Why do the top leaves of a tomato curl? Why do tomato tops curl up in a greenhouse Tomato tops curl inward

Caring for tomato seedlings is not an easy task. She is demanding on the composition of the soil, climatic conditions, prone to various diseases. Only if all the growing conditions are observed is it possible to get a tasty and healthy crop. But even with excellent care it is impossible to predict all the nuances. For example, healthy and strong seedlings suddenly begins to wither, turned yellow, wilting of foliage is observed. So why does a tomato have leaves curling at the top?

Curling tops of tomatoes occurs for many reasons.

The main mistakes of gardeners

Tomatoes react to unfavourable conditions growth immediately, wither and dry. It is enough to learn to recognize these signals and act correctly. Rolled tomato leaves result in poor yields. After all, they are not able to catch enough sunlight... Because of this, the production of plastic substances necessary for the formation of fruits is reduced.

To understand why this is happening, you need to look for the answer in finding out the exact cause of the problem.

After rolling the leaves, the tomato dries

There are a number of mistakes in growing seedlings, leading to wilting of the upper part of the tomato bush:

  • improper or insufficient feeding;
  • lack of important micronutrients;
  • excess organic fertilizers;
  • watering errors;
  • too high a temperature;
  • disease.

Watering errors

From insufficient watering, tomato seedlings begin to save moisture, turn yellow, wither and dry out. The leaves are curled up so they try to reduce the evaporation of the precious water. If you water the plants often, but not abundantly, then you can not wait for the harvest. Water with such irrigation wets only upper layer soil, never reaching the roots of the tomato.

Lack of moisture leads to curling of the leaves - this is how the plant reduces evaporation

To give the bush a sufficient amount of moisture, it is necessary to pour at least a bucket of water on it.

Moreover, this must be done in several stages, preventing the spread of water around the bush, every two or three days. The main thing is that watering should be abundant. But too much water also causes the leaves to curl and turn yellow. This is especially true for clay soils... Prolonged rains lead to a lack of air, and the tomatoes literally suffocate, wilting occurs. It is necessary to make drainage grooves, and also use loose soil when planting seedlings.

Heat

At very high temperatures, the seedlings in the greenhouse experience stress and dry out. By reducing the area of ​​the leaf plate, the tomato seeks to prevent evaporation and retain moisture residues, so the leaves at the top curl and wither. To preserve the crop, it is necessary to create air circulation in the greenhouse, providing ventilation and the presence of drafts.

High temperatures, especially in greenhouses, dry out the plant

Tomato in extreme heat should be darkened at noon. To do this, use white lutrasil or spunbond.

  1. It is advisable to treat the foliage with a solution of one and a half tablespoon of urea per ten liters of water. After two days, it can be treated with crimson potassium permanganate.
  2. Mulching will also help. A layer of grass that is eight centimeters thick will keep the roots of the seedlings from overheating.
  3. It is not recommended to try to freshen up drooping tomato bushes with sprinkler irrigation. In the sun, drops of water take on the properties of a lens and burn the leaves and turn yellow. And evening or morning sprinkling can lead to late blight.

Insufficient feeding. Lack or excess nutrition

Once every two weeks, it is necessary to fertilize tomatoes in a greenhouse or in the open field.

The main mistake of gardeners is the excessive enthusiasm for the introduction of organic matter.

Manure, nitrogen, rotted grasses cannot provide the entire set of essential trace elements. An excess amount of manure gives off a lot of ammonia, which burns the leaves, which is why they wilt. Vegetable growers often wonder why they curl up. top leaves into the ring and they turn yellow. This, again, is due to an excess of fresh manure and nitrogen in the soil. Plants are fattened. That is, the tomato gives all its strength to build up green mass, not fruit. To avoid this, only well-rotted manure or compost should be introduced, and complex fertilizing should be done.

Lack of nutrition causes discoloration and curling of leaves

  1. It is recommended to sprinkle the seedlings with a solution wood ash by stirring one glass in a bucket of water.
  2. You can spray the leaves with a solution of potassium sulfate, a teaspoon of which is stirred in a liter of water.
  3. The change in the shape of the leaves, their strong wilting is also explained by the deficiency of essential trace elements in the soil. These are elements such as copper, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, boron, calcium, iron. The plant literally starves, turns yellow and withers.

The tomato signals a problem by changing the color, shape and structure of the foliage.

