Fusarium Wilt

[Starlight]

https://www.researchgate.net/publica...ersici_race_J3

Type F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici into google and you will find lots of scientific research and oodles of reading.

Lots of reading here, but you may find it interesting on the section starting on page 4 of how the age of the tomato plants will exhibit more or less problems with fusarium.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/1...29140500134334

So far I have found this article:

"Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici may be disseminated in seed, transplants, or soil."

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep21367

I have a third edition of my Into to Fungi book and in it it says that some species of Fusarium are seed-borne, but it doesn't list FOL, tomatoes specifically.

If you google:

transfer of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici into tomato seeds

lots of scientific research available.

For those who have an infected plant with fruits, you might try and germinate some seeds, and grow the plant out in a container. If the seedlings show the wilt then it would show whether it is seed transmittable or not.

I could be wrong about this, don't know for sure, but think F. wilt is way more soil-borne than by seed transmission. I think this is due to fermentation of the seeds and other seed treatments.

I feel for those of you having to deal with it. Long process to try and eliminate from the ground. Best bets have already been said. Find resistant cultivars, grow in containers off the ground for awhile, learn to graft. Bill has great thread going on grafting.

Grafting not easy to learn. Takes some practice, but took time to learn how to grow tomato plants successfully, we can learn to graft too. There is hope on the horizon. : )

[Father'sDaughter]

I found the whole idea of grafting intimidating and even a bit anxiety provoking, but the practice of grafting was actually very straightforward and relatively easy once I zeroed in on Bill's low root technique.

[AlittleSalt]

Hi Star, I did just read the links after posting a PM to you.

I have been worried about all the seeds I have sent all over the world. Just to way under guess - I have mailed out 10,000 or more seeds. It doesn't matter how much you read from any resourse, I can't help but wonder if I have spread something horrible by just being myself and wanting to give to others?

Star, it wasn't your post. You are one of my best friends here.

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

I found the whole idea of grafting intimidating and even a bit anxiety provoking, but the practice of grafting was actually very straightforward and relatively easy once I zeroed in on Bill's low root technique.

I'm nervous too. Doing little tomato plants is nothing like grafting big tree branches. I figure it will take me, Miss Fumble Fingers, about three years if I'm lucky to get the hang of it. I still got oodles of Beefsteak and Atkinson and a few other types of tomato seed if anybody wants some to practice with, so they don't loose good seed. Practice makes perfect they say. I know I'll need lots of practice. Thank goodness Bill so patient with us asking questions.

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Hi Star, I did just read the links after posting a PM to you.

I have been worried about all the seeds I have sent all over the world. Just to way under guess - I have mailed out 10,000 or more seeds. It doesn't matter how much you read from any resourse, I can't help but wonder if I have spread something horrible by just being myself and wanting to give to others?

Star, it wasn't your post. You are one of my best friends here.

Salt, I wouldn't worry. Not at all. You'll drive yourself crazy if you do. I don't know of any folks that have the 100% perfect garden. Folks have good years and bad, comes with the territory. Some have ground issues, some have bug issues sucking the life out of their plants. Everybody got some type of situation.

I have sent out thousands too and received seed from all the world and hope to continue too. I have seed from you and seed from Cole and grown plants from the seed and no problems. Only real seed I would worry about is if it came from a plant with a virus. Most folks don't send viral infected plant seed and destroy the plants immediately. Your more apt to get a crossed seed than an infected one.

If I wouldn't have lost all my pics from off old computer would show you just how pretty the plants were and how productive.

[AlittleSalt]

I tried going to sleep over an hour ago, but couldn't.

The way I saved seeds was by fermentation. I learned from Carolyn, and to me, she is completely right. I know that I saved the seeds right.

Our garden continues to produce, but with tomato plants that should be 6-8' tall - are only 3' tall at best. Pepper plants are producing at 1' tall. Pole beans that are 7+' tall with no beans on them. The pictures in this thread and my RKN thread says it all. I'm losing interest fast, and yet, I keep fighting it. I even quit weeding the garden this year. That was one of the things I was proud of doing in years past.

