Sprinkle the soil with Farmayod solution.
Leaf curling and wilting are observed with bacteriosis, and symptoms often appear overnight. Bacteriosis cannot be treated. Immediately remove the plant from the garden bed or greenhouse and check neighboring tomatoes.
Fusarium disease causes curling and wilting on plants that have entered the fruiting stage. What distinguishes the disease from a lack of nutrients is that it starts from the bottom and goes up, drooping of the top and curling of the leaves occurs later, first the leaves on the side shoots at the bottom wither and turn yellow. The drugs Fundazol and Vectra are used for treatment, but they have little effect. Remove affected plants, burn them, replace the soil or disinfect them (Trichodermin, Planriz solutions).
Disease prevention:
- purchasing high-quality seed material;
- disinfection of seeds before sowing (potassium permanganate);
- disinfection of equipment and greenhouse structures;
- removal of plant debris from beds and greenhouses during the growing season and after harvesting;
- compliance with the watering and fertilizing regime;
- selection of varieties and hybrids resistant to infections;
- compliance with the planting scheme, avoiding thickening of tomatoes.
Diseases can be avoided with proper agricultural practices and careful care of plants.
When curling tomato leaves, there is no single recipe for help. The main thing is to find out the reason, and only then take the necessary measures.
Aphid damage
Most often, when the leaves are already crowded and deformed, aphid damage reaches a large scale . Turning the leaf over, you can find many small insects.
The most effective and efficient option . Suitable for significant plant damage and works quickly. But after such preparations, tomatoes cannot be harvested for 2-3 weeks. If the work is carried out during the fruiting period, it is better to remove all brown tomatoes and let them ripen indoors.
Their main advantage is that tomatoes can be harvested within two days after processing . The effectiveness is lower than that of chemical options, but it is enough for medium-scale damage.
Pour 2 liters of sifted ash into 2 liters of water . Boil and leave to steep for at least a day.
Strain and dilute with warm clean water in a ratio of 1:10 . Add 100 g of liquid soap to the bucket, mix well.
For prevention, use the drug Fufanon . Dilute it according to the instructions.
Prevention measures
The following measures will help avoid tomato bush disease:
- Selecting early-ripening tomato varieties so they ripen before the virus spreads.
- Crop rotation.
- Treating the soil with Fitosporin, which is destructive to viruses, fungi and bacteria.
- Water the seedlings at the root part so that moisture does not fall on the leaves.
- If tomatoes grow outside, then in case of sudden temperature changes, cover the plants with film at night.
- Weed control.
Agrotechnical techniques
Proper care of tomatoes will also help in the fight against the disease. Here are the agricultural techniques used when growing these plants:
- Regular loosening of the soil, removal of weeds.
- Maintain a distance between plantings, which should be at least 0.5 m.
- Crop rotation.
- Add fertilizer in the required quantity.
- Changing the place of planting tomatoes every other year, with mandatory pre-treatment of the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate.
- It is advisable to plant onions or garlic next to tomatoes, which are good at repelling harmful insects.