Aphid

Small black aphids can settle in leaf axils, causing irreparable damage to tomatoes. Why does the presence of this pest lead to leaf curling and wilting?

Aphids on tomatoes suck out juices

Aphids, feeding on plant juices, release a special substance. Under the influence of it, not only the leaves curl, but also the shape of the stem changes.

It is not so easy to destroy it, because it multiplies very quickly. When spraying tomatoes, you need to try to irrigate all sinuses and foliage folds.

Infection

If all the conditions are met, and the problem of wilting has not disappeared, for some reason the leaves at the top continue to curl. There remains only one explanation - a bacterial infection that got along with the seeds. It can only be stopped with the help of Avixil, but not cured.

Tomato curl is a dangerous viral disease

There is also an incurable tomato disease caused by the curl virus. Such a tomato must be destroyed in order to avoid contamination of all other plants.

Despite the many rules and various nuances in growing tomatoes in the open field and in the greenhouse, this vegetable has been and remains a favorite among gardeners. Over time, experience comes, and getting a rich tomato harvest is easier, bringing pleasure from the process and a pleasant result.

When growing tomatoes, during the growing season, their leaves do not always retain initial appearance... Leaf plates can often curl in greenhouses or in the garden. In this material, the main reasons for this negative phenomenon are considered, answers are given why the leaves of a tomato are curled, what to do and how to prevent this on your site.

This phenomenon occurs for many reasons, but the main one is the violation of the cultivation technology.

The main reasons are as follows:

  1. deviations from thermal conditions;
  2. acute deficiency of moisture in the soil;
  3. few elements of soil nutrition;
  4. excess nutrient content;
  5. mechanical trauma to the roots;
  6. violation of pinning technology;
  7. exposure to pests;
  8. cultural diseases;
  9. varietal differences.

Let's consider them in more detail.

Thermal deviations

Temperature fluctuations are the main reason why tomato leaves curl and dry in a greenhouse. Extreme temperatures in the greenhouse and hot sultry weather when growing tomatoes in the garden are extremely unfavorable phenomena.

Important! Optimum temperature for greenhouse tomatoes, it is considered +22 degrees during the day and +18 degrees at night.

Temperatures above +30 degrees plunge plants into stress. To reduce the evaporation of precious moisture, tomato leaves are rolled into a tube. With the onset of dusk, they straighten out again.


To eliminate this reason for the curling of healthy tomato leaves in the greenhouse, you need:

  1. open doors, transoms;
  2. whitewash the roof with chalk;
  3. cover with a special cloth.

In intense heat, garden tomato beds can be shaded, tomatoes can be fed with nitroammophos at the rate of 20 g per 1 m², after dissolving the fertilizer in water.

You also need to water the tomatoes so that they do not curl. increased rate water in the morning or evening hours. The row spacing should be covered with straw (sawdust).

If the leaves curl inward from the heat in the greenhouse, you can try to spray the plantings with a urea solution prepared according to the following recipe:

  • urea - 2 tbsp. l .;
  • water - 10 l;
  • the consumption of the prepared liquid is per 10 bushes.

Acute moisture deficiency

A common reason why the leaves of tomato seedlings curl upwards is a lack of moisture. It is recommended to water tomatoes abundantly and regularly, without long breaks.

A high demand for moisture in tomatoes arises after planting seedlings on garden beds or in a greenhouse. At this point, it is advisable to pour 4 liters of liquid on each bush. After waiting 10 days, it is recommended to re-irrigate, increasing the irrigation rate by 50%.

  • if it is hot and the tomatoes wither slightly, you need to water it twice a week;
  • in cool weather, 1 irrigation per week is sufficient.

When the ovaries begin to form, the irrigation rate is increased by 1/3.

Experiencing a moisture deficit, the tomato begins to reduce the proportion of evaporated moisture and the leaves of the plant curl inward. Having noticed this, you should immediately start watering.

Photo. Tomatoes suffering from moisture deficiency


Lack of soil nutrients

The next reason why the leaves of tomato seedlings wither and curl is the lack of some nutrients. Due to the lack of certain elements, the upper or lower leaves of the plant curl up in a boat or down, consider how to deal with this deviation.

Lack of phosphorus

With a small amount of phosphorus, the leaves curl upward, and the underside of the sheet plate is painted in purple... This disease can be cured by introducing superphosphate under tomato bushes. Do the following work:

  1. 150 g of superphosphate pour 1 liter of boiling water;
  2. insist the composition for 20 hours;
  3. dilute the hood with 10 liters of water;
  4. pour the resulting solution at the rate of 500 ml under a tomato bush.

