Thanks for this video - I believe all 35+ of my recently prior healthy tomato plants seem to suddenly have this - I feel devastated, as dramatic as that may sound.I don’t see purple veining or yellowing yet so I am going to try a foliar fertilizer & if no improvement in a few days, I will heartbreakingly remove my infected plants. What a challenge, bless us all in our endeavors to move past it ~ thank you again for this information.
You're welcome and glad I could help. Though I am sorry to hear about your plants....I would be devastated too! It happened to me last year and I lost all of them😭.
I'm going out to check further but noticed grass hoppers in our garden about a month ago and then all of a sudden the leaves on the tomato plants started curling. We thought it was the heat. I'll double check 1/4 of our plants today. Thank you for your video.
Your post has been so helpful. This year I planted 24 tomato plants of various types and due to an early heat wave coinciding with the first flush of spring insects, ALL of my tomatoes were infected with curly leaf! I have a few spare tomato plants that were in my nursery area and happened to be covered with fine tulle netting. I’m assuming that location under protection was those plants saving grace, as those baby plants do not have curly top infection. I’m so sad to pull out 24 formerly healthy, 2-3 ft tall growing plants, and about half of my pepper plants too. I’m hoping to find some Labor Day sale plants at a local garden center this morning to replace my lost crop. My hubby said I could just go buy my tomatoes at a grocery store. 😞 🍅 seriously he doesn’t understand.
Thank you for this information! I've been trying to figure out what was happening. I have two Renee's Tasmanian Chocolate - Heirloom Tomato Plants in a 5 Gallon grow bag (I know too small), along with two Basil Plants. Both plants look like this for a while. For Plant A, after it produced it's first set of flowers, it actually has been able to do much better and is now at it's 2nd and 3rd set of flowers (with lots of flowers at each set). The plant leaves have uncurled much more, although some shoots are in strange directions lower down. Plant B on the other hand, the leaves are much more curled for the entire plant, but some how managed to produce a set of flowers. One of them even fruited is somehow the same size as plant A fruit that has come in, even though it flowered after. So maybe mine somehow is part of the 5% that may make it through? But definitely a bizarre thing to try and figure out what's going on haha -- but now it makes sense so thank you! Since they seem to be both producing fruit, do you think it's fine to keep them both? Or should I remove plant B?
Well curly top is not transmissable through the soil...so if you are sure it is that then it does jo harm to leave it unless you want to make space for another plant
Ive had the same problem recently, and did a bunch of reading. AFAIK the curl is usually NOT caused by a virus but rather excessive Sun/UV stress ... easily halted by SHADE CLOTH.
@@poolman8676 Emphasis on USUALLY. l did 16 tomato plants this year, and during an extra dry warm and intensely sunny stretch in mid july, most of them started leaf curling. I bought some 40% shade cloth (1st time using it), and the curl progression STOPPED completely ... so for me, it worked.
BTW, 110F sounds pretty brutal. Here in zone 7b it rarely tops the mid 90's. However, im also in the northern end of hurricane alley, which brings problems of its own.
I'm in NJ and this year we are only growing saved heirloom varieties of beefsteaks. All of my Brandwine pink and a few of the beefsteak tomatoes have what looks like curlly top. My leaves are so curled at the top that they look like little buds. All the plants put on fruit early so letting them go. I started cutting out the tops of the tomato plants and a ton of new growth has come up at the bottom of the plant. I know it's hard growing older varieties of tomatoes but this really the first year we have ever seen this happen in such great numbers. I have both potato leaf and regular leaf tomato plants that have this. None of the striped roma, paste tomatoes, cherry or volunteer tomatoes have this issue.
Interesting! I haven't made a note of exactly which varieties contracted it last year. I believe one of my plants this year already has it...but I am still monitoring for progress. I know I have had cherry varieties contract it in the past. I'm sorry you're seeing these problems!
@@thefiresidefarm I'm not fully convinced it is curly top virus because the plants are growing rapidy. and the tops are so so curled almost looking like the bud of a flower. The leaves do open as the plant grows. It is the strangest thing I've ever seen.
