Diseases that Wilt and a Plant's Final Days

rjake100 · May 16, 2016

There are two adjacent plants in one of my raised bed's that appear to have an infection. I first noticed a small amount of wilting at the top of the two plants on Saturday. Since then the wilting has progressed down the plant. The plant that is in the worst shape has some leaves that are upside down.

My plan is to top them, pull the plants, put them in planters with garden soil, and try and salvage the remaining tomatoes. Does anyone have any suggestions on how minimize the impact going forward?

Last year I posted about a plant that exhibited the same symptoms. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=37370

BigVanVader · May 16, 2016

Looking at the caterpillar in the other thread it looks like Tomato stem borers. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/IPM/engl...alk-borer.html

rjake100 · May 16, 2016

I have seen lots of caterpillars in my garden, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had that variety milling around. I wonder how I would look for more evidence of stem borers.

In last year's thread I posted a pic of the white ooze flowing out of the stem. I've been leaning toward a bacterial infection ever since I took that pic. Ide much rather deal with a bug than an ominous bacteria.

BigVanVader · May 16, 2016

Then that sounds like bacterial wilt.

oakley · May 16, 2016

I hope i'm wrong but it looks like a fungal wilt. I believe is soil issues. If so, no cure but to solarize your planting bed for next year. No toms in that area and look for resistant varieties to plant in another area of your garden.

The only other reason for that is wet feet or under watering. And that would be wilting of the entire plant. (a bit slower on the stronger lower leaves) Fertilizer burn would wilt and brown crisp quickly on single leaves but not central stem? Don't think that's it.

If this happened last year i would say fungal. I'm not sure about proper solarizing but often a year off that bed and covered to bake maybe. Or another crop might correct it. Something non-night shade....

Worth pruning off some of the lower bulk leaves not necessary for fruit form and giving a deep watering to see if that helps. Maybe try one. Pretty dense tight planting you have. Water may not be reaching the 'water hog' central stem.

MissS · May 16, 2016

I agree that with the white fluid coming out of the stem and it re-occurring in the same spot that is is bacterial wilt for which I am still trying to deal with in one spot.

rjake100 · May 16, 2016

I grew a cover crop this winter in an effort to encourage a microbial takeover. I guess it didn't cure the problem. I've got other beds and some containers that have not exhibited the issue, so hopefully this won't be too big of a bummer.

The bed in question is the most densely planted bed I've got. It has 8 plants in a 3' x 8' space. The damaged plants are in the exact same spot that had the disease last year.

I wonder if its a combination of root damage and fungal/bacterial presence? I might dig out the soil in that spot and put in some pavers. That way I won't be tempted to put any more plants there.

rjake100 · May 18, 2016

I have an update. Three more of my plants in that bed are having the same issues. Should I just let these plants limp to their death in that bed or do you think removing them gives the remaining healthy plants a better chance at survival. I feel like leaving the sick plants in the bed will give me a chance to see some of their fruit ripen.

This is a sad state of affairs.

ginger2778 · May 18, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjake100

I have seen lots of caterpillars in my garden, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had that variety milling around. I wonder how I would look for more evidence of stem borers.

In last year's thread I posted a pic of the white ooze flowing out of the stem. I've been leaning toward a bacterial infection ever since I took that pic. Ide much rather deal with a bug than an ominous bacteria.

Bacterial wilt was my first thought as soon as I saw the photos. Your explanation of the white ooze streaming from the stem absolutely confirms that it is bacterial. Hopeless for the plant once it contracts this. Very sorry for this news.
I found this very excellent scholarly article about almost everything you would ever want to know about it.
One point I found very interesting is that it can enter through openings in the roots such as those created by root knot nematodes. Florida is infested with those. Yet another reason to garden in SWCs.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile...581ab1493b.pdf

rjake100 · May 18, 2016

Thanks for linking me to that document. They mention transmission through insects. I better move the infected plants now.

Maybe they will survive in a shady area long enough to ripen the tomatoes. A couple of the plants have lots of good looking fruit on the vine.

So much work raising these little guys from seed. I hate this.

b54red · May 20, 2016

I have been limited to growing in my raised beds that I constructed 35 years ago and have encountered bacterial wilt quite a few times over the years. One year it will be bad and another year I will hardly see it though I continue to plant in the same beds year after year and just take my chances. I do grow vegetables in the beds all winter and that my ameliorate how bad it is the next year or it could be the temperature or the amendments that I add each year. I really don't know. Even after I started grafting plants I would still have this happen to plants scattered among my beds with what seems total randomness. Last year I grafted with three different rootstock as I have done again this year and found that no plant grafted onto the RST-04-106 rootstock had a single case of it yet it was my most used rootstock last year. I am repeating the same this year with even more plants using that rootstock to see if there are any cases this year.

Oh, there was one thing that I did every time I pulled out a plant that had bacterial wilt and it may be the reason why it never took over a single bed because the treatment may have lessened the amount of the problem in the soil. I would mix up a gallon of water with 6 or 7 ounces of bleach and pour it into the soil where the plant was and the surrounding area just a bit. I would sometimes replant in the same spot a week or two later and have no problem so maybe this helped. I used this same treatment after removing plants that died of fusarium wilt before I started grafting and it did greatly delay the onset of fusarium in that spot if I replanted in it that season.

Bacterial wilt is one of the most depressing things that can hit a tomato plant because there is just nothing that will help that plant once it gets it and it usually happens to large healthy plants loaded with fruit. Good luck with the rest of the season.

