You asked "what tipped you off that it wasn't viral ?" It was the wrong kind of crinkling/distortion. Plus, that's snow outdoors, right? When diagnosing, the first thing to suspect/consider is the common stuff rather than the unusual. Here's a phrase that says the same thing but in a different way: When you hear hoof beats, suspect a horse not a zebra.

Cindy, I do wish you'd make a call to your local Ext Office b'c I don't think Curly Top would be common in your area. If they say yes, it can be found in your area, then fine, but I've not heard of anyone in your area having that disease, so far. The natural host is sugar beets which are grown as a commercial crop for processing for beet sugar, which are widespread in the SW, which is the major area where Curly Top is found in the US. Carolyn

Thanks for the feedback. I'm curious why you doubt it's a virus. I'm not eager for my plant to have one, mind you, and it would be great if it were true, but what lead you to that doubt? Note that the leaves are curled upward here, and the entire plant is leggy/tangly. The temps have been uncharacteristically low, and relatively windy for mid-summer preceding and during this condition (around 75 with significant winds for the past two weeks). In fact, the plant was thriving the most during the 90 degree days and I've been hoping for a return to see if that would help. The pot is fairly big. It was recommended by the nursery for tomato plants, probably 15-20 gallons.

Whether or not it's reversible remains to be seen. What you did likely damaged all tissue not covered by bark. How much of the solution made its way into the soil is also unclear. Most healthy plants can tolerate and bounce back from loss of most or all of its foliage, so keep your fingers crossed. I'd be inclined to spray all residues from leaves and stems and flush the soil VERY thoroughly. After you flush the soil, I would take steps to remove as much excess water from the soil as possible. Subsequent to that, I would also be certain to monitor water needs carefully by using a 'tell'. Something I wrote about using a 'tell': Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al