Wilty leaves? - Ask Extension
Hi,
These cucumber and tomato leaves have turned witty after I transplanted them outside. I don't know what happened, except perhaps they underwent ...
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Wilty leaves? #451101
Asked May 02, 2018, 11:04 AM EDT
Hi,
These cucumber and tomato leaves have turned witty after I transplanted them outside. I don't know what happened, except perhaps they underwent transplant shock? Or does transplant shock look like this? The leaves are somewhat curled, have stressed looking edges, and have a whitish color about them. One of them today (a cucumber) started looking wilty at the stem as well. Could it be a fungal rot? I did not notice any little knats or flies around.
Thank you,
ES
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
This looks like transplant shock and sunscalding on the leaves. It doesn't look like the symptoms of a fungal disease. Allowing 1-2 weeks for the plants to harden off and gradually adjust to higher levels of sunlight can help you avoid this problem in the future. https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/hardening-vegetable-seedlings There is no cure for leaf scald damage. There is still time to start new cucumbers and tomatoes.
ckc
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