I have it too. I had no idea what was going on because I'm pretty new to growing veggies. Thank you......u explained it so well that this newbie is pretty sure about what's happening to several of my tomatoes plants......and their still babies.... sort of. I'll give it a little bit more time but I think that's what is wrong. Thank you....😊
Glad I could help but I how that's not what it is! Unfortunately it happens to many people every year. Just one of those unavoidable things we tomato gardeners deal with😭
@@thefiresidefarm Up here in Canada.....so far we've had 1 week of hot weather back in May. I planted them the next week thinking I was good to go. If it is a leaf miner......they swooped in pretty soon after that. Thank god I found ur video because what's mostly found in my searches was for curling leaves......was very frustrated by the time ur video showed up. I'd been searching for 4 days. 😳 So.......go get a couple from a store it is then. 👍🏻 Thanks again.... 🤗🇨🇦
The damage can look very similar...but one characteristic of curly top is that it begins at the very top of the plant, and the leaves will twist themselves wrong side up.
I live in Scandinavia where you are forced to cultivate your seedlings indoors for the better part of the year before you can move them outdoors for the summer weather. I got this virus on my tomato plants even though they’ve been indoors all the time. How is that possible?
Same here ,I live in Germany and cultivate my seedlings indoors too.I doubt that the virus can be transmitted by infected semen. The same thing has happened to me two years in a row. Today I removed 5 plants. Next year I am taking new seeds, I will throw this away.
@@O.G.MISFIT The day before yesterday I was with my neighbor who also grows tomatoes. I have an anti hail net over, my neighbor don't. Therefore, mines are lightly shaded.Hers are school examples, while at my place there are exactly 6 that have started to twist. Therefore, it is not sunlight. I firmly believe that this infection is transmitted by bugs, seeds but also by infected soil. There are soil disinfectants , I will definitely do it and start with new, fresh seeds.
Did you use seeds from those plants or did you take new ones? I doubt that this virus can spread with infected seeds.Next year I will definitely take fresh seeds and throw away all the old ones.
@@thefiresidefarm Try to disinfect the soil next year. I will definitely and new seeds too.Im so sorry for your tomatoes cause the effort is ruined. Especially you grow it from seeds :(
Thanks for posting this! I've had the same issue the last couple of years and couldn't figure it out. I have one plant right now in a row that all of a sudden developed the same identical symptoms. I will handle it accordingly. Sucks for sure, but at least now I know. Thanks!
Ahhhhh sorry. I have 7 mature plants with twisted & curly top leaf and this happens after 2 days of h heat and I forgot to water them in the morning, 4 days now but I dont see any purple or yellow leaves , so no so sure what it is..they have some tomatoes and flowers. I also start seen this on some of my peppers..:( they do have peppers and flowers too..
They may just be heat stressed as well so don't worry too much! If the plant really starts to turn yellow and stop growing then you'll know...but it's not contagious so definitely let those fruits ripen
Sweet lady, harvest your suckers from the healthy plants and start them for "just in case" tomato plants. I do this every year and NEVER have to purchase tomatoes
@@thefiresidefarmI grow in a small mountain valley I've never had leafhoppers here and I've never seen one,, I got that leave virus never had it before and I've been growing for many many years,, I have managed to get many of my tomato plants to recover ! I think I use acidic soil I replaced the soil around my plants and use a lot of human supplements like potassium baking soda,, even soda pop,,(carbonation airating the soil)(seriously I think it's an effect from herbicides I've sprayed ? around my garden area,, oh boy I'm still thinking it might be many other things ! (LOL) but not leafhoppers cuz I dont have them here,, insects have never been a problem on my tomato plants their leaves are poisonous toxic to them and people,, I still spray bugs because they get in the roots and kill tomato plants
Thanks for this video - I believe all 35+ of my recently prior healthy tomato plants seem to suddenly have this - I feel devastated, as dramatic as that may sound.I don’t see purple veining or yellowing yet so I am going to try a foliar fertilizer & if no improvement in a few days, I will heartbreakingly remove my infected plants. What a challenge, bless us all in our endeavors to move past it ~ thank you again for this information.
You're welcome and glad I could help. Though I am sorry to hear about your plants....I would be devastated too! It happened to me last year and I lost all of them😭.
I'm going out to check further but noticed grass hoppers in our garden about a month ago and then all of a sudden the leaves on the tomato plants started curling. We thought it was the heat. I'll double check 1/4 of our plants today. Thank you for your video.
Your post has been so helpful. This year I planted 24 tomato plants of various types and due to an early heat wave coinciding with the first flush of spring insects, ALL of my tomatoes were infected with curly leaf! I have a few spare tomato plants that were in my nursery area and happened to be covered with fine tulle netting. I’m assuming that location under protection was those plants saving grace, as those baby plants do not have curly top infection. I’m so sad to pull out 24 formerly healthy, 2-3 ft tall growing plants, and about half of my pepper plants too. I’m hoping to find some Labor Day sale plants at a local garden center this morning to replace my lost crop. My hubby said I could just go buy my tomatoes at a grocery store. 😞 🍅 seriously he doesn’t understand.