Important! You can limit yourself to adding dry ash under the bushes, then the result will have to be expected for a week longer.


Copper deficiency

Copper is essential for growing tomatoes. Copper deficiency is less common than others, especially against the background of treating bushes with Bordeaux liquid from fungal diseases.

Copper deficiency symptoms:

  • the edges of the leaves are twisted up;
  • random blurry yellow spots appear on the leaf plate;
  • then the leaves of the tomatoes turn black, as shown, die off.

How to save the plant in this case? Experienced gardeners recommend sprinkling the bushes with any copper-containing preparation.

Important! Using this method, you can compensate for the copper deficiency and protect tomato bushes from a number of diseases.

Little potassium in the soil

If the leaves curl up into a tube, a brown border appears along their edges - this is a symptom of a lack of potassium for nutrition. Treatment, with this twisting, is carried out by the introduction of potash fertilizer.


Potassium nitrate contains potassium and some nitrogen.

The solution is prepared and applied as follows:

  1. dilute 1 tbsp. l. saltpeter in 10 liters of water;
  2. stir until completely dissolved;
  3. water, spending 500 ml for each bush.

Adherents folk remedies the fight against ailments of tomatoes can be treated with an ash extract according to the following recipe:

  1. Pour boiling water over 100 g of ash;
  2. insist the composition of the day;
  3. stir the solution every 2 hours;
  4. strain the solution;
  5. watering tomatoes at the root at the rate of 500 ml per bush.

Important! You can spray the tomato bushes with an ash solution; for better adhesion, it is advisable to add 30 g of soap to the composition.

Nitrogen deficiency

Nitrogen starvation is observed on depleted soils and with neglect of technology requirements. With an insufficient amount of nitrogen, a yellow tint appears in the plant, the upper leaves become smaller.

When the leaves begin to lighten, curl down, it means the tomatoes are experiencing strong nitrogen starvation. Then the leaves turn yellow and dry out.

Urgently needs to be made nitrogen fertilizer... Nitrogen starvation can be stopped by watering the bushes with herbal infusion.


Small proportion of calcium in the soil

The calcium type of starvation twists the leaf blade upward, and the fruits are affected by apical rot.

How to feed tomatoes in such a situation? Vegetable growers use this recipe:

  • calcium nitrate - 21 g;
  • ash - 380 g;
  • urea - 11 g.

Important! All ingredients are diluted in a bucket of water, mixed and a solution for root dressing is applied. One bucket is enough for 4 m² of planting.


Excessive nutrient content

Individual summer residents in pursuit of high yields contribute a lot mineral fertilizers... As a result, the leaves dry and turn yellow, not because the plants lack something, but because of the introduction of excess fertilizers. Let's take a look at what happens to tomatoes overfed with nutrients.

Excess nitrogen

If the soil contains an excessive amount of nitrogen, the tops of the tomatoes curl, the rest of the leaves look quite normal.

Remedy: To remedy the situation, stop nitrogen fertilization immediately. To neutralize the nitrogen effect, potassium sulfate or ash extract is introduced into the soil.

Excess zinc

With an excess of zinc, the leaves of tomatoes curl upward, it may seem that the bushes lack moisture. However, on the lower tier tomato bush there is a secondary symptom of zinc overfeeding - a purple color on the leaves and stems.

Elimination of the problem: you need to stop feeding and add organic matter.

A lot of manganese in the soil

If there is too much manganese in the soil, the leaves first curl up, then the leaves become corrugated and turn bright green.

Elimination of the problem: you should stop feeding tomatoes with microelements.

Mechanical trauma to the roots

After placing young seedlings in a permanent place, their leaves curl a little, this should not frighten the grower. After a week, the bushes will look quite normal. If recovery has not occurred, then the bushes should be treated with stimulating drugs.

Sometimes vegetable growers injure the roots when weeding and loosening tomatoes. As a result, the leaf plates curl upward along the entire length of the bush. To support the plants, you need to water the tomatoes so that they do not curl with a stimulating drug:

  • Kornevin;
  • Epin Extra;
  • Kornerost;
  • Zircon.

