The upper leaves curl. Why do the tops of tomatoes curl?

With your help, I think I managed to cope with the acidity of the soil. Tomatoes are developing well. They bloom powerfully, the leaves are dark green. But in the middle row opposite the doors, the tops of the tall tomatoes seem to be “curled up”, curled into a “fist”. I read literature. Explanations vary. Basically, I fill it with too much water. This is not the case, because I rake the soil, it is dry. There may be insufficient watering. The middle row is practically blown through and the soil dries faster than the side beds. The plants are tall, powerful, and bloom. I think they need good watering. Not 2 times a week, as they say in various reference books. With this heat in polycarbonate greenhouse the soil dries out very quickly. Maybe I'm wrong. Tell me what to do. Previously, there were no such problems when growing tomatoes in homemade greenhouses. Best regards, Valentina.

Hello, Valentina! Many summer residents face this problem. Tomato leaves can become curly various reasons. You indicated one of them correctly - insufficient watering during hot periods. A plant experiencing a lack of moisture will have curled leaves. Thus, the tomato manages to reduce moisture evaporation by reducing the surface area of the leaf plate. At the same time, the lower leaves, illuminated less by the rays of the sun and better ventilated, remain normal.

Important! Select the watering mode based on appearance plants. But remember that excess moisture provokes the occurrence of fungal diseases.

Excess nitrogen in the soil

If there is an excess amount of nitrogen fertilizer in the soil, the plant begins to fatten. At the same time, the plants have powerful stems, dark green leaves and curly tops. The plant directs all its strength to the growth of green mass. Big harvest Unfortunately, there will be no fruit if measures are not taken.

It is necessary to balance the amount of fertilizer in the soil by fertilizing with potassium, which is contained in wood ash. Dilute a glass of ash in a bucket of water and pour over the tomatoes. Spraying the leaves with a solution prepared from one teaspoon of potassium sulfate and a liter of water also helps.

Tricks of aphids

Important! When spraying, try to wet all the axils and folds of the leaves.

A sick plant under the pressure of aphids looks exactly as you describe

Curly virus

This is perhaps the most bad reason, because viral diseases tomatoes are not treated. Plants become infected through insects and cutting tool. It is better to remove diseased tomatoes immediately so as not to infect other plants. Break out the stepsons manually without using pruners.

I read literature. Explanations vary. Basically, I fill it with too much water. This is not the case, because I rake the soil, it is dry. There may be insufficient watering.

The middle row is practically blown through and the soil dries faster than the side beds. The plants are tall, powerful, and bloom. I think they need good watering.

Not 2 times a week, as they say in various reference books. With such heat in a polycarbonate greenhouse, the soil dries out very quickly. Maybe I'm wrong. Tell me what to do.

Previously, there were no such problems when growing tomatoes in homemade greenhouses. Best regards, Valentina. Hello, Valentina! Many summer residents face this problem. Tomato leaves can become curly for various reasons.

You indicated one of them correctly - insufficient watering during hot periods. A plant experiencing a lack of moisture will have curled leaves. Thus, the tomato manages to reduce moisture evaporation by reducing the surface area of the leaf plate.

At the same time, the lower leaves, illuminated less by the rays of the sun and better ventilated, remain normal. Important! Choose a watering mode based on the appearance of the plants. But remember that excess moisture provokes the occurrence of fungal diseases.

Excess nitrogen in the soil

Unfortunately, there will not be a large fruit harvest if measures are not taken. It is necessary to balance the amount of fertilizer in the soil by fertilizing with potassium, which is contained in wood ash. Dilute a glass of ash in a bucket of water and pour over the tomatoes. Spraying the leaves with a solution prepared from one teaspoon of potassium sulfate and a liter of water also helps.

Tricks of aphids

Small black aphids, which first settle in the axils of the leaves and then move to the stem and petioles of the leaves, can also cause leaf curling. When sucking juices, aphids introduce a specific substance into the plant tissue, which deforms the stem and curls the leaves. Insects hidden in the folds of leaves are difficult to kill with insecticides. Important! When spraying, try to wet all the axils and folds of the leaves. A diseased plant under the pressure of aphids looks exactly as you describe

Curly virus

This is perhaps the most unpleasant reason, because viral diseases of tomatoes cannot be treated. Plants become infected through insects and cutting tools. It is better to remove diseased tomatoes immediately so as not to infect other plants.

Break out the stepsons manually without using pruners.

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Why do tomato leaves curl: tomatoes curl

Many gardeners are concerned about the question: why do tomato leaves curl? There are many reasons for this, which we will look at today. Why do tomato leaves curl? Basically - too much organic matter, herbal infusions, nitrogen fertilizers with a lack of phosphorus, zinc and potassium.

It is necessary to balance the diet, add complex fertilizers(dissolve 2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water or potassium monophosphate 1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water). Rotten manure or slurry will not be enough, besides all this, because the released ammonia can damage tomato leaves, namely cause their burns or superficial necrotic damage to the fruit. Excessive pinching or pinching, excessive watering causes non-infectious curling of tomato leaves.

