Curly top disease

[Mushroom]

I think my tomato plant may have curly top disease.
It has been growing well and flowers just about to open but now all the stems at the top half of the plant have curled up like corkscrews. The main stem is also started to bow and I've had to support it. the leaves are still green, not yellow or puckered. The curling is worse at night.
It has been indoors on the windowsill all the time from seed.
Is it curly top? Is there anything I can do?

[FoxHillGardener]

Curly top disease? that's a new one on me. sorry can't help, but will watch with interest to see the proper answers

[davefromthechipie]

I found this can happen If your soil is to tight .Still a pic would help

[Tam]

As it is a virus, I would be inclined to think there is nothing you can do other than replace the plants with clean stock. I believe that there have been attempts to breed tomatoes with resistance to this pest, but I do not know if these has been any success as yet.

[mcsee]

Found this on Google.

tomato curly top virus CTV

[Mushroom]

hi
yes seen some web stuff about it, but as its transmitted by a bug I dont know if its curly top as its been indoors.
Anybody else have toms with corkscrew branches? The leaves seem ok.

[citygirl]

and here was me thinking you'd invented/discovered a new disease. and was gunna become all famous n stuff. dead disappointed now

[davefromthechipie]

Had it on 3 plants before .. Today i noticed all my toms have it inside and out >< Nothing can be done and will just have to live with alot less fruits

[rustylady]

Don't panic everyone! Tomatoes often grow "curly at the top" when they're having a growing spurt. They even themselves out. I'd never heard of curly top disease/virus but if you say it exists I believe you. However, please wait a bit before you chuck your precious plants out. They may recover on their own.

[SarzWix]

I have never heard of this curly top disease in this country before, or the bug which carries it!! However, I have had tomatoes grow with curled up leaves before now, which then straighten themselves out as they get taller. Also, if they're on a windowsill, the leaves & stem will attempt to follow the sun which can cause allsorts of twists & bends. If the stem is tied to a cane as it grows this will keep it straight & I'm sure they will be fine

[davefromthechipie]

Don't panic everyone! Tomatoes often grow "curly at the top" when they're having a growing spurt. They even themselves out. I'd never heard of curly top disease/virus but if you say it exists I believe you. However, please wait a bit before you chuck your precious plants out. They may recover on their own.

True should still get toms but they will never recover unfortuatly

[rustylady]

Just checked out the Google thingy for curly top disease. It's an American disease. And it says that if you have it the leaves are chlorotic (i.e. yellow)

[SarzWix]

True should still get toms but they will never recover unfortuatly

If "they will never recover", then how are they going to produce fruit??!!

I certainly think that if the plants are properly staked, temperature is regulated to between 10°c & 30°c (maximum), they have adequate moisture & food available, then they should grow out of this curly phase. (There's a possibility that they've been too hot on the windowsill, which could cause curling of the leaves too!)

[davefromthechipie]

If "they will never recover", then how are they going to produce fruit??!!

I certainly think that if the plants are properly staked, temperature is regulated to between 10°c & 30°c (maximum), they have adequate moisture & food available, then they should grow out of this curly phase. (There's a possibility that they've been too hot on the windowsill, which could cause curling of the leaves too!)

The plant will not yet they still grow and will still get more trusses Just the stems/leafs will be odd looking . As for temp sorry to Not agree with you but this is outside and inside G/H toms in my case . Curly top leafs isnt always a problem but i beleave his talking about the stems curlying too. Il take a pic of inside and outside toms tomorrow if you have a cure for it great Id love to know

[grasser]

hi i have tomatoe plants with curly leaves at the top and a lot of the bottom ones are all distorted and screwed up, loads of flowers on ' i was just about to put them in the bin when i noticed that baby toms were growing that was 2 days ago now i have got loads of little toms showing; so dont throw them away yet they make look weird but may still produce tomatoes, i think the reason for mine going like that was to much water, hope yours recover and you get loads of toms;

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john let me know how they get on _