Violation of pinning technology

The leaves at the top of the bush and in the central part of it curl due to improper stitching procedure. The stepchildren grow from each leaf sinus, they should be removed by breaking them out at a length of 5 cm. When the formation of the bushes is tightened and the stepsons break out with a delay, the leaves begin to roll.

Important! If the overgrown stepsons are removed and the leaves of the tomato are curled, the bushes should be sprayed with Zircon.


Exposure to pests

Pests also lead to curling of damaged leaves in tomatoes in the greenhouse and in the open field. Below are the most harmful insects that damage leaves.

Whitefly

This small white butterfly is a serious pest on greenhouse tomatoes. The butterfly and its larvae drink tomato juice, releasing sweet honeydew. A sooty fungus settles on this sticky mass. As a result, the leaves curl into a tube, the tomatoes turn black, which leads to a significant loss of yield.

With focal spread of the pest, Fitoverm is used. If the spread of butterflies has become massive, 3 treatments are carried out with an interval of a week with Aktara.


Aphid

Mostly garden tomatoes suffer from the effects of aphids. The insect sucks the juice, as a result the upper leaves curl.

To destroy aphids, the following means are used:

  • Spark;
  • Proteus;
  • Aktara.

Spider mite

This pest is classified as a sucking pest. As a result of the action of the tick, the leaves of tomatoes in the greenhouse begin to twist and dry.

You can control the number of ticks with acaricidal agents:

  • Flumite;
  • Borneo;
  • Oberona.


Diseases of culture

Diseases also cause leaf curling in greenhouse and open field tomatoes.

Important! When treating for cancer, try to completely wet all the leaves with the chemical. It is advisable to wet the soil surface as well.

Varietal differences

It happens that all possible causes of curling have been eliminated, but all the same, the leaves dry and turn yellow, what are they lacking for a normal state? I just got a variety whose leaves are curling due to biological feature... No action will help unwind the sheet plates. it normal condition certain varieties of tomatoes.

Tomato is an irreplaceable culture, not only in any garden plot but also in cooking. Despite the fact that most varieties of tomatoes are extremely unpretentious, they are not afraid of diseases and pests, sometimes it happens that their upper leaves curl up like a boat. And if you are interested in the question of why the leaves of tomatoes curl, then we have a detailed analysis of almost all the reasons for this trouble.

Possible causes and help

If the leaves of tomato seedlings curl - this is a reason to worry, because the delay can cost you your harvest. The reasons for this behavior may lie in illness, lack or, conversely, an overabundance of nutrients, in the attack of pests, excessively high air temperature. In general, there are a lot of options. To determine which one specifically suits your case, we will look at the most common ones, and also talk about what to do in each case.

Feature of the variety

The leaves of some tomato varieties are twisted due to selection and genetics. For example, the varieties "Fatima", "Oxhart", "Cherry" have leaves that curl downward. Moreover, if the leaves of all the seedlings are twisted in the same way, then there is no need to worry - this is just a feature of this type of tomato.

Air temperature

Young plants have not yet developed resistance to scorching sunlight, some varieties are completely shade-loving, so the leaves with a tube may be a reaction to too high fever air. In fact, this is a defensive reaction of tomatoes - they try to reduce the evaporation area in order to retain more moisture. What to do in this case? Try to water the beds so that the water does not fall on the leaves in the sun, arrange a canopy or transplant tomatoes in the shade.

Low amount of moisture

The love of moisture in tomato seedlings can be sung in poems. Therefore, if you notice the strange behavior of the leaves, check if they are getting enough water or sitting on dry rations, trying to extract moisture from the soil. Maybe this is the reason. In this case, to stop curling, increase the frequency of watering, and also mulch the ground with cut grass. On the one hand, this will help the plant retain moisture, and on the other hand, it will help to avoid too rapid evaporation of liquid from the ground during dry periods.

Excess moisture

Sometimes a lot - even worse than nothing. With watering seedlings, this saying works 100%. If you overdo it with watering, then the leaves curl up. This happens, first of all, because the roots of the tomato have nothing to breathe. To avoid this, you should fill the holes with loose soil, as well as make grooves from the holes to drain moisture.

Pests and diseases

A common cause of diseases that affect tomato leaves is the invasion of harmful insects or fungal diseases. The larger the area of ​​the beds, the more likely this kind of trouble will appear. Most insects settle on the lower part of the leaves, suck out vital juices, which is why the leaves curl inward, and then die off.

One of the most malevolent enemies of tomatoes is the whitefly. This insect rarely exceeds 1.5 mm in length, it yellow color with two pairs of wings. Gathering in flocks, whiteflies completely stick to the leaf and eat it. The plant becomes covered with a black bloom and soon dies. If a whitefly is found, you should immediately treat the tomato leaves with an insecticidal solution.

Another reason for leaf rolling is bacterial cancer. The main symptom of the disease is that the leaves are curled down, and then in short term become brown and dry out. Cracks also appear on the lower part of the petioles. Plants that have undergone the disease should be removed from the garden: pruned, treated with copper oxychloride, and then destroyed.

Curling the leaf can cause the tobacco mosaic virus. The leaves are covered with a mosaic of dark green and light green segments, and swellings appear. With this disease, it is necessary to remove diseased plants, and spray the rest with antifungal agents.

One more fungal disease that can affect tomatoes - fusarium. First of all, the lower leaves wither, gradually the disease moves up. In addition, the leaf plates can change color to yellowish, the upper shoots wither, a light bloom is formed on the leaves and pinkish on the root area. Symptoms of verticillosis are very similar to fusarium, but the leaves curl upward, wither, darken, but the plant, with proper care, easily survives the disease and survives to harvest. In both cases, it is necessary to use antifungal drugs.

Brown spot is one of the diseases of tomato seedlings in a greenhouse. A brown plaque with a velvety texture spreads along the lower edge of the plate. The leaves wither, and the fungus from them spreads to neighboring plants. It is necessary to reduce the number of waterings, do spraying with copper oxychloride.

If you suspect the causes of wilting of seedling leaves in the harmful effects of diseases or insects, then you need to make infusions from ash, celandine juice and onion husks, and then spray diseased plants.

Nutrients

If the reasons for the poor condition of the leaves of seedlings are not moisture, pests or disease, then you may have encountered a shortage or, conversely, an excess of nutrients in the soil, which should not be.

The lack of useful trace elements is characterized by a change in leaf color to dark brown. The leaves are bent down, the shoots become smaller, turn yellow and sag. In this case, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive foliar feeding as a plant support.

It so happens that the fertilizer has been overdone. In such cases, the leaves form tubules, they are ulcerated with burns and quickly die off. This happens because the plant cannot absorb all the trace elements and, from an excess of them, tries to reduce active photosynthesis.

Incorrect pinching

Pinching or pinching should be done carefully and in the right time, otherwise you will lead the tomatoes with your own hands to the fact that instead of beautiful leaves dry tubes will remain.

If the stepchildren have reached a length of 7-8 cm - you can pinch, less or more - harm the plant.

Try not to delete at once a large number of parts involved in the growing season.

Watch your plants. If you notice signs of unusual behavior of leaves, stems, flowers, then try to identify and eliminate the causes.

Video "Lack of nutrition in tomatoes - the cause of curling leaves"

Find out what nutrients you need to add to keep the leaves from curling on your tomato bushes.

The tomato is an indispensable inhabitant of the garden and kitchen table... And although most of the varieties are not capricious in their care, they are not afraid of pests and diseases, their upper leaves can curl into a tube. Why do the leaves of tomatoes curl at the top, what to do and how to save the situation?


Rolling tomato leaves negatively affects the yield. There are several factors causing this symptom. To make it easier for summer residents to understand which of the options they are faced with, we will consider the most common.

Variety properties

Sometimes tomato leaves are folded due to breeding and genetic characteristics. This applies to varieties "Cherry", "Oxhart", "Fatima". If the same thing happens with all the seedlings, there is no cause for concern - this is simply a property of the vegetable variety.


Fatima tomatoes

Temperature changes

Young shoots are not yet adapted to the scorching sun, and some varieties can develop normally only in the shade, so leaf curling can be caused by heat. This is how the protective properties of tomatoes are manifested, which reduce the evaporation area in order to save more water.

In this situation, the ridges are provided with water so that moisture does not fall on the bushes during a sultry period, they build a shelter or place the culture in the shade.

Water problems: excess and scarcity

Tomatoes are very demanding on moisture, so if their leaves curl, this may mean that they are not getting the right amount liquid and try to pick it up from the soil. Then watering should be increased and the soil should be mulched with mown grass. Thanks to this, tomatoes will retain water, and it will not instantly evaporate in drought.