It appears mainly in the second half of the growing season. Twisting begins with lower leaves, and they gradually spread across the tops of the plant. The leaf plates will curl funnel-shaped towards the upper surface along the central vein.

The tomato leaves become hard, dense and crumble well. If twisted too much, the flowers usually fall off. Reasons for curling leaves in tomatoes

It often happens that we try very hard to please our tomatoes and we water them, water them, water them, but it turns out that it is better to water a lot, a lot, but rarely, rarely. Try to place the hose between the tomato bushes and let the water gradually feed the tomatoes.

It is possible that a good owner does not spare fertilizers in order to obtain good harvest. But curled tomatoes (leaves) often indicate that you have overfed the bush. You need to balance your diet, try universal remedies.

Perhaps you planted tomatoes in a greenhouse - then they may be very hot. Take action. Provide air access and the possibility of evaporation of excess moisture.

If you planted tomatoes in the ground, and the thermometer shows 32-35 or higher, do not waste time looking for reasons for the lack of fertilizers - the tomatoes are simply hot. We need to look for ways to remove the sun.

Try to water your tomatoes in the evening, then they will accumulate more moisture and it will be easier for them to fight drought. They also don’t really like tomatoes. cold water, and the heated soil ensures the heating of water on the way to the tomato rhizome. Relying on my experience, I can confidently say that the literature will not give you a direct answer to the question: why tomatoes curl, since the reasons have not yet been found.

Why do they curl? apical leaves at the tomato? At a temperature of 35°, curling of the tops of the tomato is also observed, because the tomato will experience high temperature stress.

In hot weather, it is necessary to increase ventilation, let the room through, humidify the air, and shade it with lutrasil. Stress can be relieved in this way: treat the leaves of the tomatoes with urea (1.5 tablespoons per 10 liters of water), after 2 days - with potassium permanganate the color of wild rosemary, also on the leaves.

Then after a few days, usually after 3 days, the tops straighten. It seems to you that the plants are provided with proper nutrition, temperature, regime, but the leaves curl, perhaps the reason is hidden in a bacterial infection that is transmitted with the seeds. There is no cure for this disease, you can only stop the development with the systemic drug Avixil.

Before sowing, do not forget to properly treat the seeds. Gardeners often start citing diseases, but curled tomato leaves are usually some kind of mistake in caring for the bush. In other words, the plant has experienced stress and is showing us its dissatisfaction.

But you can easily discover this by unfolding the sheet - if everything is clean, and there is no creature unfamiliar to you there - let's create tomatoes comfortable conditions. But, if you do notice a caterpillar, carefully inspect the bushes and remove the pest.

Varietal feature

There are quite a lot of varieties of tomatoes, especially tall ones (indeterminate), with thin stems and leaves, heavily cut and hanging or slightly curling downwards. This is not a disease - you just need to know that such popular varieties as Fatima, Japanese crab, Oxheart, Honey Drop, and a good half of cherry tomatoes have this feature. When planting seedlings, pay attention to the condition of the leaves - if they are equally thin and slightly curled on all bushes - there is no need to worry about why the leaves are curling.

High air temperature

Curling of leaves in tomatoes is often observed in hot summer weather, especially when dry winds blow. In this way, the plant tries to reduce the area of evaporation of such valuable moisture.

Usually in the evening, at dusk, the leaf unfolds and becomes its normal shape in order to receive more dew at night and restore balance. There is only one way to help the plant - shade it.

For this purpose, both open beds, and in a greenhouse, white spunbond or lutrasil, draped over the plants at midday, works great. But we strongly advise against watering tomatoes by sprinkling.

If you do this in the sun, the leaves get burned from drops of water acting like miniature lenses, and if you refresh them in the morning or evening, this is a direct path to late blight. We also recommend that you always mulch the soil in the beds and in the greenhouse. 8-10 cm of mown grass or forest litter will significantly cool the roots in the hottest weather and the plant will be much more comfortable.

Lack of moisture

This is the most common reason why leaves curl in tomatoes. Many vegetable growers either do not pay attention to watering at all, hoping for rain, or do it incorrectly - water often, but in small portions.

But this way only the top layer of soil is wetted - 3-5 cm, and the roots are mainly located deeper, and the tomato suffers from a lack of moisture. Proper watering should be done once every 2-3 days on uncovered beds and once every 5-7 days on mulched ones, but at the same time you need to pour a bucket of water on the fruit-bearing bush. This should not be done at the same time, but divided into several portions so that the water does not spread to the sides, but all gets to the roots.

Excess moisture

An excess, like a deficiency, can cause the leaves of tomatoes to curl, but only their edges curl up. During heavy rains in clay soils ah, the water slowly sinks to depth, and the roots of the tomatoes are literally suffocating from lack of air.

This problem can be avoided even during the period of planting seedlings by filling the hole with loose soil. And during the growing season, make small grooves from the bushes to the side to drain water from the roots.

Pests: aphids, whiteflies, red spider mites

These garden pests rarely, but still affects tomatoes, especially when the beds are large, as well as in a greenhouse. They settle on the underside of the leaves and actively suck out the juices, as a result of which the leaves curl inward, turn yellow, and necrotic spots and nodules appear. Having discovered pests, it is necessary to urgently save the plant.

If there are few insects, try traditional methods– infusion of ash, celandine, onion peel.

If it doesn’t help, use one of the modern drugs, for example, Bankol, Akarin, Karbofos (Fufpnon), Actellik. Systemic drugs such as Aktara, Tanrek, Biotlin cannot be used for plants where tomatoes have already budded, since toxic substances can accumulate in the fruits for 2-4 weeks.

Nutrient deficiencies

This happens often if for some reason the bushes are not fed at least once every two weeks. This happens especially often in greenhouses, where the air is very hot, but the soil is not. The plant does not have the ability to accumulate microelements in sufficient quantities. In this case, the curling of leaves in tomatoes is accompanied by a change in color, and the central vein becomes rough and convex:

with a lack of phosphorus, they become red-violet, especially on the underside and veins, and the upper part seems to turn gray; with a lack of zinc, the leaf bends down, the tops of the shoots also curl and become rough and brittle; curling of young leaves and their brightening indicates a lack of boron; crushing the shoots, wrapping the leaves into a tube is a sign of copper and sulfur deficiency; with a lack of calcium, the edges of the leaves curl upward, and they become pale in color, the veins turn white, necrosis begins; with a deficiency of iron, the foxes turn yellow, become thinner and sag.

The situation can be corrected with the right fertilizer. If you determine exactly which microelement is missing and why, then universal method– spray with a solution of immunomodulators: in hot weather – Zircon; in cool and rainy weather - Epin; between them - use Mortar (2 tablespoons per bucket of water) for general fertilizing.

Thin leaf virus

As a rule, it develops only during prolonged drought and excess light in the greenhouse. The plants do not die, but the yield is very weak, the fruits are small, wrinkled, with a hard center. You can try to save them in this way: at intervals of 2-3 days, successively spray the leaf with a solution of urea and pale pink potassium permanganate, and shade it with synthetic material from excess sun.

If this does not help, then it is better to remove the plant from the garden and burn it so that the virus does not spread.

Bacteriosis of tomatoes

Sick tomatoes grow poorly, they have shortened shoots, small and ugly flowers, and the leaves curl, as a rule, only adult plants. The young ones simply grow thin and heavily feathered.

The disease is transmitted by seed, with diseased plants infecting the soil. It is almost impossible to cure such tomatoes - just remove and then disinfect the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate and then sow mustard as green manure - its phytoncides kill pathogens, and the green mass, after overheating, will become an excellent source of humus.

Incorrect stepsoning

If, after pinching, the tomato leaves are wrapped in a funnel, it means that you have overdone this manipulation. Firstly, you missed the optimal time when the stepsons reached 5-7 cm in length. Secondly, you removed too many vegetative parts at the same time. Rolling the tomato leaves in This situation is a reaction to stress. Usually, this causes the flowers to fall off en masse. Exit, just do it foliar feeding, and in a week the plant will recover. True, part of the harvest will be lost.

Excess of organic fertilizers

Little is bad, but too much is even worse. Excessive application of manure (especially fresh), watering with slurry undiluted to the required concentration or herbal infusions leads to the fact that the plant can no longer absorb as much nutrients and curls the leaf to reduce photosynthesis. And, in addition, evaporation and ammonia released from the fermentation of organic substances lead to burns, causing the leaves to curl and die.

The most common diseases that cause curling of tomato leaves are:

bacterial cancer;fusarium wilt;verticillium wilt.

One of the first signs of a tomato being affected by a disease such as bacterial cancer (see Tomato diseases in a greenhouse: their varieties and how to deal with them) may be the leaves curling down. After the leaves curl, they quickly wither, turn brown and dry out.

Ulcerations and cracks form on the stems and underside of the petioles. Signs of bacterial canker damage to tomatoes Plants affected by bacterial canker must be removed from the greenhouse and destroyed. To remove the plant, it is pruned, the cut is treated with a solution of copper oxychloride, diluting 60 g in 10 liters of water, the root is poured with the same composition and left on a rope or twine until the bush dries, then the diseased bush is taken out of the greenhouse and destroyed.

