Q.Cutting Back on Plants
The tomato plants I planted at the beginning of the season are now about 4 ft tall. In the last week or so both plants got some kind of virus that caused all leaves to curl up and die. Now both plants have new growth on the very top. Since they are so tall, can I cut them back down to about 1 or 2 ft? If I do, will they sprout new grouth on them again or will it kill them?
The following article deals with tomato leaf curl: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-leaves-curling.htm
If your plants have the virus, they will not recover and should be destroyed/removed. Do Not burn or compost these plants, the virus will spread. Put them in a trash bag and let them RIP in a landfill.
If these were heirloom varieties, don't save the seed.
An excellent point in the article is to choose a more resistant variety, and there are plenty of tasty hybrids available.