However, you can also overdo it with watering the bushes. In this case, the foliage also curls upward. This is due to the fact that the root system does not have enough air. To avoid such cases, the holes are covered with loose soil and furrows are dug to drain water.


Harmful insects and diseases

Most often, infections affecting crops are caused by pests or fungi. In large beds, this problem is not uncommon. As a rule, tomato eaters inhabit the underside of the leaves, so they curl inward and then dry out.

The worst enemy of tomatoes is the whitefly. It rarely exceeds 1.5 cm in length, is yellow in color, and has 2 wings. Huddling in flocks, pests sit on the leaf and eat it. A black bloom appears on the plant, after which it dies. As soon as a whitefly appears in the garden, it is necessary to spray the leaves with insecticides.

Twisting is preceded by bacterial cancer. It can be identified by the following symptoms: the leaves curl down, darken and dry out in a short period, the cuttings crack from below. Diseased tomatoes should be removed from the beds immediately. They are pruned and destroyed, and the cut is sprayed with perchloric acid copper.

Leaves may curl due to tobacco mosaic. Dark and light segments appear on them, they swell. Diseased bushes are eliminated, and healthy ones are treated with antifungal drugs.

Fusarium can also attack the culture. First, the lower leaves wither, and then the disease gradually moves upward. In addition, the leaf plates turn yellow, a light bloom appears on them, which has a pink tint near the root, the upper branches fade. Verticilliasis is very similar to this disease, when the leaves roll up, dry, darken. However, if you take proper care of the plants, they can easily bear the disease and give a good harvest.

Greenhouse seedlings often get sick with brown spot. A brown coating with a velvety texture forms in the lower part of the plate. The leaves wilt, and the fungal infection spreads to other crops. In this case, the tomatoes should be watered less and more often treated with copper perchloric acid.


If leaf defects are associated with eaters or diseases, experienced gardeners recommend making infusions of ash, celandine juice, and onion husks. They are sprayed with weakened tomatoes.

Incorrect feeding

It so happens that the leaves do not suffer from problems with water, ailments or pests, then the matter is in nutrients, which are either not enough, or too much in the soil.

Due to lack chemical elements the leaves turn dark brown, bend down, and the shoots become small and yellow. Then it is necessary to apply complex fertilizers to support the tomatoes.


If the feeding is excessive, the leaves become covered with burns and curl into a tube and quickly die, since the vegetable cannot take everything. useful material and slows down photosynthesis.

Pinching errors

The procedure is carried out at a specially designated time, with care. If you do not follow these rules, instead of healthy foliage you can get dry straws. Stepsons 7-8 cm long pinch, but if they are smaller or larger, you should not do this, so as not to harm the culture. It is impossible to remove several vegetative parts at once.

The condition of the tomatoes must be closely monitored, and if there are signs of leaf curling, its sources must be identified and eliminated.


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Rolling leaves in tomatoes is frequent problem when growing crops in greenhouses. In the open field, such a nuisance is less common. ...

Causes of leaf curling

The main reasons are

  1. It's too hot in the greenhouse.
  2. Tomatoes lack moisture.
  3. Lack of batteries.
  4. Excess fertilizer.
  5. Damage to the roots when planting seedlings or subsequent care of tomatoes.
  6. Untimely removal of stepchildren. Leaves curl, also, when too many stepchildren are removed at the same time.
  7. Pests sometimes also cause curling of tomato leaves.
  8. Features of the variety.

Depending on the cause, the leaves curl either upward in a boat or downward in the form of a chicken leg.

reason 1. Temperature conditions

In a greenhouse, the temperature is always at least 5-7 ° C higher than outside, even if the doors and vents are open. Therefore, at a temperature in the greenhouse above 27-28 ° and low air circulation, in order to avoid excessive evaporation of moisture, the leaves curl into a tube. At night, when the heat subsides, they straighten up again.

Very often, the leaves curl up due to the high temperature.

What to do

To prevent leaf curling in hot weather, greenhouses are left open overnight. To reduce the temperature, the greenhouse is shaded. There must be constant air circulation inside it. Even in cold weather, it must be ventilated.

reason 2. Lack of moisture

At insufficient watering, especially in hot weather (and in greenhouses, these factors are inextricably linked) tomatoes also reduce the evaporation area by rolling the leaves.

  • It is recommended to water tomatoes in greenhouses at a temperature of 16-20 ° C every 7-10 days.
  • At a temperature of 20-25 ° C every 5 days
  • At a temperature of 25-30 ° C every other day
  • Above 30 ° С - daily, but very moderately.