All plants at a distance of 10 meters from the sick person must be treated with a solution of copper oxychloride (copper oxychloride, HOM), taking 40 g of the drug per 1 liter of water. Curling of leaves in tomatoes can also occur when plants are infected with the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Tomatoes infected with tobacco mosaic virus In addition to curling of the leaf blade, with this viral disease a mosaic pattern is formed on the leaves, in which areas of dark and light green color alternate. Also, symptoms of TMV can be bubbly swellings that appear on the leaves. A fungal disease such as fusarium, or as it is also called fusarium wilt, can also cause curling of leaves in tomatoes. The first signs of this development fungal disease appear on the older, lower leaves of tomatoes, and then move higher and higher to the top of the plant. In addition to curling the leaf blade into a tube, symptoms of Fusarium wilt are:

changes in leaf color to light green or yellowish (see Why tomatoes turn yellow - a professional opinion); curled leaves fall off; at high humidity, plants become covered with a light coating; pink coating in the root collar area.

If you notice most of the listed symptoms of fusarium on your greenhouse tomatoes, then it is better to remove and burn the diseased plants, and treat the remaining plants with a solution of any antifungal drugs. If you do not take any measures, the price of such inaction will be high: the death of all plants this season and, if preventive measures are not taken in the greenhouse, the same thing in the next season. Another tomato disease caused by a fungus is verticillium wilt . The symptoms of this disease are similar to the symptoms of Fusarium wilt: curling of the edges of the leaves, changes in the color of the leaves, their wilting and falling off. Only with verticillium wilt is the prognosis for plants more favorable: despite the oppression, the plants survive until the end of the season. Verticillium wilt on a tomato

Insect damage to plants

The reason why tomato leaves curl in a greenhouse can be due to various insect pests, such as whiteflies, spider mites or aphids. When tomatoes are damaged by these insects, the leaves of the plants curl upward. Take the tomato leaves with your own hands, especially young ones, and examine them carefully, especially from the inside.

If you see such insects as in the photo, immediately treat the plant with some insecticidal preparation or use special adhesive bait traps. An insect such as black aphids can also cause leaf curling. First of all, it inhabits the leaf axils and cannot be seen for quite a long time.

Subsequently, insects settle on the petioles and the stem itself. This insect feeds on tomato juice and injects a specific substance, which causes the leaves of tomatoes to curl in a greenhouse. The method of combating aphids is the same as with whiteflies - thoroughly treating the affected plant with insecticides, trying to treat every axil and fold of leaves. Tip: You can also fight aphids and whiteflies with natural preparations, such as tobacco infusion or a decoction of chamomile or yarrow. Now you understand that clear and unambiguous instructions on what to do if the leaves of a tomato curl in a greenhouse are simply impossible. It is necessary to analyze the specific conditions in which the tomato develops and grows, know what fertilizers and how often they were applied or not, and only then draw conclusions about the possible reasons for the curling of the leaves of greenhouse tomatoes.

Last year, my tomatoes in the greenhouse were massively affected by cutworm caterpillars. Moreover, the upper part of the stem was initially affected, and as the fruits grew and appeared, the tomatoes themselves began to be affected. The phenomenon has become very widespread, the harvest shortage is crazy.

I was afraid to poison him with chemicals. Maybe there are some other ways to fight? This year I planted the tomatoes later - maybe it will carry over, the butterfly seems to lay eggs in May-June.

06/20/14Irina

Super! Bookmark the site!)) This year for the first time I took the risk of planting tomatoes... on the balcony). And surprisingly - without reading anything and knowing nothing about possible problems(in general, a native city dweller), the tomatoes sprouted and grew very well, and have already bloomed and the first ovaries have appeared).

The problems started the other day - the leaves started curling up. Google gave me a dozen similar sites with carbon copy text, where there were 4 reasons - lack of moisture, excess fertilizer, disease and too hot. And here there are much more of them!

Why tomatoes grow poorly in a greenhouse

Caring for tomato seedlings is not the easiest task. It is demanding on the composition of the soil, climatic conditions, susceptible to various diseases. Only if all growing conditions are met is it possible to obtain a tasty and healthy harvest. But even with excellent care, it is impossible to predict all the nuances. For example, healthy and strong seedlings suddenly begin to wither, turn yellow, and foliage wilts. So why do tomato leaves curl at the top?

Curling of the tops of tomatoes occurs for many reasons.

The main mistakes of gardeners

Tomatoes react to unfavorable growing conditions immediately, wither and dry out. It is enough to learn to recognize these signals and act correctly. Curled tomato leaves result in low yield. 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 happens, you need to look for the answer in finding out the exact cause of the problem.

After curling the leaves, the tomato dries out

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

incorrect or insufficient feeding;
lack of important microelements;
excess organic fertilizers;
watering errors;
temperature too high;
disease.

Watering errors

Due to insufficient watering, tomato seedlings begin to conserve moisture, turn yellow, wither and dry out. The leaves curl, so they try to reduce the evaporation of precious water. If you water the plants often, but not abundantly, then you may not see the harvest. Water during such irrigation only wets upper layer soil without ever reaching the roots of the tomato.

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

To give the bush enough moisture, you need to pour at least a bucket of water on it.

Moreover, this must be done in several stages, without allowing water to spread around the bush, once every two or three days. The main thing is that watering should be plentiful. But excess water also causes 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 and wilt. It is necessary to make drainage grooves, and also use loose soil when planting seedlings.