This is the year of transition for me. To go from growing tomatoes and vegetables - to raising some chickens and flower gardening. Both are rewarding and challenging - which I need. But those are just side notes at a place called Tomatoville.

I have tomato plants at two stages. 12 that could be planted out tomorrow for the fall garden, but they can wait another week, and countless others that need to be potted up tomorrow. I haven't given up - but I think I've already passed the point of being stubborn. The 12 will be grown in garden that was made to grow fall tomatoes in. I don't know if has Fusarium and RKN in it, but it probably does. Purslane is growing in it really well.

The ones to be potted up tomorrow are six Big Beef VFFNTA and some Campari. They will be planted in a raised garden that I know for sure is contaminated with RKN and fusarium. I want to see the results.

About gardening, I'm not sure anymore? I can see flowers growing like weeds. Flowers are beautiful. Why is it that vegetables and fruit are the ones everything attacks?

[b54red]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I tried going to sleep over an hour ago, but couldn't.

The way I saved seeds was by fermentation. I learned from Carolyn, and to me, she is completely right. I know that I saved the seeds right.

Our garden continues to produce, but with tomato plants that should be 6-8' tall - are only 3' tall at best. Pepper plants are producing at 1' tall. Pole beans that are 7+' tall with no beans on them. The pictures in this thread and my RKN thread says it all. I'm losing interest fast, and yet, I keep fighting it. I even quit weeding the garden this year. That was one of the things I was proud of doing in years past.

This is the year of transition for me. To go from growing tomatoes and vegetables - to raising some chickens and flower gardening. Both are rewarding and challenging - which I need. But those are just side notes at a place called Tomatoville.

I have tomato plants at two stages. 12 that could be planted out tomorrow for the fall garden, but they can wait another week, and countless others that need to be potted up tomorrow. I haven't given up - but I think I've already passed the point of being stubborn. The 12 will be grown in garden that was made to grow fall tomatoes in. I don't know if has Fusarium and RKN in it, but it probably does. Purslane is growing in it really well.

The ones to be potted up tomorrow are six Big Beef VFFNTA and some Campari. They will be planted in a raised garden that I know for sure is contaminated with RKN and fusarium. I want to see the results.

About gardening, I'm not sure anymore? I can see flowers growing like weeds. Flowers are beautiful. Why is it that vegetables and fruit are the ones everything attacks?

Salt you are at the point I was at when I started grafting. I loved growing tomatoes but couldn't tolerate the taste of those super hybrids. Why grow something in your garden when the same sorry tasting product is available in the grocery store with a lot less effort. Fresh garden tomatoes are one of the most satisfying things to grow if you can grow the varieties that have the flavor and texture that you like. Grafting finally gave me the ability to grow those very varieties with good success. I still have to fight all the regular foliage diseases, pests and weather that always make gardening a challenge; but having freedom from fusarium wilt and RKN makes growing tomatoes a joy again.

I have really bad arthritis and can't always graft but on a day when it is tolerable I really enjoy the process of grafting now. I am not always successful but with practice and a few changes in technique I am pretty sure I will have all the grafts I want with some leftover to give to friends. The only real problem with grafting to me is getting the healing chamber process right. Sometimes I forget and leave the chamber open far too soon or forget to open it and let in fresh air. The weather conditions make all the difference in the routine with the healing chamber. The last few weeks I could have just skipped a healing chamber because it was almost always raining. Anytime I have that kind of weather and some freshly grafted plants I just keep them on the porch and only close the healing chamber if it gets sunny and hot. I once was able to go through the whole healing process with a batch of plants without ever closing the healing chamber because the weather was damp and cool for a whole week right after I grafted them.

Bill

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I'm nervous too. Doing little tomato plants is nothing like grafting big tree branches. I figure it will take me, Miss Fumble Fingers, about three years if I'm lucky to get the hang of it. I still got oodles of Beefsteak and Atkinson and a few other types of tomato seed if anybody wants some to practice with, so they don't loose good seed. Practice makes perfect they say. I know I'll need lots of practice. Thank goodness Bill so patient with us asking questions.

