Why is my tomato plant wilting and dying?

[dmforcier]

I'm in the process of dissection. Initial results:
* no flying gnats
* no observed pests
* stem is lignified for about 1.5" above the soil line, but no evidence of peeling or softness above or below
* in a section above the first split, there is no evidence of dermal(?) discoloration
* no evidence of root deformation, however, the amount of root is considerably less than I would have expected for a plant this size

I haven't pulled the whole root ball yet and have pics to process and post, but I don't have time right now. Also intend to split the stem at the base and look closely.

Anything else you think I should look at?

[LMinAL]

Brian, did you purchase this as a transplant or did you start it from seed? Bacterial canker will do this to a plant. It starts with wilting on one side. I'm unfortunately all to familiar with that disease. I brought it in a few years ago on a transplant.

You usually see discoloration in the stem, but not every leaf branch. In my experience, the leaves are affected in different ways depending on the variety - some just turn black, some yellow and some have firing around the edges. My Cherokee Purple just stops growing and the leaves turn black and dry up. The Mortgage Lifter has leaves similar to yours and my Brandywines have firing around the leaf edges. Weird, but they all have the same thing.

Hope this isn't it - do you have an extension office where you can take a sample?

[sdambr]

I seem to be having same issue here in one of my earthboxes. Had 6 pepper plants in it, started with one plant starting to wilt about 3 weeks ago, then up to four by this week and I pulled them. Three of them along the same side. I left the two which were doing ok. None of them had any signs of bugs, lesions, browning. Also, small roots for the size of the plants and ripped out easily. I cut the stems no brown streaks either.
The other thi g that was baffling me was they wilted so suddenly but didnt die, they just stayed like that. It was promix that I reused from the same container last year.

I am thinking something in the soil is eating roots.

[brian1269]

Originally Posted by LMinAL

Brian, did you purchase this as a transplant or did you start it from seed? Bacterial canker will do this to a plant. It starts with wilting on one side. I'm unfortunately all to familiar with that disease. I brought it in a few years ago on a transplant.

You usually see discoloration in the stem, but not every leaf branch. In my experience, the leaves are affected in different ways depending on the variety - some just turn black, some yellow and some have firing around the edges. My Cherokee Purple just stops growing and the leaves turn black and dry up. The Mortgage Lifter has leaves similar to yours and my Brandywines have firing around the leaf edges. Weird, but they all have the same thing.

Hope this isn't it - do you have an extension office where you can take a sample?

I started it from seed myself and then transplanted it. the stems and roots actually look fine. I don't know if it's worth it to pay the $15-20 to have it analyzed, but I am really curious.

[brian1269]

Also, before it started wilting it was setting fruit and there are several good size tomatoes on it. I'm wondering if I should just take out the whole plant and give up on them or to wait a bit because the fruit seems to be still growing.

[LMinAL]

That analysis is pricey for a home garden. I guess we are lucky our extension has a free service to analyze problem plants.

It's hard to say whether to pull or not since you don't know what you are dealing with. Is there any color break on the tomatoes? You can try ripening them indoors.

[Dewayne mater]

The grow medium that earthbox ships (or that they used to ship 3-4 years ago) would hold water too long and start to smell rotten. Anything like that happening?

It killed plants my first year with it. The next year, I started using Raybo's grow medium mix and never that that issue again.

[brian1269]

Originally Posted by LMinAL

That analysis is pricey for a home garden. I guess we are lucky our extension has a free service to analyze problem plants.

It's hard to say whether to pull or not since you don't know what you are dealing with. Is there any color break on the tomatoes? You can try ripening them indoors.

There is one good cluster of five tomatoes. Not as big as they should be but one of them started ripening today.

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

The grow medium that earthbox ships (or that they used to ship 3-4 years ago) would hold water too long and start to smell rotten. Anything like that happening?

It killed plants my first year with it. The next year, I started using Raybo's grow medium mix and never that that issue again.

The growing medium is good, normal MG potting mix that worked great last year and is working great for all my plants this year. I checked it, not soggy, looks great. The other plant in the same box is doing fine.

[Worth1]

The tomatoes all of them will get ripe regardless of the size given time, on or off the vine.

Worth

[ginger2778]

Brian, I would pull it, then wrap the entire Earthbox in a clear plastic bag, sealed, and let it solarize for at least 1 month in the heat. that will kill everything. Clear plastic lets the temperature inside get more than 30 degrees hotter than black plastic. Many thanks Barb_FL for doing that experiment.

[dmforcier]

sdambr is right. The plant is badly wilted but not dead. Stem and leaves remain green. I washed the roots left on the 6" stump and left them in water. Some of the lower leaves actually regained some turgor! So just for grins I planted in fresh mix. We'll see what happens.

I still owe pics, though I don't see what they might show...

[sdambr]

Originally Posted by dmforcier

sdambr is right. The plant is badly wilted but not dead. Stem and leaves remain green. I washed the roots left on the 6" stump and left them in water. Some of the lower leaves actually regained some turgor! So just for grins I planted in fresh mix. We'll see what happens.

I still owe pics, though I don't see what they might show...

I hope they make it! I should have tried the same, instead I stuck a few beans in the wholes to see what happens.

[brian1269]

Originally Posted by Worth1

The tomatoes all of them will get ripe regardless of the size given time, on or off the vine.

Worth

Well I guess that's true as long as they are mature green.

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Brian, I would pull it, then wrap the entire Earthbox in a clear plastic bag, sealed, and let it solarize for at least 1 month in the heat. that will kill everything. Clear plastic lets the temperature inside get more than 30 degrees hotter than black plastic. Many thanks Barb_FL for doing that experiment.

OK thanks for the tip. If I did that now I would have to kill my other plant in the box that is doing well. If I knew for sure it was something contagious, I would do that immediately. I just made contact with an extension agent here so we will see what he says.

[Worth1]

I pulled some immature small Orange Russian tomatoes off a plant and tossed them on the ground.

The little things got ripe.

Worth

[dmforcier]

Nope. The apparently-still-living Manzano stump has shown no signs of recovery in fresh dirt. Now it looks more like the planted undead. It might be too late for a more-detailed autopsy to reveal anything. I still am unable to identify a cause.

I hate to throw away that much dirt...