Any thoughts on what's going on here?

crmauch · July 7, 2014

Suddenly the top of one of my tomatoes has wilted dramatically. I initially thought it might be lack of water, but I don't think that's it. I've now watered this plant twice and seen no recovery and no other growing points on the plant are wilting.

Opinions welcome.

First view:
TomatoWilt1.JPG

Second View:
TomatoWilt2.JPG

Any thought or opinions?

JamesL · July 8, 2014

Have you had any insect issues? All Green plant and wilted usually leads right to bacterial wilt.

Check the base of the plant first and see if you have some sort of vine borer as well.

One other possibility, is it wilted only and just above where it is tied to the stake?

peppero · July 8, 2014

I wish I could help you. I have experienced some of this as well as the top of the plants having leaf curl..I am thinking this might be due to something in some of the manures I have gotten. Sorry no pix.

Jon

Barbee · July 8, 2014

Looks like it broke where the tie is to me? Did you have some strong wind?

KarenO · July 8, 2014

I would prune the wilted top off and it will sucker from below and keep growing as long as this is physical damage and not a disease. That's what it looks like to me
KO

crmauch · July 8, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesL

One other possibility, is it wilted only and just above where it is tied to the stake?

Yes.

I'm going to see if it's damaged where the tie is but I don't think so.

Father'sDaughter · July 8, 2014

To me it looks like there's a branch below where it's tied that is also showing signs of curling, so you may be right that it's something else. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of tomato pests/diseases can give you some leads.

crmauch · July 9, 2014

Examed the tomato late yesterday (the plant had been watered 2 days in a row prior to yesterday. The leaves and stem were partially recovered (i.e. the tips of the leaves were still wilted, but parts of the leaves and the stem were now turgid). Why this plant is showing far more stress than the rest of the tomatoes in that plot and only the main growth point is showing the wilting is still a mystery.

jflournoy · July 10, 2014

I had 2 plants this year that looked identical to that, and they both had a boring insect of some sort in the main stem of the plant. I sprayed them and one plant survived and recovered swimmingly, and the other one died.

SuperSteak · July 10, 2014

It kind of looks like the first symptoms of bacterial wilt.
Is it progressing?
Are other plants affected also?

crmauch · July 11, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperSteak

It kind of looks like the first symptoms of bacterial wilt.
Is it progressing?
Are other plants affected also?

No other plants seems affected and the plant seems to have recovered. I'm keeping an eye on the plant to see if anything else happens to it.

Here's the plant now:
Heidi-Wilt_recov.jpg

Worth1 · July 11, 2014

Looks to me like it had a cold or flue for a while.
At least thats the way I feel like I look when I have one.

Worth

July 7, 2014	#1
crmauch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Honey Brook, PA Zone 6b Posts: 399	Any thoughts on what's going on here? Suddenly the top of one of my tomatoes has wilted dramatically. I initially thought it might be lack of water, but I don't think that's it. I've now watered this plant twice and seen no recovery and no other growing points on the plant are wilting. Opinions welcome. First view: TomatoWilt1.JPG Second View: TomatoWilt2.JPG Any thought or opinions?

July 8, 2014	#4
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Looks like it broke where the tie is to me? Did you have some strong wind? __________________ *Barbee*

July 8, 2014	#2
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Have you had any insect issues? All Green plant and wilted usually leads right to bacterial wilt. Check the base of the plant first and see if you have some sort of vine borer as well. One other possibility, is it wilted only and just above where it is tied to the stake?

July 8, 2014	#3
peppero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: selmer, tn Posts: 2,944	I wish I could help you. I have experienced some of this as well as the top of the plants having leaf curl..I am thinking this might be due to something in some of the manures I have gotten. Sorry no pix. Jon

July 8, 2014	#5
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	I would prune the wilted top off and it will sucker from below and keep growing as long as this is physical damage and not a disease. That's what it looks like to me KO

July 8, 2014	#7
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	To me it looks like there's a branch below where it's tied that is also showing signs of curling, so you may be right that it's something else. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of tomato pests/diseases can give you some leads.

July 9, 2014	#8
crmauch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Honey Brook, PA Zone 6b Posts: 399	Examed the tomato late yesterday (the plant had been watered 2 days in a row prior to yesterday. The leaves and stem were partially recovered (i.e. the tips of the leaves were still wilted, but parts of the leaves and the stem were now turgid). Why this plant is showing far more stress than the rest of the tomatoes in that plot and only the main growth point is showing the wilting is still a mystery.

July 10, 2014	#9
jflournoy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Ohio Posts: 118	I had 2 plants this year that looked identical to that, and they both had a boring insect of some sort in the main stem of the plant. I sprayed them and one plant survived and recovered swimmingly, and the other one died.

July 10, 2014	#10
SuperSteak Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: North Carolina Posts: 10	It kind of looks like the first symptoms of bacterial wilt. Is it progressing? Are other plants affected also?

July 11, 2014	#12
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Looks to me like it had a cold or flue for a while. At least thats the way I feel like I look when I have one. Worth