I was expecting a high failure rate too. What helped me was a test run with some seeds started a month ahead of schedule. It was a miserable failure because I opted not to trim/remove the rootstock roots and kept the healing chamber too moist. However, it let me practice cutting and clipping which gave me more confidence when it was time to do it for real.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by b54red

Salt you are at the point I was at when I started grafting. I loved growing tomatoes but couldn't tolerate the taste of those super hybrids. Why grow something in your garden when the same sorry tasting product is available in the grocery store with a lot less effort. Fresh garden tomatoes are one of the most satisfying things to grow if you can grow the varieties that have the flavor and texture that you like. Grafting finally gave me the ability to grow those very varieties with good success. I still have to fight all the regular foliage diseases, pests and weather that always make gardening a challenge; but having freedom from fusarium wilt and RKN makes growing tomatoes a joy again.

I have really bad arthritis and can't always graft but on a day when it is tolerable I really enjoy the process of grafting now. I am not always successful but with practice and a few changes in technique I am pretty sure I will have all the grafts I want with some leftover to give to friends. The only real problem with grafting to me is getting the healing chamber process right. Sometimes I forget and leave the chamber open far too soon or forget to open it and let in fresh air. The weather conditions make all the difference in the routine with the healing chamber. The last few weeks I could have just skipped a healing chamber because it was almost always raining. Anytime I have that kind of weather and some freshly grafted plants I just keep them on the porch and only close the healing chamber if it gets sunny and hot. I once was able to go through the whole healing process with a batch of plants without ever closing the healing chamber because the weather was damp and cool for a whole week right after I grafted them.

Bill

I get inundated with popups advertising grafting "tools" that are simply a "clip and fit." They make for twigs, branches, and also tenders like tomatoes.

I seem to have lost talent for cutting a straight square line with a handsaw since the invention of the power circular saw. "They" make it sound like these new tools are idiot proof for grafting all kinds of things these days and easy as baking a pie.

Ever get tempted and try one of these gizmos?

[Starlight]

Salt... Take a couple of those fall plants and pot them up in a couple of containers. Have your wife bring home a bag of the Expert potting soil mix. 1 cu. ft. bag is 5 bucks which should do 3 or 4 pots. Put them up off the ground a bit and in a spot where they will get some afternoon shade. The hot temps and humidity of July is on. if you have a couple of 5 gallon containers or any old type of container, waste basket or tote will work. That way you will at least see a couple of plants produce for you. Only thing is with containers, you do have to water everyday in heat, sometimes when in high 90's twice a day.

Don't give u[p on your tomatoes and veggies. Take a look at all the weird and destructive weather patterns across the country. Bad year and loads of problems for most folks. I know it can get depressing when you see your hard work being destroyed, but you just need to go in different direction for a little bit.

Try the grafting and containers. Like Bill you may have to just graft on days when your hands not hurting so bad. While your learning those methods, you can work on getting what is known as fungi netting fungi into your soil. There are fungi that are of a nematode nature that actually create an adhesive web netting in the soil and trap your RKN and destroy them. Usually the good fungi, eats the bad RNK. About the only way I know of to get rid of them. it won't get rid of them overnight, but every one killed is one less producing eggs. : )

Lots of links about nematode netting on the web

https://www.google.com/search?q=adhe...utf-8&oe=utf-8

While I could do the same to my yard, I got to liking container gardening so much better than straight inground once I got the hang of it that I haven't wanted to go to ground again. You may find the same thing of using containers and grafted plants off the ground in your garden areas.

Keep the faith that things will and do get better. When I have a bad year or failures, I take them as learning curves and sya , " There always next year!" : )

[b54red]

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

I get inundated with popups advertising grafting "tools" that are simply a "clip and fit." They make for twigs, branches, and also tenders like tomatoes.

I seem to have lost talent for cutting a straight square line with a handsaw since the invention of the power circular saw. "They" make it sound like these new tools are idiot proof for grafting all kinds of things these days and easy as baking a pie.

Ever get tempted and try one of these gizmos?

