What is wrong ? Big green plants wilted suddenly

[newgardener_tx]

Could somebody help me to identify the problem? I have a German Johnson with tomatoes on it already. One morning I saw two top tips were wilted, by the afternoon the whole plant was wilted. The leaves were still green. I didn't see any bugs. I pulled the plant (very reluctant and sad) and the roots looked ok. The first pic is the sick plant, Second is the pulled out, third one is the healthy Cherokee Purple growing next to the GJ. You can see the GJ on the back.

[epsilon]

It looked kind of dry, when was the last time you had watered? and what have the recent temps been like in your area?

Accuweather says that locally the last two weeks have been in the mid 80's you might want to consider adding a water day during weeks with high temp averages. During our last heat wave I had hesitated in watering a little more and the tops of on of my toms said to hell with it, and got crispy, since then they've gone back to their happy selves but that was a good reminder to me to not be so completely stingy with the water.

[RayR]

Doesn't look sick to me, just real thirsty.

[Stvrob]

Mine would look like that if I skipped One day of watering.

[KarenO]

It looks healthy, just dry.
Karen

[b54red]

Well since you have pulled it you might as well check it for fusarium by cutting the stem and seeing if you see areas of dark yellow or light brown in the vascular tissue. Did you water it well and check to see how it was the next morning? Another thing that can cause a green plant to wilt is bacterial wilt but I rarely see it on a plant that large.

Bill

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by newgardener_tx

Could somebody help me to identify the problem? I have a German Johnson with tomatoes on it already. One morning I saw two top tips were wilted, by the afternoon the whole plant was wilted. The leaves were still green. I didn't see any bugs. I pulled the plant (very reluctant and sad) and the roots looked ok. The first pic is the sick plant, Second is the pulled out, third one is the healthy Cherokee Purple growing next to the GJ. You can see the GJ on the back.

I would never rip out a tomato plant that looks as healthy as those look. Unless a plant is literally laying down dead or has lost 75% of its leaves, I won't give up.

[newgardener_tx]

Thanks for all the diagnose and suggestions. It was very hard for me to pull the plant out! I am sure the wilting is not because of lacking of water though. Central Texas had low 90s and high 80s but I was watering plants very consistently. That is the reason I post the healthy CP just next to the sick plant in the same box, a squash plant in the same box is also very healthy. I already sealed and threw the plant away to prevent spreading so I couldn't cut it anymore. The stems and leaves of the plant were very crispy. They were very easy to break off. They look sick to me. Anyway I feel the more tomatoes I plant the more complicated the tomato world is!
By the way I just harvest a sungold and Bing cherry tomato for this season!

[Dewayne mater]

Did check for spider mites? They can make a plant's leave crispy and brown extremely quickly in sufficient numbers and when its hot. The pics aren't close enough for me to tell if this is consistent with S.M. damage, and it is pretty early to have a significant infestation, but, you never know. Herbicide drift could do that as well. Might want to get some real close up pics and post them to see if folks can help.

Dewayne Mater

[feldon30]

I'm wondering if maybe you were watering too much? A moisture meter is a good investment!

[newgardener_tx]

Feldon30: I don't think I watered too much. Water is very expensive Did you post a link about your plants? Am I day dreaming? I think I clicked a link with all the tomato pictures then all gone.

[newgardener_tx]

More problems.What a surprise. I have BER problems for tomato in the pots (No pic), Can I add calcium now?
Pic1: A cherry plants with weird new growth tip;
Pic2&3: A Paul Robinson dying with tomatoes set, the leaves are wilting and thinning, the tips are stunt.
Pic4: Some kind of bugs is attacking the leaves of pepper
Pic5: Healthy cherry tomato box
Pic6: Tons of Red grape

[chalstonsc]

The plants dying by wilting look like bacterial wilt to me. Sorry.

[newgardener_tx]

I looked up the bacterial wilt. It does look like it. Both of my Paul Robinson and German Johnson are bacterial wilt. Have to pull the plants

Originally Posted by chalstonsc

The plants dying by wilting look like bacterial wilt to me. Sorry.

[Dewayne mater]

You can diagnose bacterial wilt by cutting the stem at the base of the plant. Look for discolored tissue. Suspend the stem in a glass of water. If it is infected, a white, slimy substance will ooze into the water within just a few minutes.