I'm so sorry that happened to you! I definitely feel your pain! I'm glad this was helpful
So sorry but I do agree with him 😂
This is so sad. Yeah, he really does not get it.
Oh no. I’m so sorry. I hope the rest stay safe
Me too! Thanks!
Thank you for this information! I've been trying to figure out what was happening. I have two Renee's Tasmanian Chocolate - Heirloom Tomato Plants in a 5 Gallon grow bag (I know too small), along with two Basil Plants. Both plants look like this for a while. For Plant A, after it produced it's first set of flowers, it actually has been able to do much better and is now at it's 2nd and 3rd set of flowers (with lots of flowers at each set). The plant leaves have uncurled much more, although some shoots are in strange directions lower down. Plant B on the other hand, the leaves are much more curled for the entire plant, but some how managed to produce a set of flowers. One of them even fruited is somehow the same size as plant A fruit that has come in, even though it flowered after. So maybe mine somehow is part of the 5% that may make it through? But definitely a bizarre thing to try and figure out what's going on haha -- but now it makes sense so thank you! Since they seem to be both producing fruit, do you think it's fine to keep them both? Or should I remove plant B?
Well curly top is not transmissable through the soil...so if you are sure it is that then it does jo harm to leave it unless you want to make space for another plant
Ive had the same problem recently, and did a bunch of reading. AFAIK the curl is usually NOT caused by a virus but rather excessive Sun/UV stress ... easily halted by SHADE CLOTH.
That's not my case. 110f here. One has it. One is thriving well. No shade cloth
@@poolman8676 Emphasis on USUALLY.
l did 16 tomato plants this year, and during an extra dry warm and intensely sunny stretch in mid july, most of them started leaf curling. I bought some 40% shade cloth (1st time using it), and the curl progression STOPPED completely ... so for me, it worked.
BTW, 110F sounds pretty brutal. Here in zone 7b it rarely tops the mid 90's. However, im also in the northern end of hurricane alley, which brings problems of its own.
@@RovingPunster it's a dry heat
@@poolman8676 Temps that high usually are, yes.
what percent shade cloth do you have above your tomatoes and where do you order it? thank you!!
Hey there! Growers solutions is where I got it. I believe it's 40%
I'm in NJ and this year we are only growing saved heirloom varieties of beefsteaks. All of my Brandwine pink and a few of the beefsteak tomatoes have what looks like curlly top. My leaves are so curled at the top that they look like little buds. All the plants put on fruit early so letting them go. I started cutting out the tops of the tomato plants and a ton of new growth has come up at the bottom of the plant. I know it's hard growing older varieties of tomatoes but this really the first year we have ever seen this happen in such great numbers. I have both potato leaf and regular leaf tomato plants that have this. None of the striped roma, paste tomatoes, cherry or volunteer tomatoes have this issue.
Interesting! I haven't made a note of exactly which varieties contracted it last year. I believe one of my plants this year already has it...but I am still monitoring for progress. I know I have had cherry varieties contract it in the past.
I'm sorry you're seeing these problems!
@@thefiresidefarm I'm not fully convinced it is curly top virus because the plants are growing rapidy. and the tops are so so curled almost looking like the bud of a flower. The leaves do open as the plant grows. It is the strangest thing I've ever seen.
I have it too. I had no idea what was going on because I'm pretty new to growing veggies.
Thank you......u explained it so well that this newbie is pretty sure about what's happening to several of my tomatoes plants......and their still babies.... sort of. I'll give it a little bit more time but I think that's what is wrong.
Thank you....😊
Glad I could help but I how that's not what it is! Unfortunately it happens to many people every year. Just one of those unavoidable things we tomato gardeners deal with😭
@@thefiresidefarm
Up here in Canada.....so far we've had 1 week of hot weather back in May. I planted them the next week thinking I was good to go. If it is a leaf miner......they swooped in pretty soon after that.
Thank god I found ur video because what's mostly found in my searches was for curling leaves......was very frustrated by the time ur video showed up. I'd been searching for 4 days. 😳
So.......go get a couple from a store it is then. 👍🏻
Thanks again.... 🤗🇨🇦
You're welcome! I have trouble with leaf miners as well, but thankfully they didn't bother me too badly this year
What should we spray for leaf curl also blight ,for sucking pests ,mites, fruit drop in tomato
Is there a way to differentiate between this and herbicide poisoning? I have almost a whole bed of 10 plants showing similar symptoms.
