curly leaves

Burleson, TX(Zone 8a)


Ok, so the top half growth of my tomatoes has curly, frilly leaves. I've read what TAMU says about it, and the Broad Mites or yellow leaf curl virus seem to be the only things that fit.

They want you to send samples off to be tested before trying a remedy. I really don't want to wait that long to get started on it.

I have a microscope, and neither my husband or I can find any 8-legged mites on them or anything that looks like the eggs they describe. Can anyone tell what's wrong by looking at these pics? Or if I have to scrap them, how do I get rid of any mites or virus that would surely be in the soil. BTW, this is a 10' X 20' garden bed with only tomatoes and squash in it. The squash all look fine. And we're out in the country, pretty isolated, so there's no herbibide drift, etc.

Thumbnail by sybram Thumbnail by sybram
Salem, NY(Zone 4b)

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/files/2010/10/E-626-What-Makes-Tomato-Leaves-Twist-or-Curl.pdf

Please read the very first part of the above and you'll see the primary reasons that leaves curl is environmental, not viruses, not mites, not herbicide drift either.

Leaves of many hybrid varieties curl normally. Leaves can curl if it's too hot too cold, too windy or whatever. Sometimes leaves twist so much they are upside down.

But with all those environmental variables being the main cause, they usually get beyond that and grow normally.

I can't say that there aren't viuses or insect damage, etc, I can only say that those are not the PRIME reasons why tomato leaves can curl and twist.

Carolyn

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