Here is a good explaination. The rain probably exacerbated the problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf rolling

Good link Farkee but Leaf Rolling and Leaf Curling are different.

Leaf Rolling as it says, is due to an imbalance in root vs vegetative mass and tends to occur early in the season. As the plants mature it self corrects and goes away.

leaf curling, though, can be due to many stresses such as too hot, too cold, too windy, too dry, too wet, and most modern hybrids have leaves that curl and plants with a heavy fruit burden will also curl due to that stress.

So what I'm saying is that I totally ignore curled leaves unless other symptoms appear. If the leaves curl over into a tube like structure then check for aphids.

Carolyn

Carolyn, I always thought the weather stresses you mentioned (that occur anytime during the growing season) and heavy fruit load are still causes of leaf rolling.

People always decribe what they have has leaf curling whether it occurs in the beginning or later on.

As the above link suggests:

"Though rolling usually occurs during the spring to summer shift period, it may also occur after a heavy cultivating or hoeing, a hard rain, or any sudden change in weather. Too much rain can saturate the soil and suffocate the roots."

This seems to me what the poster is experiencing with all the rain.

I have seen the 2 terms used interchangeable but not as 2 distinct and different occurences based on when symptoms occured.

For example, I did not know that rolled or curling leaves caused by heavy rains in the beginning of the season would be called 'leaf rolling' but those same heavy rains later on in the season produce 'leaf curling'.

I agree with farkee that many use the terms "curl" and "roll" interchangeably and that sometimes makes it hard to determine what the actual cause might be or what action, if any, is needed.

Leaf roll - leaf rolls from side to side like a taco shell - with the exception of checking for aphids and stopping any possible excessive fertilization, can usually just be ignored regardless of the multiple possible causes. It fixes itself and doesn't affect production.

Leaf Curl - leaf curls up from tip toward stem - with the exception of curly leaf virus signs can also usually just be ignored, recognized as a sign of a stressed plant, and when possible, remove the source of the stress. 3 days of rain is beyond your control.

Bottom line - if the plant is otherwise healthy in appearance then check for aphids, eliminate any possible over-fertilization, pray for the rain to stop and ignore whatever the leaves are doing - rolling or curling ;).

Dave

PS: And no, you won't get sick from eating the fruit.

I am not sure if you noticed this symptom before the rains started ODF.
I have the same on some of my plants.
During the Brookside Tomato Festival this last weekend Hortist explained to me leaves (and the small branches)at the tops of the plant will wilt due to the roots not being able to expand.
Since drip and soaker hose saturate the zone in a small area around the surface then "cone" out deeper in the soil,the plants roots expanding outwards hit a "dry zone" hitting a "brick wall".
Perhaps this could be a reason for leaf roll on other branches of the plant?

I have seen the 2 terms used interchangeable but not as 2 distinct and different occurences based on when symptoms occured.

*****

I couldn't agree more that the two terms are confusing, but I see them as separate, not by symptoms but by origin of the problem.

I think it's safe to say that MOST Leaf Roll does occur in the early part of the year b'c of the imbalance of root and vegetative mass, and for most folks it disappears as the plants do mature.

That's not to say that it can't appear later, as the link says, but I would see that as being the exception rather than the general rule.

And leaf curl can occur at any time.

Then comes the question as to what is the actual difference between leaf Roll and Leaf Curl as regards the leaves themselves.

And that's a harder question to answer and speaks to the problem with diagnosis that you've mentioned.

Carolyn