Bill

My Foot Smells · May 20, 2016

fack!! sorry for your loss. think I got some of the same and going to yank her up. I've been cutting off affected branches for a few weeks, but nothing seems to help. good luck.

I'm going to try and plant a hybrid with some resistance, but looking bleak. at least mine doesn't have all that luscious fruit. definitely going to "solarize" for next year.

rjake100 · May 20, 2016

Bill,

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Do you think quickly ripping out the plants at the first hint of wilt helps prevent spread?

I will try spot bleaching the areas where I pulled plants. If the whole bed goes down I will also consider a more aggressive solarization and excavation project. The impacted bed is my favorite. I am willing to go sacrifice a couple of seasons to get it healthy again.

b54red · May 21, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjake100

Bill,

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Do you think quickly ripping out the plants at the first hint of wilt helps prevent spread?

I will try spot bleaching the areas where I pulled plants. If the whole bed goes down I will also consider a more aggressive solarization and excavation project. The impacted bed is my favorite. I am willing to go sacrifice a couple of seasons to get it healthy again.

I always pulled them fairly quickly after the first year seeing it and realizing nothing helped so why wait. I have had less of it the last few years and it may be the result of the grafting. I tried growing some of the super hybrids that showed some resistance but why bother the fruits were awful tasting. If I wanted grocery store quality tomatoes it is a whole lot easier to just go to the store. If I were you I would do some research into rootstock that have some resistance to Bacterial wilt and try grafting.

Bill

saltair · May 23, 2016

Do you have a county extension agent nearby? maybe their Master Gardner's can help.

May 16, 2016	#6
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	I agree that with the white fluid coming out of the stem and it re-occurring in the same spot that is is bacterial wilt for which I am still trying to deal with in one spot. __________________ ~ Patti ~

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May 16, 2016	#2
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Looking at the caterpillar in the other thread it looks like Tomato stem borers. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/IPM/engl...alk-borer.html

May 16, 2016	#3
rjake100 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Low Country SC Posts: 37	I have seen lots of caterpillars in my garden, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had that variety milling around. I wonder how I would look for more evidence of stem borers. In last year's thread I posted a pic of the white ooze flowing out of the stem. I've been leaning toward a bacterial infection ever since I took that pic. Ide much rather deal with a bug than an ominous bacteria.

May 16, 2016	#5
oakley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: NewYork 5a Posts: 2,303	I hope i'm wrong but it looks like a fungal wilt. I believe is soil issues. If so, no cure but to solarize your planting bed for next year. No toms in that area and look for resistant varieties to plant in another area of your garden. The only other reason for that is wet feet or under watering. And that would be wilting of the entire plant. (a bit slower on the stronger lower leaves) Fertilizer burn would wilt and brown crisp quickly on single leaves but not central stem? Don't think that's it. If this happened last year i would say fungal. I'm not sure about proper solarizing but often a year off that bed and covered to bake maybe. Or another crop might correct it. Something non-night shade.... Worth pruning off some of the lower bulk leaves not necessary for fruit form and giving a deep watering to see if that helps. Maybe try one. Pretty dense tight planting you have. Water may not be reaching the 'water hog' central stem.

May 18, 2016	#8
rjake100 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Low Country SC Posts: 37	I have an update. Three more of my plants in that bed are having the same issues. Should I just let these plants limp to their death in that bed or do you think removing them gives the remaining healthy plants a better chance at survival. I feel like leaving the sick plants in the bed will give me a chance to see some of their fruit ripen. This is a sad state of affairs.

May 20, 2016	#11
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have been limited to growing in my raised beds that I constructed 35 years ago and have encountered bacterial wilt quite a few times over the years. One year it will be bad and another year I will hardly see it though I continue to plant in the same beds year after year and just take my chances. I do grow vegetables in the beds all winter and that my ameliorate how bad it is the next year or it could be the temperature or the amendments that I add each year. I really don't know. Even after I started grafting plants I would still have this happen to plants scattered among my beds with what seems total randomness. Last year I grafted with three different rootstock as I have done again this year and found that no plant grafted onto the RST-04-106 rootstock had a single case of it yet it was my most used rootstock last year. I am repeating the same this year with even more plants using that rootstock to see if there are any cases this year. Oh, there was one thing that I did every time I pulled out a plant that had bacterial wilt and it may be the reason why it never took over a single bed because the treatment may have lessened the amount of the problem in the soil. I would mix up a gallon of water with 6 or 7 ounces of bleach and pour it into the soil where the plant was and the surrounding area just a bit. I would sometimes replant in the same spot a week or two later and have no problem so maybe this helped. I used this same treatment after removing plants that died of fusarium wilt before I started grafting and it did greatly delay the onset of fusarium in that spot if I replanted in it that season. Bacterial wilt is one of the most depressing things that can hit a tomato plant because there is just nothing that will help that plant once it gets it and it usually happens to large healthy plants loaded with fruit. Good luck with the rest of the season. Bill

May 20, 2016	#12
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	fack!! sorry for your loss. think I got some of the same and going to yank her up. I've been cutting off affected branches for a few weeks, but nothing seems to help. good luck. I'm going to try and plant a hybrid with some resistance, but looking bleak. at least mine doesn't have all that luscious fruit. definitely going to "solarize" for next year.

May 23, 2016	#15
saltair Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lower Delaware Posts: 14	Do you have a county extension agent nearby? maybe their Master Gardner's can help.