Curled Leaves on Tomato Plants

Hi Julie,
I may also have an answer as to why Jim Ault's tomato leaves are curling.  My friend in Judsonia had 60 tomato plants that had leaves that were curling.  She thought she had blight and took a sample to her extension office.  They ran some tests and it turns out her problem was that she had put down bagged manure and it was more than the plant could tolerate.  Now that the potency is getting less the plants are returning to normal.  I know Jim Ault put a bunch of bagged manure on his plants.  He added it not too long ago.  He was talking about how it smelled his car up before he could get it to the garden.

Charlotte


{Comment from Julie:  I'm so thankful for Charlotte's input.  Please feel free to email me with any thoughts or tips you have.  My address is luvmyhub AT gmail DOT com}

No Nonsense: Staking Tomatoes

Just when you thought the world could live without knee highs...I've got the perfect use for them...staking tomatoes!  I learned this trick from my grandmother: cut strips from pantyhose to use to tie up tomatoes.  This bag of knee highs came from a garage sale last summer.

Nylon is perfect for tying up your plants because it is stretchy and forgiving.  It won't harm your plants.

If you would like a pair of knee highs, I have extra.  Just promise you won't wear them!

Epsom Salts on Peppers and Tomato Plants

Thought of using Epsom salts on your peppers and tomatoes?  According to this article, it would be beneficial when the plants flower.

Suckers

When you hear the word "sucker" what do you think of?

-lollipop

-gullible person

-gardening

-all the above?

Growing up on a farm in Kentucky, when I heard the word sucker it caused me to groan.  Sweet treats were not headed my way that day.  Instead I would be walking through a field breaking off shoots of tobacco.  It was sticky and definitely not sweet.

Thankfully, when gardening on a small scale, pinching off the nutrient sucking shoots is not a miserable task.  Do it now before those suckers steal your joy.  Below are pictures from my tomatoes.

See also this article on pruning tomatoes.