Kosovo growth habit question

sandman619 · March 24, 2006

Hey All,

This is my first year growing Kosovo, and was wondering something about its growth habit.

I know from reading and research that it has wispy, willowy-like foliage and vines, but how wispy does it get?

My plant is about a foot or so, has been planted out for roughly 3 weeks. It is displaying the commonly described wispy growth, but there are a couple of lower branches that appear almost twisty.

I thought it may have been the victim of a curly top infected leafhopper bite, but its not following the descriptions of curly top. One reason why I was thinking curly top is because I had a couple other plants (Black Cherry and only Black Cherry) displaying branches pointing upwards, a trait sometimes associated with the disease.

The leaves themselves arent curly, just the branches (soon to be vines) are twisty and almost have a couple of zig-zags. Neither the leaves nor branches are brittle or crispy or anything and they will twist back with relative ease by hand but twist back after being released.

The plant is not stunted at all and the top 2/3 of the plant appears to be healthy and growing, and has a couple of blossom sets forming.

Also the other plants that I have that were displaying upwards pointing branches seem to have grown out of it, so I dont know what to think there.

So is twisty-ness a trait of its wispy-ness? Ill try to get a pic taken of it sometime soon, need to get an accessory for the new phone to upload pics!

moucheur · March 25, 2006

I grew Kosovo last year. Mine was limp and wispy but not curly as you describe. It was fairly tall, vigorous, and productive. Large, delicious pink hearts, some single and some double.

You might only have a couple of deformed early leaves or branches, which happens sometimes. I'd wait and see if the later ones look more normal. Even if the early ones are diseased the later ones may be healthy.

If you're really concerned, strip off the weird parts from the lower stem and re-pot with the stripped part of the stem buried and the healthy top leaves exposed and see if it doesn't grow normally afterward.

Glenn 50 · March 26, 2006

"I grew Kosovo last year. Mine was limp and wispy..."

I beg your pardon? Kosovo had a brief stopover in New Zealand for a year or so before it went US.

We don't have anything limp and wispy over here...and if we do see anything like that we shoot it! LOL

It is a were wispy tom but I wonder if the curling is from some hormone spray drift...maybe from next doors lawn.

tjg911 · March 27, 2006

i grew kosovo last summer. while heart shaped tomatoes are known to be wispy i do not remember my 1 plant being wispy at all.

tom

March 24, 2006	#1
sandman619 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Diego, Ca Posts: 11	Kosovo growth habit question Hey All, This is my first year growing Kosovo, and was wondering something about its growth habit. I know from reading and research that it has wispy, willowy-like foliage and vines, but how wispy does it get? My plant is about a foot or so, has been planted out for roughly 3 weeks. It is displaying the commonly described wispy growth, but there are a couple of lower branches that appear almost twisty. I thought it may have been the victim of a curly top infected leafhopper bite, but its not following the descriptions of curly top. One reason why I was thinking curly top is because I had a couple other plants (Black Cherry and only Black Cherry) displaying branches pointing upwards, a trait sometimes associated with the disease. The leaves themselves arent curly, just the branches (soon to be vines) are twisty and almost have a couple of zig-zags. Neither the leaves nor branches are brittle or crispy or anything and they will twist back with relative ease by hand but twist back after being released. The plant is not stunted at all and the top 2/3 of the plant appears to be healthy and growing, and has a couple of blossom sets forming. Also the other plants that I have that were displaying upwards pointing branches seem to have grown out of it, so I dont know what to think there. So is twisty-ness a trait of its wispy-ness? Ill try to get a pic taken of it sometime soon, need to get an accessory for the new phone to upload pics!

March 25, 2006	#2
moucheur Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Boston, Mass. Posts: 50	I grew Kosovo last year. Mine was limp and wispy but not curly as you describe. It was fairly tall, vigorous, and productive. Large, delicious pink hearts, some single and some double. You might only have a couple of deformed early leaves or branches, which happens sometimes. I'd wait and see if the later ones look more normal. Even if the early ones are diseased the later ones may be healthy. If you're really concerned, strip off the weird parts from the lower stem and re-pot with the stripped part of the stem buried and the healthy top leaves exposed and see if it doesn't grow normally afterward.

March 26, 2006	#3
Glenn 50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 224	"I grew Kosovo last year. Mine was limp and wispy..." I beg your pardon? Kosovo had a brief stopover in New Zealand for a year or so before it went US. We don't have anything limp and wispy over here...and if we do see anything like that we shoot it! LOL It is a were wispy tom but I wonder if the curling is from some hormone spray drift...maybe from next doors lawn.

March 27, 2006	#4
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	i grew kosovo last summer. while heart shaped tomatoes are known to be wispy i do not remember my 1 plant being wispy at all. tom