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Garden Cure Tips for Plants: Curling Down
Garden Cure Tips for Plants: Curling Down. A plant curls its leaves in response to its environment. This response is usually related to an imbalance of temperature and moisture, which causes the plant to retain water as a means of survival. When a plant curls its leaves down, it decreases the surface area of the leaf, so it can preserve moisture. A...
A plant curls its leaves in response to its environment. This response is usually related to an imbalance of temperature and moisture, which causes the plant to retain water as a means of survival. When a plant curls its leaves down, it decreases the surface area of the leaf, so it can preserve moisture. A plant also curls its leaves when it’s infected with a pest or disease, which weakens the plant. If your plant’s leaves begin to curl down, you can implement various cures to restore the health of your plant.
Cut Back on the Fertilizer
A plant’s fertilizer that is too strong can make a plant’s leaves curl down. Nutrients contained in fertilizers alter soil conditions, usually for the better, but in some cases can increase the soil’s chemical make-up to unhealthy levels that actually harm the plant. Either change to a less concentrated fertilizer or reduce the fertilizer application schedule.
Increase Humidity
Spider mites eat the bottom-side of leaves. They invade plants during periods of extreme heat and dryness. When spider mite infestation is rampant, a plant’s leaves curl and are covered with tiny, pale yellow dots. You can detect spider mites by delicately hitting a leaf and wait for the dots to move. The Chile Man’s Guide to Pests and Diseases, recommends adding moisture to the infected plant to reduce or prevent mites from reproducing. If the infected plant is indoors, move it to a high-humidity room, such as the bathroom. Moisture and humidity can effectively eliminate spider mites and cure a plant from these pests.
Clean Hands or Wear Gloves to Handle Plants
Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) is a virus found in tobacco leaves used to make tobacco products, like cigarettes. If you are a gardener who smokes, you can transmit TMV to your plants by touching the plant with your hands that contain the virus. A plant with TMV curls and drops leaves, stops growing and produces spotted fruit. You can kill TMV by washing your hands with soap and water and rinsing them with milk. Milk destroys the TMV virus, according to the Guide to Pests and Diseases. Remove infected plants from your garden to prevent the virus from spreading to other plants.
