[jingerpot]

Hi all,   I am a new member.......This is my first year on my new allottment and my first go at a greenhouse. all my tomatoes were doing great till this hot spell and the top stems of my toms are really curling up.....they look healthy and I have made sure they are well watered......What can be causing this?

[SweetPea]

Mine are doing this too jingerpot - I'm sure it's just the heat.  Are they in a greenhouse?  At the moment I'm having to water mine twice a day - first thing in the morning and then last thing at night too.  That seems to minimise the leaf curl a bit.

[John]

Leaf curling is quite usual and not a bad sign in tomatoes - it is pretty critical to keep them watered though. If they dry out and then get watered when the fruit is forming, the plant lives but the fruit swells too fast and splits the skins. It also causes blossom end rot.

[jingerpot]

Thanks a lot for the reassurance  chaps. The greenest thing about my new allotment is me at the moment ! !

[Nugget]

i had this and was panicing, in fact i thought mine were dead, i dont feel so bad now.

[Nugget]

change of plan, i went to the allotment last night to water and i found me first tomato and lots more yellow flowers, should i start feeding them now?

[John]

Yes, now is the time to start feeding your toms,  - a simple easy question

[jingerpot]

Well I have watered my toms lots (they are wearing snorkels now) but the curly stems are still not uncurling. have now reshuffled those ones out of the heat of that window and I shall wait to see what happens now !

[stompy]

Whats the best feed for toms.

I'v put some manure into a dustbin with some water about 2 months ago, the water is now brown and very stinky, will this work as a feed.

[Oliver]

Whats the best feed for toms.
Your stinky manure water will be fine for tomato feed, but be careful - it could be too strong so it might need diluting - you don't want to burn your plants!
It's tricky to make your own stuff because you don't know how strong will be - 'some manure' in a 'dustbin' is not exactly scientific so, start off by diluting it so its a light colour and see what happens.  You will generally get to know your own mix so next time should be easier. My humans use a 'bought' tomato feeed, but this year they are making some comfrey stuff which they will dilute. (Comfrey is high in potassium which toms apparently like).

[SweetPea]

Hi again jingerpot!

My tomatoes still have curly leaves and they now feel quite leathery - I think they are going to stay that way now.  I've looked on the internet though (I'm new to this too!) and apparently it's just cosmetic, and the fruit should be fine

Here's a quote from the site I found:

Leaf roll, or leaf curl, is a physiologic distortion that may develop with periods of cool, rainy weather. It cause the lower leaves to roll upward and become thick and leathery. Leaf roll does not affect plant growth or fruit production and requires no treatment.

I'm sure one of the more experienced people on here can advise further

[John]

Sweetpea - don't worry about the leaf curl, they'll be fine - unlike some of mine that seem to have some sort of blight.  :cry:

Been rotten year so far for diseases which I put down to the awful May

Comfrey liquid is brilliant as a tomato feed - as I think I may have said before! (OK, I'm a comfrey bore)

[stompy]

My toms have gone a yellow collour and veiny looking, they have toms on though.

Any ideas  :idea:

[sally_cinnamon]

My outdoor tomatoes have gone kind of "hard" and tough (is that what you meant by leathery, sweetpea?) compared with my ones that I have grown in the office, with are all silky soft and furry - is that due to "weathering"?  Or should I have taken more care of them?  (I did put them outside quite early...)

[SweetPea]

My outdoor tomatoes have gone kind of "hard" and tough (is that what you meant by leathery, sweetpea?)

Yes - the leaves feel very tough compared to how they were earlier on in the season.  The fruit look great though, and there are plenty of them so I'm not complaining!