Cherry and beefsteak tomatoes. Noticed on the beefsteak first. It started at the top of the plant and worked its way down. Today I went out to do my usual watering and checking on everything and noticed that my cherry tomatoes were showing the same type of wilting. Tomatoes are growing relatively well and the leaves are not discolored, just wilted. Raised bed, Zone 8a. What’s going on with my tomatoes?
Update: Based on everyone’s comments (thank you so much!). I’ve trimmed the plants considerably to open them up and improve airflow, I’ll be getting straw for the soil and installing a shade cloth and hopefully that does the trick.
Unless they start yellowing or stunting it’s probably just leaf roll, which is just a physiological response to environmental stressors. Could be too hot, too cold, or over/underwatering. If it’s a temp thing, it should resolve on its own and shouldn’t cause any permanent damage.
If it has been a little cool where you live (or the soil is too wet), it will resolve when the temperatures rise (or vice versa if it’s been hot).
Edit: Based on your comment below, I’m guessing this is a result of the heat. Consider shading them.
It’s physiological leaf roll. Its a reaction to environmental stressors, likely the heat. It causes no damage to the plant and doesn’t reduce the yield.
The treatment for it is ignoring it.
https://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/fact-sheet/tomato-physiological-leaf-roll/
Thanks. I have a lovely Burmese sour that has been doing this as a result of a recent heatwave. The fruit still looks good but I was worried about it until I read this.
Couple questions to help narrow it down:
How’s the heat been lately? How many hours of sun are they getting? How and how often do you water? Hit it with fertilizer recently? Seen any globs of little bugs under the leaves (probably little green guys or little fuzzy white guys)?
For the last few days, 100 degrees. Full sun (8am - 6pm). As they were getting established (it’s a new raised bed), I watered daily. Lately I’ve been trying to water every other day depending on how the soil on top looks. I added some compost about a month or so ago. As far as the little bugs, I don’t think I have seen them but I also haven’t been looking.
How do they look a few hours after the sun goes down? If it’s just heat stress, the leaves will uncurl once it cools off.
Often, curling up is heat stress, curling down is too much water. That is not a hard and fast rule though, a bunch of other things can cause those conditions.
I will check this tonight but I believe they remain the same even after the sun has gone down.
From my past reading on tomato plants, they don’t really like temperatures above 88 degF. They’ll not be happy at 100. Maybe, can you shade them?
So I looked around the plant and under leaves and I don’t see any green or white bugs. I see some spider webs here and there but I don’t think that’s harmful.
Excellent. I’m inclined to agree with other folks, sounds like environmental and I’d bet on heat stress or a watering issue. I’d try a shade cloth first
So I’ve been just searching on Google and some of the articles I’m finding suggest that my plant has blight. Is this way off base?
From what I’ve seen and what’s been said, I’d say no. Both blights are pretty dramatic and you’d see more dark blotches and yellowing, probably some rotten tomatoes. Especially if it was far enough along to start affecting this much of the plant
My apologies I mean to say bacterial wilt not blight.
No worries! And yeah, I could see that. If that does end up being the case, then it’s pretty much a goner. Try getting some of the sun off them and keep an eye out for root rot or light brown spots where the flesh feels soft. If they recover, just too much heat. If they start going rotten, might as well pull it so it won’t spread so much
Here’s a picture of the cherry tomatoes.
looks to me they are to dry. they need more water