Why do tomato leaves often twist? Have you ever asked yourself this question? Today we are going to reveal the true motivation. All his fault.
If you have a small vegetable garden and grow tomato plants, you have surely observed a curious phenomenon: the spinning of leaves. Why does this happen? Let’s find out together.
Tomatoes, the best way to grow them
The tomato plant is one of the most difficult to care for. It is not enough to water them properly, but also to fertilize them with the right nutrients. However, it is not true that it only grows well in a vegetable garden or in a large garden. You can even grow it on your balcony at home, and if you follow a few tips, you can also harvest its delicious, soft fruits.
Whether you want to try growing tomatoes in the garden, on the balcony, or on the deck, it doesn’t matter. You should keep in mind some rules that, if not followed, will prevent your plant from growing and bearing fruit in the best way. This is the vademecum that you should always keep in mind:
- The tomato plant lives in water: water it several times a day in summer and once a day in spring;
- The tomato plant needs light to grow: expose it to the sun’s rays;
- You should fertilize the tomato plant at least every two weeks – in this way it grows very fast and bears fruit;
- It is necessary to bury the tomato plant deeply: this is the only way for the roots to grow strongly and absorb all the necessary nutrients.
Ahora que has aprendido estas reglas, todo lo que tienes que hacer es ponerlas en práctica y disfrutar de los resultados de tu trabajo. Pero primero, debemos abordar otro punto importante. ¿Alguna vez has notado que tus hermosas plantas de tomate a menudo tienen hojas retorcidas? ¿Por qué ocurre este extraño fenómeno? Esta es la verdadera motivación.
Por qué las hojas de tomate a menudo se retuercen: la razón
If the leaves of your tomato plants curl or twist on themselves, the reason is essentially one. It’s all his fault, the dangerous white mite!
Have you ever heard of it? It’s a pest that can cause a lot of damage to your tomato plant. White mites are tiny, almost invisible to the naked eye, and yet your plant suffers greatly from their presence. They lay their eggs, even microscopically small, on the underside of leaves. They avoid light and feed on the leaves of tomato plants, to which they transmit dangerous diseases and toxins through the bite. The latter make the leaves rotate. How to solve the problem? If you think an infestation is occurring, it’s best to intervene with an acaricide to prevent the plant from dying. Then proceed to wash the leaves with a mixture of water and baking soda. To do so, you need to pour 2 tablespoons of baking soda into 300 ml of water at room temperature. Then pour the product into a nebulizer and spray the solution onto the leaves. Be sure to remove white mites and eggs by wiping a cotton pad soaked in the mixture of water and baking soda over the tomato leaves. Your plant should recover within a few days. But there are also other reasons that can cause tomato leaves to curl. For example, unstable weather can cause this phenomenon. High temperatures and scorching heat are not friends with the tomato: the leaves dry out and twist because the plant tries to defend itself to prevent further water loss. Herbicides can also cause the phenomenon of curly tomato leaves. By this, we don’t necessarily mean your weed killers (we trust your eco-consciousness!), but also those that a neighbor uses on their plants to get rid of pests and weeds.
The wind moves them on the ground, hits the tomatoes and makes them sick. If you interact quickly by treating your plant with potassium and calcium supplements, you can save it. And have you ever heard of the so-called tomato virus? It is a disease that, unfortunately, does not allow the plant to survive. It has nothing to do with the white mites we talked about earlier. In this particular case, you will unfortunately see that your plant will get sick quickly. Not only do the leaves twist, but they also begin to be covered with a white patina, which then spreads to the stem as well. The tomato virus is also dangerous for other plants. If this disease also reaches your garden, you have a unique solution that you can put into practice. They have to pull up and throw away the diseased plant, as this virus can also be deadly to cucumber, eggplant, and zucchini plants. For this reason, tomato leaves are often twisted. The reasons we have given are the most dangerous for your plant. Take maximum care of your tomatoes by following the tips we have given you.
