Curling leaves

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Blondie53 Vicksburg, MS Apr 16, 2013

Many of my shrubs have leaves that are curling. The leaves are green and they have been watered properly. Any ideas of what this may be? Thanks.

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Apr 18, 2013

Curling leaves:

1) Natural to that plant.

2) Bugs that roll the leaves. Unroll the leaf, look for webbing, bug. Rare that a lot of leaves are affected. Most of the bugs that do this are not very populous.

3) Bugs that bit or suck on the newly unfurling leaves, doing damage as the leaf is trying to expand. Then it cannot expand correctly. Look for bugs on new growth. This can be so common the whole plant can be affected, but it is also is a matter of timing: The bugs are at their most populous when the weather is right for them, so you might see all the leaves (or a large % of them) that all grew at the same time are affected, but the leaves that grew earlier or later are not affected. The weather was too hot/dry/cold... whatever.

4) Cultural conditions, especially too dry between watering. Double check deep in the soil for the moisture down there where you cannot just look and see it. Use a soil probe, or water meter with a wand that is deep enough for the plant you are asking about. Check in several locations around the plant. One area may be fine, and another too dry.
If the soil is not taking in the water right, if there are dry spots, try this: Add 1 teaspoon of dish soap (the kind you wash dishes by hand with) per gallon of water, and deep soak the plant. Build a berm to hold the water in the right area until it soaks in. Then follow up the dish-soap-watering with a long soak with the hose. There are products in the stores for this, too. Look for a surfactant with a name like Water Wet or similar.

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