Heat

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

Heat, especially in greenhouses, dries out the plant

In extreme heat, tomatoes should be darkened at midday. To do this, use lutrasil or white spunbond.

It is advisable to treat the foliage with a solution of one and a half tablespoons of urea per ten liters of water. After two days you can treat it with crimson potassium permanganate.
Mulching will also help. A layer of grass eight centimeters thick will prevent the roots of the seedlings from overheating.
It is not recommended to try to refresh drooping tomato bushes by sprinkling. In the sun, drops of water acquire the properties of a lens and will burn the leaves, causing them to turn yellow. And evening or morning sprinkling can lead to late blight.

Insufficient feeding. Lack or excess of nutrition

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

The main mistake gardeners make is being overly enthusiastic about adding organic matter.

Manure, nitrogen, and rotted grass cannot provide the entire set of necessary microelements. Excessive amounts of manure release a lot of ammonia, which burns the leaves, which is why they wilt. Vegetable growers often wonder why the top leaves curl into a ring and turn yellow. This, again, is due to oversupply fresh manure and nitrogen in the soil. Plants become fattened. That is, the tomato devotes all its strength to growing green mass, not fruit. To avoid this, you should only apply well-rotted manure or compost and perform complex fertilizing.

Lack of nutrition causes discoloration and curling of leaves

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

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

Aphid

Small black aphids can settle in the axils of leaves, causing irreparable damage to tomatoes. Why does the presence of this pest cause leaves to curl and wilt?

Aphids on tomatoes suck the juices

Aphids, feeding on plant juices, secrete a special substance. Under its influence, 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 should try to irrigate all the axils and folds of foliage.

Infection

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

Tomato curl is a dangerous viral disease

There is also incurable disease tomato, caused by the curl virus. Such a tomato must be destroyed to avoid infection of all other plants.

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

Tomatoes are one of the most popular for growing in personal plots crops A common problem represents that the leaves of tomatoes curl in a boat. It occurs due to violation of the rules of agricultural technology or damage to the crop by pests. It can be solved by adjusting plant care or processing by special means from diseases.

Reasons for boat curling of leaves

When tomato leaves curl inward in a boat, this may be caused by environmental factors and improper care. Knowing the reasons for this phenomenon will help you choose correct solution for their restoration.

Damaged root system

Damage to the root system – characteristic cause, along which the tomato leaves curl up in a boat after planting the seedlings in the ground. This happens because the injured roots cannot support the tomatoes. required quantity moisture and nutrients. In this case, take special measures not necessary. The seedlings adapt to new conditions and will recover in 3-4 days. But you should make sure that there are no pests on the planting.

High air temperature

The optimal temperature for tomatoes, minimizing the risk of foliage curling, is:

on clear days 20 - 26 o C;
in cloudy weather 17-19 o C;
at night 6 - 10 o C.

Important! Temperatures up to 30 o C lead to a slowdown in photosynthesis, and 38 o C is detrimental to tomatoes.

Elevated air temperatures accelerate the breakdown of microelements in the soil required for plant development. They are not digested, which causes the tomatoes to starve. If the weather is dry, their leaves begin to curl in a boat to slow down transpiration, that is, the evaporation of moisture from the surface. This problem is relevant for tomatoes that grow in open ground and in a greenhouse. You can help them withstand the heat and avoid the greens from curling up like a boat in the following ways:

Important! You can’t water tomatoes by sprinkling in hot weather. This causes leaf scorch.

Improper watering

Violating the rules for watering tomatoes leads to the leaves curling in a boat. In this case, two situations are possible:

Insufficient watering. Often, due to lack of liquid, the leaves curl. Tomatoes can tolerate short-term drought. But if it is prolonged, then to save moisture and prevent its evaporation, the tops of the leaf plates take on a funnel shape and are curled into a boat.
Excess moisture. When the soil is waterlogged, the upper roots of the plant develop, while the deep roots do not receive the necessary nutrition, which causes the leaves to curl in a boat on the tops of the tomatoes.

Advice! To exclude other reasons why the foliage curls in a boat, it is recommended not to water the tomatoes for several days until the soil dries. If the reason for the curling was excess water, then they will gradually begin to recover.

In order for the condition of the tomatoes to return to normal, the watering regime must be adjusted:

water early in the morning or evening, 1 - 2 times a week;
supply moisture in doses, in small portions, at the root;
prevent water from getting on the leaves;
use for watering warm water, for this, containers with water should be placed in the sun or heated water should be added directly to the watering can before the procedure.

Excess or lack of fertilizers

Without the use of fertilizers, it is very difficult to obtain an abundant and high-quality tomato harvest. Failure to follow the feeding schedule, excess or lack of nutrients cause tomato leaves to curl in a boat.

