Leaf roll in tomatoe question

Several of my tomatoes are experiencing what appears to be leaf roll. The lower leaves curl upwards, so that the endges of the leaf touch. It does not look anything like the leaf curl virus or mosaic virus, or any other disease that I've been able to find out about, and the plant seems to be otherwise healthy and vigorous. I can take some pics and post them if anyone wants to see it. I understand that this can be caused by a lot of things besides disease, including severe pruning, cold weather, and genetic predisposition. It seems to be just one type that does this. Still, it bugs me. Has anyone here seen this in their own tomatoes? Did it go away? Did it effect the plants?

Reply to
Ook
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You are describing a common and usually temporary condition of tomatoes. Leaf roll is usually caused by the soil being too wet and/or bad drainage. How often are you watering?Tomatoes by nature like to be on the dry side. If planted in the ground a general rule of thumb is to water deeply and infrequently since tomato roots can go deep. If the plants appear wilted don't automatically water. Put your finger a couple of inhes into the soil. If it's wet, don't water. The plants are simply transpiring water faster than the roots can supply water to the leaves. At night when it cools, you will notice the plants perk up again if there is enough water in the soil. Of course if the plants are wilted AND the soil is dry, by all means water. Remember to water deeply. This sends the roots deeper and in need of less water, not to mention a stronger plant. Anyway leaf roll is not a serious condition if it's just a water related issue. Good luck and let us know what you found out. Regards, Bob.

Reply to
shareyourknowledge

Ahh, I think I may have been overwatering. I don't water until the top inch of the soil is good and dry looking, but 2 inches down it's still moist. I've never seen them wilt. The soil here is very well drained. I can't fill the beds with water because the water drains down too fast. Standing water just doesn't happen. I'll back off on the water a bit and see what happens. Would you recommend a gradual reduction in water, or just stop watering until the top 2-3 inches is dry?

Reply to
Ook

Hi Ook- I would recommend that you feel the soil a couple of inches down before you water. As you grow tomatoes, you should get a feel for when to water. I've been growing them for a long time and i can usually tell if they need water without checking the soil, but sometimes i check just to make sure. Are they growing in full sun? They need lots of sun to produce. Also, the soil dries out slower when growing in the shade. And as the plants get bigger and stronger, they will need less water. One thing you might try the next time you plant tomatoes is to bury the stem deep. Tomato roots will grow along the stem, making the plant stronger. What i do is clip off (don't pull) a few side stems and have a few leaves above ground. If you aren't sure how to do this, you might do a search. There should be many websites showing how to do it. Good luck. Bob.

Reply to
shareyourknowledge

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