Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Goldfinger on August 05, 2012, 19:32
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As my toms' are growing, the leaves are then curling and twisting into very horrible deformed shapes. :(
Even though there is no signs of blackening or rot anywhere else on the plants, is this some kind of 'blight'??
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Pictures would be helpful. It may be some other kind of "stress".
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What are you growing them in? Was any manure added?
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It's only happening in the poly', which is what I don't understand as there was manure added to both the GH and poly - virus/bug in manure?
I grew potatoes in the poly' first, then the toms', so I'm a bit confused.... ???
As the poly was built last year on 'new ground', and this year being it's first growing year, could it be something that was in the ground already?
I know that part of where the poly sits, there was a chicken run, the other half was just 'wasted space'.
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I've had leaves like this in the greenhouse this year. I think it is something to do with stress rather than disease, being too hot for example
Of course it could be a response to aphid damage, or to herbicide use. With mine I know neither of these are the cause, but I thought I should mention them.
Sorry, didn't mean to sound smug
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The leaf roll is more than likely due to fluctuating temperatures, so stress, but a picture would help to make sure. :)
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A lot of my tomato leaves are misshappen too. It isn't blight in the polytunnel, but I know I've got it outside a bit, but got rid of the worst ones and dug up the tiny potatoes that had it.
Fingers crossed that the rest of the toms will be okay.
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Goldfinger, is this occurring to the new growth at the top of the plant? If so, I have an identical problem and thought it is down to a virus in the manure which I added to the planting compost. I even bought the manure from a local GC rather than from the farm. However, sunshineband might be right about it being stress, although they are not showing any other symptoms and appear otherwise healthy.
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Not really, it happends as the plant grows. The leaves form - look nice and healthy, then as they get bigger, they start to twist and deform.
If it is stress due to temperature fluctuations, how can I minimise it?
I've kept the doors at either end open all the time, once the winter and spring had passed, so I wonder how I could keep the temperature constant?
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Its really difficult when the weather is hot during the daytime and getting into the mid high 20's(degrees C). You can either install shading netting, but to tell you the truth the leaf roll doesn't tend to effect the production of tomatoes unless the leaves dry out excessively, to the point that they can't photosyntesize.
You can bring the temperature down by spraying water on the floor and leaving buckets of cold water around.
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I have some photos now, if it helps.....
(http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv225/Goldfinger_photos/IMAG0346.jpg)
(http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv225/Goldfinger_photos/IMAG0342.jpg)
(http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv225/Goldfinger_photos/IMAG0347.jpg)
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I've had leaves like this in the greenhouse this year. I think it is something to do with stress rather than disease, being too hot for example
Of course it could be a response to aphid damage, or to herbicide use. With mine I know neither of these are the cause, but I thought I should mention them.
Sorry, didn't mean to sound smug
I haven't spotted any aphids, or used any herbicides.
But I think you're right about stress, if that's what causes twisted / deformed leaves and stems.
Is it something to do with, one minute cold wet and raining - next screaming sunshine, hot and maybe humid, not like a 'steady / even' temperature?
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I hope its stress, however the pics show quite deformed leaves, which may be due to a herbicide called aminopyralid. Its sprayed on cereals and then the straw left after harvest is baled and sold to horse owners who use it in stables. The herbicide is carried in the manure and affects the crops in the year following use, which is how it gets into greenhouses and polytunnels even if you haven't used it yourself.
There are certain crops that seem to be more affected, tomatoes and potaoes being a couple, sadly it often causes the plants to be blind, so sadly no tomatoes.
But you'll just have to wait and see, but I do hope its stress for your sake.
(The same manure the following year will not have the same problem, damage only last one year)
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Aminopyralid usually causes ferny foliage and it doesn't look like that to me ;)
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Aminopyralid usually causes ferny foliage and it doesn't look like that to me ;)
Nor me. :)
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It looks as though it's had a dose of weed killer to me. I would have said 2,4-D or mecoprop but not sure you can get them now unless someone has some stored in their shed that they are still using.
I'll look up lawn herbicides might be that they still contain them.
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Yes, selective herbicides for lawns contain them. They cause twisting of leaves like your picture. Has anyone been using lawn "weed and feed" or anything like that ?
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I've used the same manure over the whole plot this year, except where roots and brassicas have gone.
I had potatoes in the same ground - with the manure, in poly' before the toms' went in, and they had no problems... ???
In the green house, I used the same manure again, but didn't plant anything before hand, just went straight in with the toms'. Yet there are no deformities on the tomatoes in there...
The greenhouse is in a slightly more sheltered spot, when the sun gets further round, it's light is then 'dappled' by trees. not like the poly' - on a south facing fence, exposed from sunrise to sunset.
Do you think we can rule out herbicides, and sway more towards heat/ temperture stress...??
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It could be heat stress. If it is they will grow out of it now that the temperatures are a little cooler. I should not affect their cropping,