• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Frugal Gardening

Simple ways to save money while you garden

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Garden Frugally
  • Buy These
  • Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Reasons Why Tomato Foliage Curl

December 9, 2019 by Steph Coelho Leave a Comment

 

At one time, your gorgeous tomato plant was dotted with juicy, bright red fruit and had brilliant healthy green leaves. Now, the plant is looking under the weather, and its leaves are curling up. What’s going on? Why is your tomato plant taking a turn for the worse? Why does tomato foliage curl?

Tomatoes are relatively easy to grow. The right conditions produce delicious fruit. Unfortunately, unlike other edible garden plants, tomatoes are susceptible to a variety of pests, diseases, and problems. If something in the soil or environment is off, your tomato plant will send up signals, including curled leaves.

Here are a few reasons your plant might be experiencing leaf curl and how to troubleshoot:

Disease

Viral infections may cause tomato leaf curl. Pests transmit many plant viruses, so inspect the foliage carefully to check for an infestation. Diseased foliage also often exhibits other symptoms such as yellowing. If the problem is disease-related, you’ll typically notice other signs that your plant is unhealthy. Upward curling may be the result of a virus or environmental stress. Tomato mosaic virus, however, typically causes downward curling along (fruit is also affected).

If your tomato plant is infected with a virus, you should dispose of it as soon as possible to prevent infecting neighboring plants. Throw infected plants away, and do not put them in your compost bin.

Environmental Stress

Leaf curl may occur as a result of environmental stress and there are plenty of ways the environment can affect your tomato plant.

  • Transplant shock
  • Excessive pruning
  • Wind damage
  • Lack of water
  • Too much water
  • High temperatures
  • Too much fertilizer

In cases where foliage curl is caused by environmental stressors, the situation is easy to rectify. Is drought causing the problem? Then be sure to water consistently or install an irrigation system. If transplant shock is the issue, try extending the hardening off period or waiting to transplant until temperatures have leveled off.

If you don’t deal with environmental stress, your plant may fail to produce fruit or leave you with a very meager harvest.

Pests

The presence of pests increases the chance of viral contamination. A large pest presence may also cause leaf curling. A tomato plant infested with aphids may exhibit leaf curl. It’s possible to manually remove the bugs (a strong stream of water from your garden hose should do) but keep an eye on your plant. Pests bring disease and there’s a chance your plant may need to be removed from your garden.

To prevent pest infestations remove diseased plant material as soon as possible, inspect plants purchased from outside sources before transplanting them into your garden, and cultivate healthy soil (avoid over-fertilizing, rotate crops, etc.)

Weed Killer Damage

Certain types of weed killers may also cause tomato leaf curl. The plant damage that results from herbicide contamination is not reversible, and plants are usually harmed beyond repair. How do you avoid this type of damage? Avoiding herbicide is your best bet. If you decide to use weed killers, be sure to use them carefully. Pay close attention to manufacturer guidelines. In cases where herbicide is the culprit, the leaves are usually heavily deformed. Don’t use weed killer? If your plants are located close to city sidewalks or neighboring yards, someone else might be spraying the chemicals that are harming your plants.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Previous Post: « A Restful Season
Next Post: 5 Fun Hobbies to Keep You Busy This Winter »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
  Thank you for Signing Up
Please correct the marked field(s) below.

1,true,6,Contact Email,21,false,1,First Name,21,false,1,Last Name,2

Ridiculously Expensive Raised Garden Bed

Check Out This ADA Compliant Raised Bed

Popular Posts

  • Vinegar Uses In GardenVinegar Uses In Garden by Steph Coelho 1. Clay Pot Cleaning: Vinegar will remove the white salt…
  • Troubleshooting the Seed Starting Process: Using Old SeedsTroubleshooting the Seed Starting Process: Using Old Seeds by Steph Coelho I'm typing this up on a gloomy day here in…
  • Frugal Container GardenFrugal Container Garden by Steph Coelho Pots and planters can be an expensive item if you're…
  • Seed Starting Series: Air CirculationSeed Starting Series: Air Circulation by Steph Coelho Frugal gardeners can't afford to leave a lot to chance…
Close up of person holding radishes

Gardening Goals for the New Year

Oh, how time flies! It’s already 2021 and I can’t even remember what I did gardening-wise in 2020. It’s all a blur. So let’s talk gardening goals for this year. Do you have any gardening plans for this year? Any gardening goals you’d love to achieve? Whether you’re thinking of starting a new garden or…

Read More

baking soda for weed control

How to Use Baking Soda for Weed Control

I’ve dealt with some nasty weeds in my day. I’ve also tried a lot of methods to get rid of said weeds. A lot of those so-called “tried-and-true” methods are actually bogus. Like so many gardening pieces of wisdom, a lot of weed control tricks aren’t really useful. What about baking soda for weed control? Does…

Read More

hunting garden pests

How I Feel About the Hunting of Garden Pests

I’ve never had to deal with deer fussing about in my garden, but I have had plenty of squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, gophers, and cats use my raised beds as their very own buffet, walking path, and toilet. I’m speaking from my own limited experience here. But I’ve never felt comfortable with the idea of hunting…

Read More

factors that affect plant growth

5 Factors That Affect Plant Growth

Many factors affect plant growth. Plants have a few basic needs. Having these needs unmet will cause them to perish. There are also factors outside of a gardener’s control that can impact how well a plant grows. While some variables are out of your control, there are things that you can influence. What affects plant growth? Plants…

Read More

Footer

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework