What causes tomato leaf curl
Tomato is a very popular vegetable, and it is grown on a large area in both northern and southern China. Tomatoes are very rich in nutrients, which is why they are so popular. However, when growing tomatoes, we often run into many problems that affect their growth. One of these is tomato leaf curl. So what causes tomato leaf curl? Below, the editor will give you a brief introduction, so let's take a look!
1. Pinching and pruning too early
When growing tomatoes, we need to carry out pinching and pruning work. But pay attention to the timing of pinching: if you pinch too early, it easily leads to the sprouting of axillary buds, so the phosphate in the leaves cannot be transported, and the leaves age as a result, causing leaf curl. Also, when pruning, the time for removing side branches should not be too early either. It should be done after the side branches have grown to about 7cm; if pruning is done too early, the assimilation area of the leaves will be too small, affecting the growth of the aboveground part of the plant, and it will also have a great impact on root growth, resulting in leaf curl.
2. High temperature and drought
During the peak fruiting period of tomatoes, temperature and water are very important. If you encounter hot, dry weather, pay attention to watering in time and do a good job of replenishing water. If you do not water and replenish water in time, it will have a very big impact on tomato growth. This is because at this time the leaf area is very large, and a high-temperature, strong-light environment causes excessive transpiration in the leaves and too-rapid water evaporation, so the lower leaves of the plant curl.
3. Improper fertilization
During the growth process, tomatoes have a relatively large demand for nutrients. So we should pay attention to doing a good job of fertilizing and controlling the application of nitrogen fertilizer; remember that too much nitrogen fertilizer must not be applied. If too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, it easily causes fertilizer damage to tomatoes, causing small leaves to turn over and curl. In addition, applying too much nitrogen fertilizer causes tomatoes to lack phosphorus and potassium elements as well as various trace elements. All of these will cause the leaves to be too small and deformed.
4. Diseases and pesticide damage
Disease is also one of the main causes of tomato leaf curl. Among these, viral disease is especially important: after tomatoes develop viral disease, the leaves easily lose their green color, become smaller, and the leaf surface wrinkles. This generally mainly occurs on the heart leaves and the upper leaves of the plant, especially under high temperature and strong light. Then there is pesticide damage: many people use chemicals to dip flowers during the tomato flowering period, and if the concentration is too high or the leaves directly contact the chemical, it will cause leaf curl.
The above is a brief introduction to the causes of tomato leaf curl. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can be helpful to everyone!