This only applies to greenhouse plants, for open ground this irrigation regime will not work, since there tomatoes are additionally watered with precipitation. When choosing a watering regime, you should always take into account the growing conditions on your site.

If the leaves of the tomatoes are curled, then the first thing to do is to ventilate the greenhouse and water the crop.

Plants should not be watered immediately. It is best to water in small amounts over several days. It is especially necessary to observe this regime during the fruiting period.

Reason 3. Lack of batteries

If neither watering nor airing helped, and the leaves remained curled, then the problem is more serious than expected: the plants. Leaves curl in different ways, depending on which element is in short supply.

Lack of phosphorus

The leaves curl upward and take on a purple tint on the underside. Phosphorus is a macronutrient, and tomatoes are consumed in large quantities.

To replenish the phosphorus deficiency, the culture is watered with a superphosphate extract. For its preparation, 1 glass of fertilizer is poured with 1 liter of boiling water (otherwise it will not dissolve) and insisted for 12-18 hours, stirring regularly. The finished extract is diluted with water to 10 liters and the tomatoes are poured under the root. The application rate is 0.5 liters under the bush.

You can add ash or superphosphate in a dry form, but then the effect will have to wait 7-10 days longer.


The tomatoes should be fed with phosphorus.

Lack of copper

The lack of an element is much less common (especially when processing tomatoes copper-containing preparations from diseases), but its deficiency is not such a rare occurrence as one might assume. With a lack of copper, the edges of the leaves curl upward. Yellow blurred spots appear on the leaves, which turn black with an acute deficiency.

There are many spots and they are located randomly over the entire leaf surface. The leaf looks healthy, but yellow and curled. To eliminate the problem, tomatoes are sprayed with any preparations containing copper. The same solution can be used to water the bushes.

Both spraying and watering not only compensate for the deficiency of the trace element, but also protect tomatoes well from many diseases.


Feeding with microelements is required.

Lack of potassium

The leaves are rolled up in a tube, a brown border forms along the edges. Tomatoes consume slightly less potassium than phosphorus, so it is advisable to add it with each feeding. With a pronounced deficiency, the bushes are fed with any chlorine-free potash fertilizer.

The best for tomatoes is potassium nitrate, which also contains a small amount of nitrogen. 1 tbsp. l. fertilizers are diluted in 10 liters of water. Watering rate 0.5 liters per bush.

An excellent fertilizer will be an ash drawer: 100 g of ash is poured with boiling water and insisted for a day, stirring regularly. Then the solution is filtered and the tomatoes are poured under the root. Consumption rate of 0.5 liters per bush. If spraying with ash infusion is carried out, then 40 g is added to the working solution laundry soap as an adhesive.

Such bushes require potash feeding.

Lack of nitrogen

Usually it happens on poor soils and with gross violations in cultivation agricultural technology. With a lack of nitrogen, the leaves acquire a yellowish tint and become smaller. As nitrogen starvation increases, the leaves begin to curl downward, turn yellow and dry.

An urgent feeding with any nitrogen mineral fertilizer is necessary. If it is not there, then the tomatoes are fed with manure or herbal infusion. 0.5 l of infusion is diluted in 10 l of water and the plants are fed. The application rate is 1 liter per bush.

Pale leaves in tomatoes due to a lack of nitrogen.

Lack of calcium

Leaves curl upward. A little earlier, apical rot appears on the fruits. Feed the tomatoes with calcium nitrate: 10 g / 10 l of water.


And here, calcium supplementation is required.

Reason 4. Excess fertilizer

Some summer residents, seeking to get maximum yield, apply so much fertilizer (especially organic matter) under the tomatoes that the plants begin to suffer from their surplus, and this, in turn, very quickly leads to diseases.

Excess nitrogen

The leaves at the top of the bush are curled, the rest are very powerful, normal looking. To neutralize excess nitrogen, stop all organic feeding... An extract from wood ash or any potash fertilizer that does not contain chlorine is applied under the bushes.


Excess nitrogen can also be harmful.

Excess zinc

It is not so common, but most summer residents cannot recognize it and only exacerbate the situation. This happens when the multiplicity and frequency of micronutrient fertilization are violated. The leaves curl upward and hang like a drought.

