Reasons for curling the tops of tomatoes
Properly caring for tomato seedlings is not an easy task. Seedlings require care: it is necessary to carefully monitor the composition of the soil, temperature conditions, and also to carry out prophylaxis against diseases. Only in this case you can get a good yield percentage. But there are times when, even at first glance, with good care, the plant shows signs of illness and many, even experienced gardeners, do not know why the tops of the tomatoes are twisting.
Reasons for curling the tops of tomatoes
The main mistakes when caring for tomatoes
In fact, there are many reasons why the top leaves of a bush can curl. Tomatoes react strongly to poor growing conditions, almost instantly all leaves quickly wither and dry out.
The main thing is to learn in time to recognize the signs of such a manifestation and start rehabilitation methods. Leaf curl has a significant effect on the yield percentage. And all due to the fact that the bush cannot receive a sufficient amount of sunlight and, as a result, the percentage of development of plastic methods, which are so necessary for the good formation of fruits, falls.
After the leaves begin to curl, the entire bush will dry out. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to understand the reasons and the main mistakes in growing seedlings:
- feeding is done incorrectly or the bush receives an insufficient percentage of feeding;
- lack of essential micronutrients;
- small percentage of organic additives;
- improper watering;
- heat;
- problems with aphids;
- various diseases.
Poor watering
If the bush has an insufficient percentage of watering, then the plant begins to save moisture reserves and, as a result, the leaves begin to turn yellow, then twist and, in the end, dry out. The leaves are curling in an attempt to drastically reduce the evaporation of moisture that is so necessary. But if moisture is in excess, then you will never get a good yield.
A small percentage of moisture is often the main reason why leaves curl, therefore, in order for the plant to receive enough water and at the same time you remain with good yields, no more than one bucket should be poured per bush.
Attention: you need to water the bush in several approaches and at the same time it is necessary to ensure that the water falls directly under the root, and does not spread throughout the entire territory. Watering is done once every 3 days.
During long and prolonged rains, it is imperative to make channels through which water will flow, since due to constant rains, the soil does not receive enough oxygen.
Heat
When the seedlings are in greenhouses and the temperature is too high there, the plant experiences a lot of stress and begins to dry out. In order for moisture not to evaporate and remain in the plant, the bush is trying to reduce its area due to the leaf plate and therefore the upper leaves are twisted.To keep your plants safe, you need to constantly ventilate the room and create good ventilation. High temperatures are detrimental to plants that grow in greenhouses.
Plants in the greenhouse need regular ventilation
Tomatoes in hellish heat should be darkened at noon. It is best to use white Lutrasil or Spunbond for this. We will consider several rules below.
- Experts advise treating plants with a solution: ½ tablespoon of urea per 10 liters. water. Then, after 2 days, you need to process it with potassium permanganate, preferably a raspberry shade.
- Mulch. Thanks to the large layer of grass, the roots of the seedlings do not overheat at about 8 cm.
- Gardeners do not advise reanimating already slightly wilted bushes with the help of rainwater. And all due to the fact that in the bright sun drops of water turn into lenses and they begin to burn through the plant, then they turn yellow and dry. Morning or evening rain watering can lead to the formation of late blight.
Bad feeding
Often, even the most experienced gardeners do not know why the tops of the tomato are twisted, but it is important for tomatoes to feed once every 2 weeks, no matter where the seedlings grow - in open soil or in a greenhouse. According to experts, the main mistake of gardeners is that they are very addicted to organic additives.
Manure, nitrogen fertilizers, various herbs are good fertilizers, but they cannot provide adequate nutrition for the root system of tomatoes. An excess of manure fertilizer releases too much ammonia into the soil, which subsequently burns the plant, and then wilting occurs.
At such a moment, the fattening of the bush occurs, that is, instead of giving all the vitamins for the growth of fruits, the plant begins to give up all its elements to build up greenery.
Types of feeding
It is necessary to buy only high-quality manure or compost and give the plant all types of feeding: organic, mineral and combined.
- If we talk about mineral fertilizers, tomatoes need to be sprayed with boric acid for normal growth and stable immunity. This feeding stimulates the growth of fruits and promotes the formation of ovaries. Processing must be done in the evening so that the solution dries more slowly.
- Organic fertilizers have a beneficial effect on both the soil and the plant. Such fertilizers saturate tomatoes with useful elements, accelerate the growth of fruits. Most often, wood ash is used as an organic fertilizer. It is she who is the source of many useful elements (potassium, magnesium, etc.) that protect tomatoes from various pests and diseases and accelerate the process of growth and ripening of fruits. It is quite simple to make a solution for watering tomatoes: 2 glasses of ash are poured into 10 liters of boiling water and insisted for 3 days. After that, filter the resulting solution and water the bushes with it.
- As for the combined feeding, most often, experienced breeders use the following fertilizer: for 30 kg of humus, you need to add 500 g of ammonium nitrate, 2 kg of ash and 6 kg of soil from your site. All components must be mixed and the resulting mixture is scattered over the garden with tomatoes.
Manifestation of aphids
Aphids are a disease that sucks the juices out of the bush. All due to the fact that the disease drinks the juices from the plant, while releasing a special substance. This does not give a strong effect on the leaves, but the shape of the stem begins to change.
Treatment of the plant is rather troublesome, as the disease spreads quickly. The disease develops inside the stem and spreads upward. It is advisable to apply such means: Ingavir, Fitoverm, Strela or Jaguar.
Manifestation of infections
If you have already tried everything, and the leaves continue to curl further, then only the reason remains - a bacterial infection, which most likely entered the ground along with the seeds. You can get rid of such a problem only thanks to Avixil, but you cannot completely get rid of the infection. Sometimes there are drugs that must be injected into the plant.
Despite the large number of rules and regulations, tomatoes are a popular vegetable that is grown outdoors and in greenhouses. Over time, experience and knowledge comes with the help of which it will be possible to grow excellent bushes with tomatoes, and then the tops and curliness will not be a problem for you.