Black Tomatoes Prone to Leaf Curl?

[PeteD]

I have noticed the past two years that the only tomatoes in my garden that exhibit leaf curl are black.

Last year: Paul Robeson
This year: Noire de Crimee and Black from Tula

Also, they tend to have a more purplish color to the new growth only. However, they grow big and produce well. Is there something genetically with some black tomatoes that causes this?

Maybe they prefer slightly different conditions than the rest of my tomatoes, which includes about 18 different varieties this year? Do they require more phosphorous...more water...maybe that is just the way they are?

Pete

[Tomstrees]

I'm not sure if realted to
black tomatoes but my Black Prince leaves "ARE" curling ...
I thought it was weather stress related ...

Only other thing I've noticed about blacks this season is a number of them had double and triple blossoms ...

Interesting ...

~ Tom

[akgardengirl]

My Black from Tula and the Noir de Crimee both have leaf curl also. The Anna Russian also has it but since it's not black, I wonder if the cooler temp. has something to do to it.
Sue

[bully]

me too..the black ones are curling.
the leaves seem to be real long and narrow on these plants.

[PeteD]

In addition to the leaf curl mentioned in this old thread, the black tomatoes seem to be the first to blight for me also - two years in a row. The most-susceptible varieties were Paul Robeson and Noire de Crimee. Black from Tula also faded quickly, but was next to NdC. Cherokee Chocolate held up better.

Could this be something with the black tomatoes or just the varieties I selected or coincidence? Taste is great, but being the first to go in two successive years makes me question the value of these varieties.

Pete

[goodwin]

Are you talking about the curly top virus or some other problem?

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by goodwin

Are you talking about the curly top virus or some other problem?

Goodwin, there is no curly top virus in MA.

I think Pete is talking about the standard foliage diseases of Early Blight ( A. solani), Septoria Leaf Spot,, Bacterial Speck and Bacterial Spot, but Pete would have to confirm that.

When someone just mentions blight, since that's a general term, it could be anything.

I grow next to MA in NYS and have never seen that any so called black tomatoes are more prone to foliage diseases. Just my personal experience with them.

[tomatoguy]

In response to the original question:

from Colorado State University
http://www.extension.colostate.edu/4...s/tomaprob.htm

"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 have seen leaf curl of this sort a few times. Black Krim has always shown leaf curl, as grown here. I have also noticed this tendency in Delicious.

mater

[goodwin]

hi - Curly top is a real problem here in the Rocky Mountains, so it's the first thing to come to mind. Perhaps you all lack the vector by which it spreads.
I think the virus has been found in places like Maryland and Michigan, though. Anyway, you're lucky you don't have to battle it.

[dice]

Moskvich had it for me in 2006 (not really a cool or wet
year out here). I did not notice if anything had leaf curl
last year.

Black Prince went down really fast to leaf blight (I did not
check to see if it was early blight or something else) last
year once it got it, but a mystery black that came up from
a packet of something else did not get leaf blight at all
(leaves on both were RL and the exact same color, but fruit
and flavor were different).

Someone else growing about 40 miles away from me
mentioned last year that Black Krim had leaf curl, and
seemed to have it every year for him. No apparent
effect on production.

[coronabarb]

I've never had any leaf curl in any of the blacks I've grown.

[carolyn137]

I think it's a good to distinguish between leaf curl and leaf roll.

Leaf roll, as noted above, is a physiological condition where early in the season root mass and foliage mass are out of balance. This self corrects as the plants grow.

Leaf curl can be seen if the plants are too cold, too hot, it's windy, too wet or too dry. I also can occur if there's a heavy fruit burden. So I don't see leaf curl being exclusive to so called black varieties. Very seldom it can be a sign of disease, but that's rare indeed.

[PeteD]

In my amateur opinion, I would characterize the issues as leaf curl (developed well into season when plants are 4 feet tall or more), followed by premature (earlier than my other plants) early blight.

I obviously do not have nearly enough data to draw any real conclusions, which is why I asked. Noire de Crimee was probably the most-susceptible plant to this leaf curl, followed by early blight over the course of a few weeks of any of the plants I grew the last two years.

Thanks,
Pete

[Tomstrees]

Blight is my only problem with black tomato varieties - for some reason the fall to it a lot faster in my garden than others ...

Shame too - Black from Tula is one of my top 5 favorites and will be in my garden for many years to come ...

~ Tom