The main sign of excess zinc is the appearance of a purple hue on the lower part of the stem (no higher than 20-30 cm). To correct the situation, tomatoes are fed with organic matter, and microelements are not added for at least 15-20 days.

Some varieties have a genetically determined purple hue. But then the stem is evenly colored in this color.

Excess zinc is difficult to recognize.

Cause 5. Damage to the root system

After planting the seedlings, especially in the greenhouse, the leaves of the tomatoes may curl slightly. This is fine. Root system in seedlings, it is usually less developed than the aerial part, therefore, several days after planting, the leaves of plants are twisted. If after 5-7 days they have not acquired a normal appearance, it is necessary to water the tomatoes with Kornevin or Heteroauxin stimulants.


When planting seedlings in the ground, try not to damage the roots of the plants.

Roots are often damaged by deep loosening of tomatoes. Leaves curl upward evenly throughout the bush. Neighboring plants appear healthy. To correct the situation, tomatoes are watered with root formation stimulants (Kornerost, Kornevin) and substances that support plant immunity: Epin-extra, Zircon.

Reason 6. Incorrect pinning

Untimely removal of stepchildren leads to leaf curling. The stepchildren are removed when their size is no more than 5-7 cm. If they have already outgrown, then this is too painful for the plant, so you either have to leave them or remove them gradually over several days.

Removing overgrown stepchildren can affect tomato leaves.

If the large stepsons were removed and the tomatoes reacted to this by rolling the leaves, then the only thing that can be done is to spray the tomatoes with Zircon or Epin-extra.

Reason 7. Tomato pests

The greenhouse whitefly very often affects tomatoes in greenhouses. It is a small butterfly that lays eggs on the underside of leaves. Larvae and adults (butterflies) feed on plant juices. Insects secrete sweet honeydew on which a sooty fungus settles. The insect reproduces very quickly. It settles first on the youngest and most delicate leaves on the tops of plants.


Avoid a large accumulation of pests on tomato bushes.

Signs of defeat.

  1. The leaves become deformed and curled, and then turn yellow and fall off.
  2. On the underside, you can find insect secretions in the form of a sticky pad and small white scales - the remains of cocoons.
  3. Lagging bushes in development.
  4. The appearance on the stems and leaves of black spots of a sooty fungus.

What to do

When the whitefly spreads, it is very difficult to control it. The pest multiplies extremely quickly, and most insecticides do not work on older eggs and larvae. Therefore, emergency measures must be taken at the first detection of a pest.

When shaking whitefly-infested bushes, butterflies fly up and are easy to spot.

  1. To catch butterflies, glue traps are used, which are placed on the tops of the bushes.
  2. With a small spread of the pest, Fitoverm is used. Spraying is carried out on the underside of the leaves. and tomatoes can be removed 2 days after processing. Spraying is carried out repeatedly with an interval of 3-5 days in order to destroy the newly emerging individuals, since the drug does not work on eggs. With strict adherence to the treatment intervals, the number of pests can be significantly reduced.
  3. Simultaneously with Fitoverm, tomatoes are sprayed with Fitosporin or Alirin-B to prevent and destroy sooty mushrooms.
  4. In case of mass infection of tomatoes with a pest, all fruits are removed in the phase of technical ripeness, and the bushes are treated with Aktara. Treatments are carried out on the underside of the leaves at least 3-4 times with an interval of 4-7 days. After spraying, tomatoes should not be eaten for 20 days.

reason 8. Features of the variety

For some, leaf rolling is a genetic trait. Basically cherry and small-fruited varieties tomatoes.


There are also such tomatoes.

Usually, in this case, the leaf blade is twisted downward, forming a "chicken foot". But in some varieties, the leaves can curl upward. In this case, nothing needs to be done, neither feeding, nor watering, nor airing will help here. It's just a feature of the variety.

Conclusion

If the leaves on the tomatoes are massively curled throughout the greenhouse, then this is either a violation temperature regime, or lack of moisture.

If the leaves curl only on individual bushes, then most likely this is a lack of nutrients. In this case, they curl gradually, first on one plant, then on the second, third, etc.

First of all, they carefully examine these bushes, and then on one of them they make top dressing with the necessary fertilizers. If the measures taken have yielded results, then the rest of the plants are fed. If there is no result, then they continue to select the right fertilizer until a positive answer is received. Only after receiving a positive reaction to feeding with the same fertilizer are all other tomatoes fed.