Big Mama Tomato -- Leaf Curling
 

Is anyone familiar with this particular type of tomato? I am growing one
along with several others. All are doing well, extremely vigerous, healthy
and developing many flowers already. They recieve plenty of water from all
the recent rains in the area. And I water myself in the early mornings if
the weather stays dry too long (trust me hasn't really been a problem
anywhere on the East Coast this year.)

Problem is the "Big Mama" breed of tomato appears rather wilted, most of the
leaves are curled or "flipped" so the bottoms of the leaves are exposed. The
plant seems healthy enough otherwise. I have had no problems with insects
thus far, and the plant is continuing to grow, though is stunted compared to
the rest. I am growing them on Bamboo stacks.

Any insights?

Big Mama Tomato -- Leaf Curling
 

In our last fun filled episode, Wed, 25 Jun 2003 13:28:03 GMT,
"Mike Stevenson" proclaimed:

Problem is the "Big Mama" breed of tomato appears rather wilted, most of the
leaves are curled or "flipped" so the bottoms of the leaves are exposed. The
plant seems healthy enough otherwise. I have had no problems with insects
thus far, and the plant is continuing to grow, though is stunted compared to
the rest. I am growing them on Bamboo stacks.

gasp! You may be the victim of Thrips of Mass Destruction.

Does the curling start at the edge of the leaf? As a veteran of
the War of the spit! Thrips, it sounds as though you may
have, at the very least, a small, terrorist cell in your
neighborhood.

http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/subimages.cfm?sub=2536

http://www.gaipm.org/top50/thrips.html

http://www.gaipm.org/vegetable/thripstswv.html

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/entomolog...1/444-281.html

Lemme know if anything short of a Tactical Nuclear Strike works.
Or Pink Brandywines, which are the Elite Special Forces in the
War of the spit! Thrips.


Pam




--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"

Big Mama Tomato -- Leaf Curling
 

Thanks for the visuals! I hope you were trying to be funny cause I almost did
a spit! take reading it.
It's people like you that help keep things (even supremely important gardening
things) in perspective
Thanks

Jack

gasp! You may be the victim of Thrips of Mass Destruction.

Does the curling start at the edge of the leaf? As a veteran of
the War of the spit! Thrips, it sounds as though you may
have, at the very least, a small, terrorist cell in your
neighborhood.

Big Mama Tomato -- Leaf Curling
 

Mike Stevenson said:

Problem is the "Big Mama" breed of tomato appears rather wilted, most of the
leaves are curled or "flipped" so the bottoms of the leaves are exposed. The
plant seems healthy enough otherwise. I have had no problems with insects
thus far, and the plant is continuing to grow, though is stunted compared to
the rest. I am growing them on Bamboo stacks.

Any insights?

Some tomato varieties carry a gene (wilty) which causes upward curling of the
leaflets on older leaves. "Environmental factors reported to promote symptom
development include high temperature, drought, and prolonged periods of wet
soil conditions. In addition, TMV [tobacco mosaic virus] promotes leaf roll
symptoms at all stages of plant growth in varieties with the wilty gene."

(Quote from _Identifying Diseases of Vegetables_, Pennsylvania State University
College of Agriculture, 1983)
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

Big Mama Tomato -- Leaf Curling
 

In our last fun filled episode, 26 Jun 2003 02:35:42 GMT,
(Jack1000) proclaimed:


It's people like you that help keep things (even supremely important gardening
things) in perspective

blush


Thanks

No, thank you.

Pam, it's fun to make people giggle.




---
"Oh no, not again."
- A bowl of petunias on its way to certain death