Hi Sarah,

First of all, I don't think anyone here will give you a hard time for asking a 'repeat' question. The search function here misbehaves at times and it can be hard to find a thread that you know exists, much less one you're uncertain about.

Secondly, yes, leaf curl has been a major issue for many members of this forum this year. In mid-spring, the leaf curl tended to occur because of sporadic very hard rains which left the soil and plant roots waterlogged for long periods of time. In late spring, leaf curl occurred as a result of the early arrival of mid-summer type temperatures in late spring and early summer. In mid-summer, leaf curl is occuring because of prolonged excessively hot temperatures combined with very low rainfall in most places. A few folks have had the combination of very high heat and sporadic heavy rainfall which is also very stressful to plants as it is a combination that favors fungal and bacterial diseases.

When someone has physiological leaf curl in the last half of July or the first half of August, it is almost always because high temperatures are stressing the plants. I'd bet that is what you're seeing. Plants that were perfectly gorgeous the first and second week in July can look totally exhausted by the end of July.

Although leaf curl can indicate a couple of different diseases, it generally just indicates stress.

With the tomato plants that are dying, it could be the heat, it could be too much rainfall if you're in a wet part of the state or too little if you're in a dry part. It would be rare for it to be herbicide drift although occasionally that occurs. With herbicide drift, though, you often have not just curling foliage but oddly distorted foliage and not just normal foliage that is curling.

It is exceptionally hard to get tomato plants through July and the first half of August in Oklahoma. That's why some folks plant new plants for fall in early thru mid-July. Those plants are young and energetic and able to survive the heat, grow and produce in the fall.

Without seeing them, we cannot begin to guess why your plants are dying, but I'd bet it is the heat, and maybe a little bit of a pest issue or a little bit of a disease issue added to the heat.

This has been a very, very bad tomato year for many people. The weather just hasn't cooperated at all.

Hope this info helps,

Dawn

Oh goodness! Most of my tomatoes are dead! Leaf curl out the wazoo! I feel for you!

Thanks for your answer, Dawn.

I know so little about plant diseases.

kakilover,

You're welcome.

If you grow tomatoes long enough, you'll become familiar with all the diseases.

This year's combination of early heat, sporadic heavy rainfall, high humidity and high heat indices has wreaked havoc on everyone's tomatoes. I know lots of folks all over the state who've had very few tomatoes this year, and some have had none. This has been the worst tomato year, statewide that I've ever seen.

I cannot complain as we've had an adequate number of tomatoes, but I'd still say our production has been about 30% of what I expected. As we always say, 'there's always next year' and 'things will be better next year'. (They'd better be better next year!)

Dawn

I have my share of leaf curl like everyone else. I don't worry about it too much. Some varieties seem to get it worse than others. When we get a few cooler days they improve and then the extremely hot days curl them back up. Leaf curl by itself is like purple veins. I don't worry too much. Many panic and yank them. I look at other indicators. Due the plants still have healthy viable blooms? Are the plants and fruit growing and look normal? Even if a plant isn't growing if the answer to the others questions are yes I leave them. And I'm one who probably yanks prematurely many times. I have many nice looking plants left and some that I think will recover when the cooler weather arrives. If I can beat the hoppers to the majority I could have my best year in 4 years. Getting more than I can eat now. I do feel for those of you who have lost all or most of your plants. I was there 2 years ago and didn't get any tomatoes to speak of till real late last year. I've found some that have stood up well this year. Two of them hybrids. Pink Girl and Old Time Tasty. The ladder has very good taste and I will grow it again if I can find the seeds.

Don't feel bad about not knowing the diseases. I recognize some and then wonder about others. I've been going to send a few off for diagnosis. I may this weekend. I would like to confirm some of my thoughts.

Hope the cooler weather arrives soon for all of us and if and when it does I feel many will see an improvement. Will probably slow my okra down when it does though. What is bad for one thing is good for another. Jay

Thanks for all the feedback, very informative. I, too, don't know much about plant disease but love growing stuff. I also think if tomatoes, etc, survive our awful July & August heat they do do better once it starts cooling down. I am in NW OKC & we had a lot of rain mid-May & all June but as Dawn pointed out, we also had warm summerish temperatures in May & Mayish weather in June, etc, so... The weather has been so random the past couple years it is hard to know how or what to grow & you just have to go with the flow & do the best one can. j & learn.

Take care, all, happy gardening.