Problem	Description

Organic fertilizers (litter, manure) - sources of nitrogen	Intensive growth of green mass, poor formation of ovaries, low absorption of phosphorus and potassium.	Feed with fertilizer based on copper sulfate or potassium monophosphate.
	Bending of the edges of leaf blades, the appearance of transparent areas on them, turning into necrosis, staining of the lower part of the bush in purple shade, death of the upper buds.	There is no cure for excess nutrients. When growing tomatoes, you must follow the rules of agricultural technology and the fertilizer application schedule.
Manganese	The leaves wrinkle, turn pale and yellow, the old tops begin to crumble, and the damage spreads from bottom to top.
Flaw:
	The leaf blades curl, plant development slows down, and blossom end rot appears on the tomatoes.	Fertilize tomatoes with calcium nitrate (20 g per 10 liters of water). Additionally, 100 g of ash and 10 g of urea can be added to the solution.
	The turgor of the leaves (especially the 4-5 on top) decreases, they acquire a blue-green color, become smaller, curl up and wither.	Prepare nutrient solution with the missing element (20 - 30 g of fertilizer per 10 l) and feed the tomatoes. You can do foliar feeding by spraying the crowns with a weak fertilizer solution (10 g per bucket of water).
	The leaves curl into a boat, and tissues die over the entire surface of the plate.
	During the fruiting period, yellow chlorosis begins between the veins of the lower old leaves, the borders of the blades remain green, the tips curl upward in a boat.
	The upper leaves acquire an unhealthy light green color and curl upward in a boat.

Attention! An excess of fertilizers is also undesirable for tomatoes, as is their lack.

Illiterate pinching

On tomatoes, the side shoots growing from the leaf axils are removed (pinched, pinched). This is done so that the bushes do not branch, do not thicken, and forces are directed not to the development of tops, but to the formation of fruits.

If you do not follow the following rules for pinching tomatoes, their leaf plates will curl into a boat and small fruits will form on the bushes:

the stepsons are removed in a timely manner, which allows you to remove excess stress on the tomatoes;
side shoots are removed after they grow 5 cm;
Important! Removing small shoots is not stressful for tomatoes. Pinching full leaves leads to loss of yield.

it is impossible to remove all the extra shoots at the same time - this harms the bushes;
pinching is carried out gradually, no more than 2 times a week;
the procedure is performed in sunny weather; if the day is cloudy, the sections should be treated with wood ash to prevent diseases.

Thus, in too thick plantings, tomatoes do not have enough moisture or nutrition, which is why their leaves curl in a boat.

Advice! Pruning is carried out with disinfected scissors, rather than tearing off or breaking off the shoots; this will help avoid some diseases.

Tomato diseases

In dense plantings of tomatoes, the factor that causes the leaves to curl in a boat may be disease damage to the crop. The most common tomato diseases are stolbur and bacterial canker. They develop when excess humidity, violation of growing rules, improper application of fertilizers. Shrubs not only lose productivity, but may also die.

Stolbur

Stolbur is a characteristic disease of tomatoes growing in open ground. It spreads widely during periods of heat and drought. Its carriers are leafhoppers. The leaves affected by them curl into boats, the color of the upper shoots becomes pinkish, and the lower shoots become yellowish. The quality of the fruits decreases - they become hard with white overgrown vascular tissue inside.

To save tomatoes whose leaves are curled in a boat due to leafhoppers, pest control measures are used:

a refuge for insects is thickets of weeds, so they must be removed in a timely manner;
You can plant corn or sunflowers next to the tomatoes: they repel leafhoppers;
To prevent the disease, use the preparations Aquatar or Fufanon, which are sprayed on plants;
Phytoplasmin solution is an effective remedy for combating stolbur: water or spray tomatoes with it.

Advice! Traumatized and growing in conditions high humidity Tomato bushes are most susceptible to stolbur. For prevention, greenhouses are often ventilated and before planting seedlings, the soil in them must be disinfected.

Bacterial cancer

With this disease, pathogenic bacteria Corynebacterium michiganensis develop in the vessels of tomatoes, causing damage to all tissues. Symptoms of bacterial cancer:

the tomato leaf slices fade on one side, its edges begin to turn yellow and curl, gradually drying out;
general wilting of the plant, starting from the bottom;
darkening of the affected vessels, which is clearly visible on the cut of the stem and the base of the petiole of the damaged leaf;
flat white spots approximately 3 mm in size with a dark center appear on tomato fruits;
in green tomatoes, the spots are concentrated near the stalk, and in ripe ones they are spread over the entire surface, gradually the fruits turn yellow, and their middle cracks;
the taste of tomatoes decreases.

Attention! The disease is transmitted through the seeds of a cancer-infected tomato, soil, and the remains of shoots and bushes.

Methods to combat bacterial cancer:

for cultivation, it is necessary to use only seeds of healthy tomatoes after fermentation or soaking in a solution of Fitolavin-300;
Important! Fermentation is the fermentation of tomato seeds in their own juice for 3 days for the purpose of bactericidal treatment.

