View Single Post
  #3   Report Post  
Old 06-07-2007, 09:08 PM posted to rec.gardens
Ook Ook is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 131
Default Leaf roll in tomatoe question


wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jul 6, 12:05 am, "Ook" Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at
zootal dot com delete the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote:
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?


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.


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?