is this bacterial or fungal? HELP!
 

Went out of town for the weekend and came back to this. I noticed it was wilted Friday but thought it just needed water. Not the case, I looked at several disease identification sites but can't tell what it is. Never seen the whole stem get root nodes before. Here are pics.

Last year, it rained so much I had roots growing out of my stems, well off the ground.

It looks like systemic pythium to me, in which case the plant is probably a goner. Each of those lesions is a possible entry point for the pythium.

Aventitious roots! I wouldn't worry about that. The poor thing probably is just terribly thirsty, especially with all that reflected heat from the foil.

I don't know about the leaves though.....

Linda

Foil gets hot as h in the sun where I live...I can burn my hand on it. You are claiming it reflects all the sun's heat and doesn't heat the shallow ground below it where the roots are? If so, is it healthy to reflect the sun's heat back at the plant? I wonder why I don't see other's using your technology...I'm trying to learn more.

Give it some fungicide too.

Lol it cools the ground underneath, and it is very moist. I monitor moisture levels almost daily and it has been quite high because of heavy rains. A disease issue no doubt since I have 100 other tomato plants on the mulch that look great. I am just concerned because it's so fast acting. 3 days ago that plant looked perfect.

I'd say that it's one of the wilts - likely bacterial.

I'm going through the same thing. One of my plants wilting at night. Perking up in morning. Then two of my plants wilting.

I suspect a bacterial wilt of some sort. Transmitted with soil.

Ok after pulling it I tested for bacterial wilt, but had noticed the stem seemed hard like a tree branch and after a little research I'm 99% sure it's fusarium wilt. Here are some pics to help others identify.
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No white ooze, so not bacterial wilt.
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Stem is hard and brown around edges. The bumps form because of the restriction. It's like hardened arteries for tomatoes. :cry:

[QUOTE=dustdevil;570879]Foil gets hot as h in the sun where I live...I can burn my hand on it. You are claiming it reflects all the sun's heat and doesn't heat the shallow ground below it where the roots are? If so, is it healthy to reflect the sun's heat back at the plant? I wonder why I don't see other's using your technology...I'm trying to learn more.[/QUOTE]

It is great, here is where I got mine
[url]www.growerssolution.com/page/GS/PROD/silvermulch?t=metallic_mulch_ppc&gclid=CKWinur-t80CFcRgfgodOxkB2w[/url]

BVV- that photo with the longitudinal cut shows brown along the vascular tissue. Yep- Fusarium. So very sorry to confirm that bad news.:no:

Yeah it definitely sucks. Especially since that is my row of favorites. Do you know if it will spread in the soil to other plants?

Sad, gone quick. An excellent learning thread though, I didn't know any of this stuff. Except the foil thing, it lowers my soil temps 10 degrees in containers.

[QUOTE=BigVanVader;570949]Yeah it definitely sucks. Especially since that is my row of favorites. Do you know if it will spread in the soil to other plants?[/QUOTE]

I have never had it here, but I THINK once in the soil it always is, and that yes, it does spread.( just think so, not sure) Not the end of the world, now you just need to think about barrier tecnique.

I have had it in the same spot for 3-4 years now. If you do not dig the soil and move it around it will stay pretty much just where it is, or at least that is how it has been for me. I have heard that if you allow the soil to be fallow for three years that it will die out. I have not done that due to lack of space. You can plant varieties that are resistant or plant short season tomatoes hoping that they will ripen before it hits.

My soil has it but it has not ruined my gardening yet.