Before planting in the soil, it is important to immerse the roots of seedlings in a suspension of Fitosporin-M for 1.5 - 2 hours;
before planting seedlings, the soil should be disinfected with rotted compost;
diseased specimens must be removed and destroyed;
vegetative shrubs can be treated with copper-containing preparations ( copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture).

Important! Treatment of tomatoes against cancer is carried out in daytime, from 10:00 to 12:00, or in the evening, from 16:00 to 18:00.

Tomato pests

Whitefly

A small white butterfly that lives on the lower leaves of tomatoes can cause significant damage to the plant, including its death. Whiteflies gather in colonies on the underside of the leaf blade, which causes it to curl into a boat. They feed on the juices of the leaf, causing it to dry out, become deformed, and a black coating forms on its surface. Favorable conditions for the growth and development of the pest are humid and hot weather. At temperatures below + 10 o C, adult individuals die.

Measures to combat whitefly:

for prevention, twice a year, in autumn and spring, before planting tomato seedlings, the greenhouse should be fumigated with sulfur candles;
if an insect is detected, it is necessary to spray the plant with Fufanon or Mospilan;
You can treat the leaf plates with a soap solution or infusion of yarrow, garlic or dandelion.

Advice! To get rid of whiteflies, tomatoes are processed multiple times. The use of chemicals is stopped 20 days before harvesting the fruits.

Aphid

Aphids suck plant juices and are carriers of bacteria and viruses. It settles on the ovaries and on the lower part of the leaves. They curl up like a boat, dry out and fall off. Tomatoes stop growing and developing. If aphids attack them before the fruits ripen, they will die.

Advice! You can tell that tomatoes have been infested by aphids by the sticky dew left by the insects on the leaf blades.

To get rid of the pest, the bushes are treated three times with an interval of 10 days with one of the preparations: Iskra, Proteus or Aktara.

Additionally, it is effective to use traditional methods based on spraying tomatoes:

decoctions of wormwood or celandine with the addition of a solution of laundry soap;
ash solution (a glass in a bucket of water), infused for two days.

Spider mite

Spider mites are more dangerous for tomatoes grown in a greenhouse than in open ground. The most informative sign of their invasion is the appearance of cobwebs on the shoots. In addition, whitish or yellowish dots form on the leaves where insects pierce the plate. The foliage curls into a boat, begins to dry out and gradually fall off.

Important! High air humidity and temperature – good conditions for the reproduction of spider mites.

To get rid of tomatoes spider mite apply:

preventive measures - disinfection of the greenhouse, soil, tomatoes;
chemical treatment with Oberon, Flumite or Borneo;
traditional methods - spraying with infusions of dandelion, henbane or garlic.

Important! The use of chemicals is stopped three weeks before harvest.

Prevention

Compliance with the following preventive measures will protect the tomatoes from the foliage curling into a boat, prevent the death of plants and get bountiful harvest with excellent taste:

Protect tomatoes from heat, cold, sudden temperature changes, drought, and excess moisture.
Mulch tomatoes.
Follow the watering and fertilizing schedule.
Trim the bushes in time.
Timely combat diseases and pests.

Following these rules will prevent the leaves from curling into a boat and will help create an optimal environment for tomatoes to grow and bear fruit.

Conclusion

Experienced gardeners, noticing that the leaves of tomatoes are curling in a boat, perceive this as a sign of uncomfortable conditions for the plant, a lack or excess of nutrients, an attack by insects, or the bush being damaged by a disease. Proper care of tomatoes proper feeding and extermination of pests help the plant recover and bear fruit well.

Kira Stoletova

If the top of the tomato begins to wither or curl, you should immediately determine what exactly is causing the plant discomfort.

Causes of the problem

Tomatoes immediately react to unsuitable conditions for growth and development. There are many reasons why the tops curl. Let's look at the most common ones:

Damage to roots during planting. A plant with a pruned system quickly weakens. Root pruning is not so bad because the roots will regenerate and the leaves will come back to life.
Incorrect or insufficient fertilizing. Tomatoes need constant feeding. Once every 2 weeks you need to apply fertilizer both in the greenhouse and on open area. Often the tops of tomatoes curl from an excess of organic matter. If you add a lot of manure or compost, the plant begins to give all the fertilizer to the green parts, forgetting about the fruits. Also, from insufficiently rotted manure, the plant begins to wither.
Very high temperature. At high temperatures, seedlings in a greenhouse begin to lose their attractive appearance. The upper leaves stop growing and begin to curl. To prevent this from happening, there must be air circulation in the greenhouse. To protect the plant, you can use a urea solution. For it take 1.5 tbsp. l. urea and 10 liters of water. Leaves are treated with this product. You can also mulch. An 8-centimeter layer of grass will help the roots not to overheat.
The plant does not receive enough light, and the process of photosynthesis slows down. This has a bad effect on the growth and development of vegetable crops.
Improper watering of tomatoes. Due to lack of moisture, tomato leaves begin to curl even with the top cut off. So they try to retain water in themselves. For proper watering you need to take 1 bucket of water for 1 bush. It is necessary to water in several approaches, because if you pour in all the water at once, it will spread without ever reaching the roots of the vegetable.
Curling the tops of tomatoes provokes aphids and various bacterial infections. They must be combated immediately after detection to prevent the death of the plant.
It is important not to overdo it when watering the plant: from an excess of moisture, the tops of the bushes also begin to turn yellow and curl. If tomatoes are planted in an area where there is constant moisture, you need to make channels to drain the water.
One of possible reasons Crushing and curling of the upper leaves on tomatoes are caused by viral diseases, such as aspermia. To understand the nature of the disease, you need to remember that all fungal and bacterial diseases start from the lower leaves, and viral ones - from the upper ones.

