Leaves Curling on Tomatoes Grown in an AeroGarden

Curly Top Virus

• The leaves of AeroGarden plants that are infected with curly top virus become crinkled and roll inward. Veins on the bottom sides of leaves turn purplish and you may see spiny swellings. Diseased plants stop growing and turn yellow and the roots become stunted. Curly top virus is spread by the beet leafhopper. There is no cure for this disease, and infected plants should be removed.

Cucumber Mosaic

• Cucumber mosaic virus causes the older leaves to turn slightly yellow and mottled. Younger leaves curl downward and become twisted, developing a “shoestring” look. Infected AeroGarden plants don’t produce much fruit, but become bushy and stunted. This disease is usually spread by infected seeds, although aphids can also carry it. There is no cure; infected plants should be removed and destroyed. Controlling aphids will reduce the chances that your tomatoes will be infected.

Insect Control

• Insects can infest your AeroGarden by flying in through an open window, or on flowers or potted plants brought into the house. According to AeroGarden Customer Service, you should unplug the AeroGarden and remove the bowl from the base, if you find insects on your AeroGarden tomatoes. If your plants are small, lift the seed pods and plants out of the grow surface and rinse off the insects by holding the plant upside down under running water. Use a disinfectant to wipe down the AeroGarden before returning your seed pods to the grow surface. Place the grow surface back into the bowl and place the bowl on the base.

  If you have larger plants, or if your plants are already producing fruit, remove heavily infested leaves and dispose of them in a sealed plastic bag before applying a horticultural soap or spray. Make sure you’ve unplugged the AeroGarden and removed the bowl from the base first. Don’t spray plants in the AeroGarden because the hot bulbs can shatter when the spray hits them. Repeat weekly until insects are gone.

Physiological Leaf Roll

• Curling leaves can be a physiological problem for some Aerogarden tomatoes containing a gene for rolling. When these tomatoes are stressed by high temperatures, fast growth or pruning, the older, lower leaflets can roll upwards. Rolled leaves are leathery, but otherwise the plants appear normal and grow normally. Rolled leaves don’t uncurl, even if the conditions that stressed the plant are corrected.