Why do your tomato plant leaves point up?

Answer 1

Environmental stress from bouts of cool rainyweather, herbicide damage, severe pruning, sucking insects and viruses tend to cause tomato leaves to curl.

Yo-yo watering and severe pruning may cause a tomato plant temporarily to develop thick, leathery leaves that curl upwards. In this case, the plant shows no effects on flowering, fruiting or growth. The plant should re-adjust within the week.

Herbicide damage, particularly from 2,4-D, may cause tomato leaves to curl first downwards and then upwards. In this case, the plant may show such effects as cat-faced fruit, stunted growth and twisted leaves. If the exposure is mild or minimal, such effects aren't seen, and any damage will be outgrown.

Herbicide damage may take place a couple of days after the original lawn treatment. It also may occur if the treated lawn is mowed and the clippings are used as mulch.

Sucking insects such as the sweet potato whitefly[Bemisia tabaci] may remove the nutrient-filled products of photosynthesis from a tomato plant. That's why the leaves that they so attack end up yellow in color and deformed in appearance.

Insecticidal soap is an organic control to the pest while an insecticide with the active ingredient esfenvalerate is a more potent control that yields more immediate effects. Insecticidal soap may be used up to the day before harvesting the fruit. With esfenvalerate there must be a day wait between the treatment and the harvest.

Viruses may cause a tomato leaf to cup first downwards and then up. The most recent and most problematic is the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl virus. It's transmitted by such sucking insects as the sweet potato whitefly, which should be treated as listed above in the paragraph. Accompanying damage to the rest of the plant depends upon when during the tomato plant's growth the virus is transmitted. So it's possible that flowers may or may not wither and that fruit may or may not set.

The presence of the virus is encouraged by such weeds as jimsonweed [Datura stramonium] and nightshade [Atropa belladonna]. As long as such weeds and such plants as the tomato share space, gardeners need to consider the possible continued presence of the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl virus.

Leaf roll, or leaf curl, is a physiologic distortion that may develop with periods of cool, rainy weather. It cause the lower leaves to roll upward and become thick and leathery. Leaf roll does not affect plant growth or fruit production and requires no treatment.

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Tomato leaf curl can be caused by a variety of things of which bugs (usually aphids) are only one. Look at the underside of the leaves that are curling. If you don't see aphids, it will either be normal for the leaves to curl or you have a fungus/viral problem. Tomato leaves curl naturally if it's too dry, too hot, too humid or too windy. In other words, the leaves will tend to curl if growing conditions are not optimum for the plant. If it's too hot and dry, water more deeply. If it's too wet, water less frequently (make sure you water deeply though). You can tell if it's a viral or fungal problem by looking at the entire plant, especially the leaves. Tomato leaves differ in color dependent upon the plant. There are some varieties with deep green leaves and others have lighter green leaves. If the leaves are lighter in color than they should be for that variety of tomato, you probably have a viral or fungal infection. The same holds true if you have spotting on the leaves. Cut off a small branch and take it to your local nursery to see what they recommend for your area of the country.

Answer 2

Tomato leaf curl can be caused by a variety of things of which bugs (usually aphids) are only one. Look at the underside of the leaves that are curling. If you don't see aphids, it will either be normal for the leaves to curl or you have a fungus/viral problem. Tomato leaves curl naturally if it's too dry, too hot, too humid or too windy. In other words, the leaves will tend to curl if growing conditions are not optimum for the plant. If it's too hot and dry, water more deeply. If it's too wet, water less frequently (make sure you water deeply though). You can tell if it's a viral or fungal problem by looking at the entire plant, especially the leaves. Tomato leaves differ in color dependent upon the plant. There are some varieties with deep green leaves and others have lighter green leaves. If the leaves are lighter in color than they should be for that variety of tomato, you probably have a viral or fungal infection. The same holds true if you have spotting on the leaves. Cut off a small branch and take it to your local nursury to see what they recommend for your area of the country.

Answer 3

It probably has aphids or another insect which is sucking the plant juices out through the leaves. Uncurl one of the leaves and look carefully for tiny insects. If you see them, spray them with insecticidal soap, according to the instructions on the label. You can also just blast the insects off with a strong spray of water. Repeat this once or twice a day. Another thing you can do is get some beneficial insects like lady bug larvae, aphid lions or green lacewings and release them in the garden. If it is just the top leaves it is because they are growing well continue as before.

Answer 4

The reason depends upon how the plant and its leaves look. [1] Some upward pointing may be natural, in response to light and sun. This is ka phototropism. [2] Other upward pointing may be pathological, in response to stress. One such stress is the tomato leaf curl virus. It's spread by whiteflies. An organic control for whiteflies is pyrethrum. A synthetic control is esfenvalerate. [3] In terms of the virus, there are images on the internet. Just Google tomato leaf curl virus.

Answer 5

Sometimes it is an indication of not enough water . . . Also, the soil might be TOO acid. ( Is it close to a pine tree ? )

Also, what time of year is this happening. In early spring, the leafs will curl a little ( and have a dark, almost black look to them ) when it is a bit too cool. That won't hurt the plant any, it will bounce back when the weather warms.

Also, look closely at the underside of the leafs. You may have white flies, or other insects that are sucking nutrients from the plant. Some insects will wash off with the garden hose ( aphids and such ) . . . other insects are harder to control. ( Mild dish soap mixed with water is sometimes a solution. ) Do an on line search for natural ways to cure insect damage.

Good luck !

Answer 6

Probably lack of water.

Answer 7

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