Garden Tips
Common Causes of Tomato Wilt
Tomatoes are in almost everyone's garden and would easily be voted the number one crop. However, as much as we love to grow tomatoes, we must admit that it's not always easy to do; in fact, sometimes it's downright heartbreaking.
One of the heartbreaks of growing tomatoes occurs when our plants wilt. Wilt occurs suddenly or gradually when leaves, shoots or stems droop or collapse. In our part of the world there are six common causes of tomato wilt.
The first two causes of tomato wilt are the most obvious, yet they are very important to mention. They are the lack of or excess water.
We all understand why leaves droop or plants die from lack of water; however, tomato plants that stand in water for very long wilt. If soils stay saturated, plants will die. This is why we recommend planting in well-drained soil or in raised beds.
A third and prominent cause is a disease known as Bacterial Wilt. Many gardeners describe plants with this disease as looking like they had hot water poured on them. They are fine one day, and the next are permanently wilted. Bacteria clog the plumbing system of the plant, resulting in a virtual drought.
Bacterial Wilt can be diagnosed with a simple test. First, remove the plant from the soil. Rinse the roots and lower stem. Once rinsed, cut a section from the lowest part of the stem, just above the roots, about four inches long. Have a jar of water ready so that the stem section can be suspended in the water, bottom end down. Then, watch the bottom end of the stem for a wispy, cloudy, milky ooze. This is bacterial streaming. The bacterial ooze is almost transparent, but can be seen releasing from the base of the stem.
There isn't much that can be done for Bacterial Wilt except to remove and destroy affected plants. Future plantings should be made in a different location. Tomatoes may be grown in containers, but if roots grow from the bottom of the container into infected soil, they may contract the disease. Do not reuse stakes or ties.
Other common causes of tomato wilt include Southern Blight, Fusarium Wilt, and Root Knot Nematodes. Nematodes and Fusarium may be avoided by planting tomato varieties that are resistant to both of these pests. Southern Blight, however, is another one of those "overnight" killers like Bacterial Wilt. It can be recognized by white fungal growth at the soil line or by beige "seed pearl" sized balls of white, beige, or brown.
Tomatoes are in almost everyone's garden and would easily be voted the number one crop. However, as much as we love to grow tomatoes, we must admit that it's not always easy to do; in fact, sometimes it's downright heartbreaking.
One of the heartbreaks of growing tomatoes occurs when our plants wilt. Wilt occurs suddenly or gradually when leaves, shoots or stems droop or collapse. In our part of the world there are six common causes of tomato wilt.
The first two causes of tomato wilt are the most obvious, yet they are very important to mention. They are the lack of or excess water.
We all understand why leaves droop or plants die from lack of water; however, tomato plants that stand in water for very long wilt. If soils stay saturated, plants will die. This is why we recommend planting in well-drained soil or in raised beds.
A third and prominent cause is a disease known as Bacterial Wilt. Many gardeners describe plants with this disease as looking like they had hot water poured on them. They are fine one day, and the next are permanently wilted. Bacteria clog the plumbing system of the plant, resulting in a virtual drought.
Bacterial Wilt can be diagnosed with a simple test. First, remove the plant from the soil. Rinse the roots and lower stem. Once rinsed, cut a section from the lowest part of the stem, just above the roots, about four inches long. Have a jar of water ready so that the stem section can be suspended in the water, bottom end down. Then, watch the bottom end of the stem for a wispy, cloudy, milky ooze. This is bacterial streaming. The bacterial ooze is almost transparent, but can be seen releasing from the base of the stem.
There isn't much that can be done for Bacterial Wilt except to remove and destroy affected plants. Future plantings should be made in a different location. Tomatoes may be grown in containers, but if roots grow from the bottom of the container into infected soil, they may contract the disease. Do not reuse stakes or ties.
Other common causes of tomato wilt include Southern Blight, Fusarium Wilt, and Root Knot Nematodes. Nematodes and Fusarium may be avoided by planting tomato varieties that are resistant to both of these pests. Southern Blight, however, is another one of those "overnight" killers like Bacterial Wilt. It can be recognized by white fungal growth at the soil line or by beige "seed pearl" sized balls of white, beige, or brown.