When you lay the two stems on top of each other to make the cut why would you need any kind of tool other than a razor blade? It doesn't matter if the angle is perfect or not because it will be the same on the two stems. I just match up stem size the best I can and then make the cut through both at the same time. Just make sure to put the scion on the root stock. When I first started doing this I sometimes just put the two back together. Boy was I disappointed when the thing grew out and started making little green inedible fruits. When they say those root stock are not for growing out and eating they aren't kidding.

Bill

[Father'sDaughter]

I took a cue from Rachel Ray and had a "garbage bowl" stationed near by. As soon as I made the cut, the rootstock top and scion bottom went into the garbage bowl. I watched one video where the person was throwing them on the greenhouse floor, but I couldn't do that since I was grafting at the dining room table.

I also had a small jar of fresh water that I put the scion top into for the few moments it took to find the right sized grafting clip.

[tryno12]

Question, if i have a grafted plant(got from a friend from a friend so i don't know what is the root or the top - if i had to guess it is like a Seed catalogued #380.....??? ) if i save the seeds from this plant will it be as the one i am growing now - it seems great - probably a greenhouse marketable type; large, round, pretty, red, and very productive - will probably have to rope it up to the eves trough(already did)..........anyway, will it produce good seeds?
Thank You
If you zoom on the pic you can tell the characteristics - don't know if i should pick it yet or not - awfully tempted!

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by tryno12

Question, if i have a grafted plant(got from a friend from a friend so i don't know what is the root or the top - if i had to guess it is like a Seed catalogued #380.....??? ) if i save the seeds from this plant will it be as the one i am growing now - it seems great - probably a greenhouse marketable type; large, round, pretty, red, and very productive - will probably have to rope it up to the eves trough(already did)..........anyway, will it produce good seeds?

Thank You

If you zoom on the pic you can tell the characteristics - don't know if i should pick it yet or not - awfully tempted!

As long as it's an open pollinated tomato and not a hybrid, you can save seeds and grow the same tomato next year. But some of this year's growth and production is likely due to the more vigorous rootstock, so ungrafted you may end up with a smaller (more "normal" sized) plant and not as many tomatoes.

If the variety is a hybrid, then who knows what you'll get!

[tryno12]

Thanks "father", since i have no idea if it is a hybrid or not i have no idea if the seeds are worth a try or not but i will give it a try - now i will look up how to preserve/prepare seeds - i am new at all this..........kinda, been growing around house for 60 yrs and just now paying attention - have over 100 plants in ground and trying to figure what to plant next yr based on this yrs. "experiment" - who ever thought all 250 seeds would germinate and i couldn't kill 'em

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by b54red

Salt you are at the point I was at when I started grafting. I loved growing tomatoes but couldn't tolerate the taste of those super hybrids. Why grow something in your garden when the same sorry tasting product is available in the grocery store with a lot less effort. Fresh garden tomatoes are one of the most satisfying things to grow if you can grow the varieties that have the flavor and texture that you like. Grafting finally gave me the ability to grow those very varieties with good success. I still have to fight all the regular foliage diseases, pests and weather that always make gardening a challenge; but having freedom from fusarium wilt and RKN makes growing tomatoes a joy again.

I have really bad arthritis and can't always graft but on a day when it is tolerable I really enjoy the process of grafting now. I am not always successful but with practice and a few changes in technique I am pretty sure I will have all the grafts I want with some leftover to give to friends. The only real problem with grafting to me is getting the healing chamber process right. Sometimes I forget and leave the chamber open far too soon or forget to open it and let in fresh air. The weather conditions make all the difference in the routine with the healing chamber. The last few weeks I could have just skipped a healing chamber because it was almost always raining. Anytime I have that kind of weather and some freshly grafted plants I just keep them on the porch and only close the healing chamber if it gets sunny and hot. I once was able to go through the whole healing process with a batch of plants without ever closing the healing chamber because the weather was damp and cool for a whole week right after I grafted them.

Bill

Bill, I know you must have gone through what I am going through. I am thinking through any and every possible thoughts. Yes, I've even thought about buying those tasteless store bought tomatoes.