The damage can look very similar...but one characteristic of curly top is that it begins at the very top of the plant, and the leaves will twist themselves wrong side up.
I live in Scandinavia where you are forced to cultivate your seedlings indoors for the better part of the year before you can move them outdoors for the summer weather. I got this virus on my tomato plants even though they’ve been indoors all the time. How is that possible?
I'm not certain. Perhaps the bug was able to get indoors?
Same here ,I live in Germany and cultivate my seedlings indoors too.I doubt that the virus can be transmitted by infected semen. The same thing has happened to me two years in a row. Today I removed 5 plants. Next year I am taking new seeds, I will throw this away.
What kind of bug will eat that bug? If any
I have no idea....🤔
White fly and green fly
Use insecticide Dinotefuran
Heartbreaking.
I have two. One has it.
A shade net will stop leaf curl instantly, too much sun and the leaves curl up to absorb less sunlight. Pretty simple 👍
it happens here in Germany on 25C ...that is not hot .
@@inesxyq it not heat, it's too much direct sunlight
@@O.G.MISFIT The day before yesterday I was with my neighbor who also grows tomatoes. I have an anti hail net over, my neighbor don't. Therefore, mines are lightly shaded.Hers are school examples, while at my place there are exactly 6 that have started to twist. Therefore, it is not sunlight. I firmly believe that this infection is transmitted by bugs, seeds but also by infected soil. There are soil disinfectants , I will definitely do it and start with new, fresh seeds.
Did you use seeds from those plants or did you take new ones? I doubt that this virus can spread with infected seeds.Next year I will definitely take fresh seeds and throw away all the old ones.
I used new seeds
@@thefiresidefarm Try to disinfect the soil next year. I will definitely and new seeds too.Im so sorry for your tomatoes cause the effort is ruined. Especially you grow it from seeds :(
Thanks for posting this! I've had the same issue the last couple of years and couldn't figure it out. I have one plant right now in a row that all of a sudden developed the same identical symptoms. I will handle it accordingly. Sucks for sure, but at least now I know. Thanks!
You're welcome and glad I could help!
Will the fruit look pale compared to the fruit of a healthy tomato plant?
It should ripen fully..but may take longer than usual!
@@thefiresidefarm thank you!
Ahhhhh sorry. I have 7 mature plants with twisted & curly top leaf and this happens after 2 days of h heat and I forgot to water them in the morning, 4 days now but I dont see any purple or yellow leaves , so no so sure what it is..they have some tomatoes and flowers.
I also start seen this on some of my peppers..:( they do have peppers and flowers too..
They may just be heat stressed as well so don't worry too much! If the plant really starts to turn yellow and stop growing then you'll know...but it's not contagious so definitely let those fruits ripen
@@thefiresidefarm Thanks
I have the same thing on some of mine. I'll just burn them and plant in a different bed next season.
It appears i get this instantly every year no matter what if i get a weird variety.
Yup! It just hit a couple of mine...I'll have to show in the next vid
i just lost my tomatoes to the bug. I'm replanting this evening.
So sorry!
Looks like aminopyralid from herbicide passed through manure most likely in your topsoil
Sweet lady, harvest your suckers from the healthy plants and start them for "just in case" tomato plants. I do this every year and NEVER have to purchase tomatoes
I have done that before and I always get lazy and let it slip my mind halfway through the season😅😅 thanks for reminding me!
@@thefiresidefarm That's what we are here for.
@@thefiresidefarmI grow in a small mountain valley I've never had leafhoppers here and I've never seen one,, I got that leave virus never had it before and I've been growing for many many years,, I have managed to get many of my tomato plants to recover ! I think I use acidic soil I replaced the soil around my plants and use a lot of human supplements like potassium baking soda,, even soda pop,,(carbonation airating the soil)(seriously I think it's an effect from herbicides I've sprayed ? around my garden area,, oh boy I'm still thinking it might be many other things ! (LOL) but not leafhoppers cuz I dont have them here,, insects have never been a problem on my tomato plants their leaves are poisonous toxic to them and people,, I still spray bugs because they get in the roots and kill tomato plants
All of mine have curly top I believe. Their very green and pretty but the new growth on top is gnarly and mangled. All twisted up. I am sooooo sad.
Oh I'm sorry! That happened to me last year. I'm really thinking about covering my tomatoes with some sort of pest fabric next year 🤔
@@thefiresidefarm me too!
Mine too
might be better to just leave them, that way the bug doesnt move to another plant. plus any seeds from infected might be resistant to future harvest.
You have pretty eyes
Thank you