Curling Of Tomato Leaves Is Common But Harmless

Q: My tomato leaves are curling, but they look normal otherwise. What's happening?

A: Physiological leaf roll is common in tomatoes in Western Washington. It seems to happen more in some varieties than others and more during certain years. It occurs without yellowing the leaves or stunting the plant. Later in the season, the plant may look more normal. Fruit production is not affected by physiological leaf roll.

East of the mountains there are a couple of virus diseases spread by insects that cause leaf curling. In these cases, the leaves curl upward not downward and other symptoms are present. Unlike physiological leaf roll, these are a real problem and infected plants should be destroyed.

Q: How can I prevent my cauliflower from turning greenish?

A: The green on the top of the cauliflower is caused by too much sunlight. Tie the outer leaves over the head to shade it. Some varieties are described as "self-blanching", because they have more foliage to protect the head. You may want to choose one of these varieties.

Q: I need to move a big clematis armandii and a clemantis montana rubra that have been on a chain-link fence for more than five years. The fence is coming down later this summer; what are the chances of a successful move for these vines?

A: Transplanting in the dry center of summer is clearly much riskier than waiting until cooler, wetter weather. Both these plants are vines, and that fact may help you because you can cut back a good deal of the top growth and concentrate on keeping the roots alive.

The basics of off-season transplanting are simple and logical. First, thoroughly water the new site. What will hurt the plant is being yanked out of dry ground and then jammed into new dry ground. You want the plants to be out of the ground as short a time as possible.

Two days before transplanting, water the plant to be moved. Water it thoroughly, wetting deep into the root level. Before watering, trim off about half of the vines and untangle them from the fence. Some people find that an application of an anti-transpirant (sold as Wilt-Pruf and with other names) before digging helps to keep the plant from going into shock from losing water through root damage.

Move the plant as early as possible in the day before temperatures rise. Dig up as much root as possible, though when a plant has been growing in one spot for years there is inevitable root loss from digging.

Get it into the new site, spreading the roots out and being sure you have no air pockets left around the plant. Keep the crown at the same level it was in the old location.

Once the move is over keep watering thoroughly. But DO NOT fertilize the plants now. It's too late in summer for fertilizer and the roots do not need the shock of fertilizer salts when newly moved. The vines may very well live on happily.

Q: I have a shady area that is not well-drained. Impatiens doesn't grow here. What can I plant for flowers?

A: The answer to this question is one of the "it depends" type. How much shade? How much dampness? Even plants that like damp places want to have some drainage. If the shade isn't too deep, there are good possibilities, but these plants bloom best with at least three to four hours of indirect sun daily. If the area is constantly dark, there are very few floral possibilities.

However, let's say that it's a damp heavy soil with some sun available a few hours a day. A dramatic, easy to grow and handsome plant is the calla lily, Zantedeslchia asethiopica.

It grows 3 feet high, has a white trumpet shaped spathes but is not a true lily (lilies won't grow in badly drained soil). It can be planted in spring from a lumpy rhizome about three inches across. It soars into three-foot clumps of leaves and a dramatic floral display in mid- to late summer. And these tropical-looking plants are, surprisingly, perfectly hardy even in tough winters. I've seen them thriving against north walls of houses in Seattle and in Newcastle under Douglas firs that have been limbed up for light. Don't let these dry out. In their native South Africa, they grow along streams.

Several types of iris, notably Siberian and Japanese iris, wills grow in dampish spots and will bloom if it's not too dark. These iris produce good-looking clumps of sturdy green leaves and intermittent summer flowers in all shades of blue, purple and white depending on the particular plant. Again, they'll decline if they are allowed to dry out.

Astilbe, a perennial with finely-cut ferny foliage, breaks out into plumes of bloom in whites and pink colors that resemble a feather being waved. They would be handsome plants even if there were never any bloom, but with flowers complementing the leaves, they are terrific! Hybridizers in Germany have some up with some superb cultivars, including the white "Bridle Veil, deep pink "Rhineland: and red Red Sentinel." Check with nurseries to find these in containers and ready to plant out.

Gardening runs Friday in Scene and Sunday in Home/Real Estate. It is prepared by Mary Robson, Area Horticulture Agent; Holly Kennell, Washington State University/King County Cooperative Extension agent, Susan Miller, integrated pest management specialist, and volunteer Master Gardeners.