Re: [tomato] wilting plants
zach (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Sat, 30 May 1998 12:08:54 -0400
thanks for your help. i fear thaty the plants are already dead as they look
like potpourii. <G>
-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret Lauterbach <mlaute@micron.net>
To: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com <Tomato@GlobalGarden.com>
Date: Saturday, May 30, 1998 11:32 AM
Subject: Re: [tomato] wilting plants
>At 10:13 AM 5/30/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>I live in south GA (zone 8?) I haven't noticed any black marks but the
>>bottom leaves are yellowing.
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Margaret Lauterbach <mlaute@micron.net>
>>To: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com <Tomato@GlobalGarden.com>
>>Date: Saturday, May 30, 1998 9:28 AM
>>Subject: Re: [tomato] wilting plants
>>
>>
>>>At 05:46 PM 5/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>>> I have 3 plants (different types one of which is an early girl)
that
>>>>are spontaneously wilting. any ideas? this started to happen after my
>>wife
>>>>staked them up. My plants are about 5 1/2 ft tall any I don't want to
>>lose
>>>>anymore. thanks zach
>>>
>>>Where do you live? Are there any black marks on the lower stems or
leaves?
>>> Are the bottom leaves yellowing? Margaret
>>
>Zach, if you lived in my area, between the Rocky Mountains and the
>Cascades, I'd say you might have curly top disease in your tomatoes. But
>you're in the wrong area. I hope someone from Georgia will be able to help
>you. It sounds like the plant is not circulating water and nutrients.
>Verticillium and fusarium wilts are notorious for blocking circulation. I
>wonder if you could sacrifice a branch, and see if it has black, brown or
>olive marks at the cut (I think the "veins" discolor in verticillium, so
>you'd be looking at a cross section of the veins. Usually textbooks show
>the blackish veins of the trunk of the plant, but by then for sure you've
>killed it. There's no cure for verticillium or fusarium wilt, but just buy
>plants that have a VF after their name, indicating resistance to
>verticillium and fusarium. And don't plant tomatoes in that spot again.
>
>Your county agent may have a better diagnosis than my long-distance one.
>Take a branch in to the county extension office and ask them the problem.
> Good luck, Margaret