Contents
Violations in the development of tomatoes cause various external changes. One of the most pressing questions when growing this crop is why the leaves of a tomato curl in a boat. The reason may be a violation of the rules of irrigation and pinching, the spread of diseases and pests.
Causes of leaf curl
Incorrect watering
Tomatoes need abundant watering. Violation of the mode of introducing moisture negatively affects the development of plants.
Immediately after planting in a permanent place, the tomatoes are well watered. The next procedure is carried out after 10 days. It is enough to water plants 1-2 times a week, depending on climatic conditions.
When not watered enough, the leaves curl inward to keep moisture from evaporating. In this case, you need to water the plantings in small portions, but often enough.
Overwatering also leads to deformation of plant leaves. With an excess of moisture, the leaves curl up at the edges. Tomatoes are able to tolerate short-term drought. If this period is delayed, then the leaves begin to curl.
Do not irrigate in direct sunlight. Moisture should not fall on the green mass of plants.
Water the tomatoes with warm water. To do this, liquid containers are placed in the sun or heated water is added immediately before the procedure.
Heat
Another factor that leads to twisting of tomato leaves is a violation of the temperature regime.
The optimal temperature regime for tomatoes is + 20-22 ° C in the daytime. At night, the ambient temperature should be between +16 and +18°C.
If the temperature rises to + 30 ° C, then the flowering of tomatoes stops and the ovary falls off. If the air warms up to + 40 ° C, then the plants die.
In hot weather, leaf curl is observed on plantings not only in the greenhouse, but also in the open field. At elevated temperatures, the breakdown of trace elements necessary for the development of tomatoes is accelerated. As a result, the plant does not absorb them, which leads to starvation.
Tomatoes tolerate drafts well, therefore, when grown indoors, windows and vents are required. If there is no possibility of ventilation, then the greenhouse can be hung with a cloth to create shady areas or the walls can be whitewashed with lime.
Additionally, you can spray the tomatoes with a solution of urea. 1,5 tbsp is enough for a bucket of water. l. this substance. Three days later, the plants are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Too much or too little fertilizer
Fertilization is a prerequisite for a good harvest. An excess of nutrients negatively affects the development of plants.
Most often, tomatoes are overfed with nitrogen substances, which are contained in organic fertilizers (manure, bird droppings). As a result, the green mass of plants grows intensively, the ovary is not formed, potassium and phosphorus are absorbed worse.
In plants, the leaves are twisted with an excess of the following elements:
- zinc (the edges of the leaf plate are bent, and the lower part of the bush acquires a purple hue);
- manganese (tops wrinkle and acquire a bright green hue).
A change in the condition of tomato leaves indicates a lack of fertilizer. If the foliage curls up, then the plants need more calcium. With a shortage of this element, the development of tomatoes slows down, and top rot appears on the fruits.
The lack of calcium is compensated by adding calcium nitrate to the plants. The consumption of the substance is 20 g per bucket of water. 0,1 kg of ash and 10 g of urea can be added to the solution.
With phosphorus starvation, the foliage twists and acquires a grayish tint. To correct the situation, a solution is prepared containing 0,1 kg of superphosphate per bucket of water.
Lack of pinching
Pasynkovanie consists in the removal of side shoots, on which leaves and fruits grow over time. If you leave stepchildren, then the tomatoes begin to branch. As a result, plantings become too dense, and the plant directs its forces to the formation of foliage.
As a result of incorrect pinching, too small fruits are formed. In the absence of this procedure, the leaves of the tomatoes curl. Therefore, the timely removal of excess shoots can reduce the load on plants.
Eliminating small shoots does not harm plants. If you remove full-fledged leaves, then the yield of tomatoes is lost. The procedure is carried out no more than twice a week in sunny weather. If the day is cloudy, then the cut is treated with wood ash.
Plantings that are too dense often lack nutrients or moisture. As a result, the leaves of the tomato, which have not received the required amount of nutrition, begin to curl.
Tomato diseases
Curling of tomato leaves is observed during the spread of diseases. A beneficial environment for the development of diseases are dense plantings, excessive moisture, violation of the rules of crop rotation and fertilization. At the first signs of disease, appropriate measures are taken.
