Kitchen Garden Forum

My Ferline tomatoes which I'm growing outside seem to be stunted. The main stem is thicker than I'd expect and seems to be getting thicker instead of taller. The upper leaves have curled themselves inwards. Not just each separate leaf (which I think is midsummer leaf curl), but the whole of the leaf stem is rolled up curling inwards and downwards. There seems to be masses of leaf growth at the expense of fruit and height. They started out fine but have done this over the last two or three weeks. Any ideas?
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Granny

Is it all of them Granny?
I've just popped out to have a look at mine and they're a bit short for the time of year but otherwise normal. It could be something to do with the low temperatures and heavy rainfall.
The leaves curling right over could be aphid damage. Have you unfurled any to see what's inside?

Granny,
My Ferline are doing the same. They are on the lottie and the others varieties so far are not affected.
They are about 3 ft. tall and were growing well but the tops are now purplish in colour, stunted with a thickening stem. No fruit is setting. I have checked for aphids and there is nothing I can see.

Another plotholder who has Ferline has said the same thing too.

most odd.

Beryl.

Mine are fine.

Hi Granny and Beryl,
I suspect that the trouble is with very low temperatures for this time of the year. On Tuesday of last week we had a minimum of night temperatures of 4C and the Tomatoes took on a purplish tinge on the leaves. Yesterday they succumbed to blight and have been trashed. I really do not think that this year many people will have any of the usual gluts as I expect the harvest to be very small all round.
Lets hope Jenny proves me wrong.
JB.

Yes, come to think of it my tomatoes are in a sunny sheltered south facing spot so may well have been spared the worst of the weather. As different people have been affected in the same way it must be to do with weather conditions. Hopefully they'll recover enough to give some kind of harvest, which with the prevalence of blight will be unusual this year.

Mine are in a sheltered position. It is odd it is only the Ferline that are affected. I have let them be for now and we shall see.

Beryl.

Granny my tomatoes are the same as you decribe, stunted, thicker stem, curled leaves and only one truss per plant, but my toms are Taste of Italy Roma I am growing them in the greenhouse at home and some in a big coldframe on the allotment. The other tomatoes Shirley and gardeners delight in the greenhouse on the allotment are tall skinny not much foliage but more trusses. I am blaming the weather we all can't have poor seed.
Bren

Thanks for all the replies. I was hoping it was the weather - so much better to be able to blame something else than feel I'd done something wrong! Here's hoping they'll pick up again if it gets warmer.
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Granny