Tomato leaves can become curled due to damage from various pests.

Some of the most common pests are aphids and whiteflies. They need to be dealt with as soon as possible to prevent serious illnesses.

Aphid

It hides under the leaves and feeds on their juice, which sometimes leads not only to curling of the tops, but also to a change in the shape of the stem.

To combat aphids, both chemicals and traditional methods are used. It all depends on the area of damage and the period of development of the tomatoes.

Tatyana Orlova (candidate of agricultural sciences):
Per season at favorable conditions aphids can produce up to 10-12 generations! Therefore, do not think that by getting rid of aphids at the beginning of summer, you have solved the problem forever. Watch for winged aphids on your plants. Their appearance indicates that the aphids have begun to spread again.

Chemicals

It is necessary to treat crops against aphids with chemicals with extreme caution, since they are completely removed from tomatoes after 25-30 days, so fruits that have almost reached maturity must be picked and placed in a dark room until fully ripe.

To combat the pest, you can use insecticides such as:

"Akarin." For spraying, take 8 ml of the drug and 1 liter of water.
"Biotlin." It is used to kill adults. The drug also prevents the reproduction of aphids. For treatment, use 5 ml of insecticide per 10 liters of water.
"Spark". A potent drug. It fights not only aphids, but also other pests. For the solution, use 1 tablet of the drug per 10 liters of water.

In addition to chemical agents, there are also biological preparations that can be used 2 days before harvesting the fruits. Such preparations are Fitoverm and Aktofit. An ampoule of the drug (4-6 ml) is diluted in 1 liter of water and the plants are treated with it.

All chemicals are used according to instructions and at a temperature not lower than 16°C. If it is lower, the drug does not work.

Tatyana Orlova (candidate of agricultural sciences):
High temperature also negatively affects the effectiveness of the prepared drug. As a rule, all chemical protective agents are prepared using water based. High air temperature promotes rapid evaporation of the substance. The drug simply won’t even have time to work. Therefore, it is recommended to use plant protection products in the morning and evening hours when the air temperature is below +25 degrees.

Everything in the greenhouse chemical treatments must be carried out with extreme caution, in special clothing, the greenhouse after treatment is left open overnight.

Traditional methods

As an alternative chemicals Traditional methods are used to combat aphids. A good remedy is a soap solution. To prepare it you need:

rub a bar of laundry soap;
dissolve it in a small amount of water;
pour the finished mixture into 10 liters of water;
add 1 liter of water with boiled and strained ash.

Tomato leaves are treated with this product, not forgetting their lower part.

Soap foam, which is used to wash damaged leaves, also helps in the fight against aphids. You can also try to kill pests by washing them off with a strong stream of water.

Aphids do not tolerate garlic solution. To prepare it, use 3 cloves of garlic and 0.5 tbsp. water. This product is infused for 3 days, after which it is filtered, added to 1 bucket of water and the culture is treated.

Folk remedies will be beneficial if used regularly: once every 7-10 days.

Prevention

To prevent the appearance of aphids, you need to dig up 10-15 cm of soil in the fall after harvesting. For the winter, it is not leveled, but left loosened.

In the spring, the area allocated for tomatoes is treated with fufanon solution. To prepare it, take 60 g of the drug and dilute it in 10 liters of water.

No less important is correct scheme planting tomato seedlings. It is necessary to take into account the distance between the bushes. It should not be less than 30 cm in a row and 70 cm between rows.

Near the area with tomatoes, anthills are destroyed so that the ants do not transfer aphids to the seedlings.

Tatyana Orlova (candidate of agricultural sciences):
Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely and permanently remove ants from your site. They leave one place and migrate to another. But to control their numbers, use the drugs Muracid and Medvetox in the form of granules. Several granules of these drugs are placed in the passages of the anthill and behind a short time ants disappear in it

Whitefly

The leaves begin to curl due to whitefly infestation. She, like aphids, hides under tomato leaves. Adults are more harmful than larvae. If the quantity is small, the damaged leaves are torn off, but this is not a very effective method.

To completely get rid of this pest, use the following chemicals, How.