Stolbur
The disease affects plants growing in open ground. As a result, the marketable appearance of the fruit is lost. In tomatoes affected by stolbur, the leaves are deformed. The upper shoots turn purple or pinkish while the lower leaves turn yellow.
The carriers of the disease are leafhoppers, so the main control measures are aimed at their destruction. Near plantings, it is necessary to exclude the spread of weeds, which become a haven for insects.
Planting sunflower or corn will help protect tomatoes from the spread of cicadas. To prevent the disease, plants are sprayed with preparations “Aktara”, “Confidor”, “Fufanon”.
An effective remedy for stolbur is Phytoplasmin. This is the only effective drug aimed at combating the disease. Based on it, a solution is prepared for watering or spraying tomatoes.
Bacterial cancer
If the leaves of tomatoes wither and curl up, then it can be a symptom of bacterial cancer. Brown and red ulcers appear on young shoots. Wilting of tomatoes occurs from the bottom. First, the lesion covers the leaves of plants, which turn brown and dry out.
If you do not take the necessary measures, then the disease will pass to the fruit. Its signs are small flat spots concentrated near the stem. Over time, the spots turn yellow and turn into cracks.
The development of the disease provokes increased humidity and the presence of injuries in plants. Therefore, in a greenhouse with tomatoes, ventilation is necessarily carried out, the soil is disinfected before planting, crop rotation rules are observed.
Before planting in the ground, the roots of tomatoes lower the Fitolavin solution for 2 hours. If the disease has already manifested itself, then the plants are sprayed with Planriz. Against bacterial cancer, copper sulfate, copper oxychloride, Bordeaux liquid are used.
Tomato pests
Pests cause serious damage to plants because they feed on their juices. As a result, tomatoes become depressed, which negatively affects their appearance and yield. If the leaves of tomatoes curl, this indicates the spread of whitefly, aphids or spider mites.
whitefly
The whitefly is a white-colored butterfly that lives on the lower leaves of tomatoes. Its effect leads to the drying of the leaves, on the surface of which a black coating appears.
Before planting tomatoes, the greenhouse is fumigated with sulfur candles. The procedure is carried out twice a year in spring and autumn, when plants are not planted.
When whiteflies are detected, the following methods are used:
- processing with chemicals “Fufanon” and “Mospilan”;
- additional use of yarrow infusion and soapy solution for foliar treatment of plants.
Only repeated processing will help get rid of insects. The use of chemicals is stopped 3 weeks before harvest.
Work should be carried out in cloudy weather in the absence of rain and wind. For prevention, folk remedies are used: an infusion of garlic or dandelions.
aphid
The impact of aphids on tomatoes is expressed in the twisting of foliage and the appearance of visible damage on it.
Chemical preparations “Aktara”, “Spark”, “Proteus” help to get rid of aphids on plants. During processing, it is necessary to observe safety measures and protect the skin, eyes and respiratory organs with special means.
In addition to chemicals, folk methods are used. A decoction based on odorous plants (wormwood or celandine) repels insects.
The product is used by spraying tomatoes. If you add laundry soap to the solution, then the liquid will remain on the sheet plate longer.
An ash solution is used to remove aphids. To prepare it, you need a bucket of water and a glass of wood ash. The agent is insisted for two days, after which the tomatoes are sprayed.
spider mite
Another reason why the leaves curl in tomatoes is the spread of spider mites. This pest appears in a greenhouse where tomatoes grow. It can be identified by twisted and dried leaves of plants, a change in the color of the tops, the appearance of cobwebs.
Chemicals that treat the greenhouse, soil and plants help get rid of the pest. For tomatoes, the preparations “Borneo”, “Flumite”, “Oberon” are used.
The biological method of struggle is the planting of phytophages that destroy the spider mite. This method is safe for tomatoes and humans and allows you to get rid of the pest in a short time.
To prevent the spread of spider mites, the greenhouse, plants and soil are disinfected. A folk method of pest control is the use of infusion of henbane, dandelions, onions or garlic.
Conclusion
If the leaves of the tomatoes curled, then you need to pay attention to the conditions in which the plants are located. If necessary, the intensity of watering increases or decreases, pinching is performed. When diseases or pests are detected, measures are taken to get rid of them.
