Question
i havesome indoor vine type growing on a sill of a southern facing bay window.they have been doing fine since first of nov,planted from seed.they have not started blossoms yet,i pinch the tops to restrict the height.but am letting the first suckers grow to allow the plant to fill in.i have nice branches so far ,about a foot long.but have started this leaf curl thing now,and im not sure why.i have a wall mart 2 foot grow light above them,and all was looking good till this.?what could be the issue.they are in pots,and are in planting mix.i also noticed just today ,one of the leafs were chewed a bit.well any help would be great,this is my first indoor attempt.thank you.

Answer
Dennis, the primary reason for leaf curl is poor drainage and/or too much water. This causes the roots to saturate which in turn inhibits their ability to absorb oxygen and nutrients.

Two other causes are excess nitrogen or aphids. Excess nitrogen can be controlled by cutting back on the fertilization and using a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus. Nitrogen promotes lush foliage at the expense of a good harvest, while excess nitrogen can burn the roots. Phosphorus promotes abundant blooming, which in turn increases the number of tomatoes.

Aphids can be controlled with insecticidal soap. These are minute insects that are hardly visible to the human eye. They can do much damage, but seldom affect indoor plants unless they were brought in inadvertently in late summer. Insecticidal soaps can be purchased at most garden centers.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike