Help, what could this be? It has killed most of my plants

desertlzbn · July 5, 2011

Does anyone know what could cause this, and how to stop it?

desertlzbn · July 6, 2011

No answer? Is this thing on?? (taps microphone)

Heritage · July 6, 2011

How hot has it been and how often do you water? Do you have any tomatoes not growing in pots and are they doing the same thing? The plants look fried to me. Could also be a bad infestation of spider mites but I can't tell from the detail in the photos. That's my best guesses...

Steve

arivaraci · July 6, 2011

Looks like what killed my blueberry bushes. Unfortunately that was my over-fertilizing.

mmmmMato! · July 6, 2011

Could it be this?:

http://www.growgardentomatoes.com/crown-rot.html

Happened to two of my romas in a SWC last year . Plants looked good, set fruit, then went brown. It looked like they weren't getting water, but the mix around the plants was wet, not damp, and the SWC was wicking well. Maybe too well??

Sun City Linda · July 6, 2011

Yes, my guess is mites also. I currently have Tomato Russet mites, you cant see them without 14X magnification but whole branches wilt, bronze and go crispy, surprisingly quickly as they work their way up the plant. I have read you can see spider mites if you hold white paper under the leaves and shake them. Linda

desertlzbn · July 6, 2011

It took about a week and all of my plants looked dead, Granted I did not spray or anything, I just gave up.
This is on all my tomato plants in the whole garden. I guess I should have tried to spray or something, but just was too upset about it to try anything.

Sun City Linda · July 7, 2011

Oh no, I am sorry Desertlzbn

- Mites and or Excessive heat do seem possible. I live in a very hot climate also, although not as hot as Tuscon and most of our garden plants were not designed to grow in these hot temps. Maybe you can plant again for a fall crop? Linda

desertlzbn · July 9, 2011

I am planting some other veggies now. I don't know if I am going to plant tomatoes or not, maybe just 3 or 4 plants just to have some cherries in the winter.
I am feeling pretty discouraged right now. so I may just not plant any for a while.

beefsteak · July 12, 2011

"I am feeling pretty discouraged right now. so I may just not plant any for a while."

It sounds like you feel like I did when my tomatoes got a late blight a few years ago, but I got over it and you will too!

July 6, 2011	#5
mmmmMato! Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Inland Northwest Posts: 4	Could it be this?: http://www.growgardentomatoes.com/crown-rot.html Happened to two of my romas in a SWC last year . Plants looked good, set fruit, then went brown. It looked like they weren't getting water, but the mix around the plants was wet, not damp, and the SWC was wicking well. Maybe too well?? Last edited by mmmmMato!; July 6, 2011 at 05:29 PM. Reason: added "last year".

July 6, 2011	#2
desertlzbn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson Posts: 659	No answer? Is this thing on?? (taps microphone)

July 6, 2011	#3
Heritage Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 1,255	How hot has it been and how often do you water? Do you have any tomatoes not growing in pots and are they doing the same thing? The plants look fried to me. Could also be a bad infestation of spider mites but I can't tell from the detail in the photos. That's my best guesses... Steve

July 6, 2011	#4
arivaraci Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 199	Looks like what killed my blueberry bushes. Unfortunately that was my over-fertilizing.

July 6, 2011	#6
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Yes, my guess is mites also. I currently have Tomato Russet mites, you cant see them without 14X magnification but whole branches wilt, bronze and go crispy, surprisingly quickly as they work their way up the plant. I have read you can see spider mites if you hold white paper under the leaves and shake them. Linda

July 7, 2011	#8
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Oh no, I am sorry Desertlzbn - Mites and or Excessive heat do seem possible. I live in a very hot climate also, although not as hot as Tuscon and most of our garden plants were not designed to grow in these hot temps. Maybe you can plant again for a fall crop? Linda

July 9, 2011	#9
desertlzbn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson Posts: 659	I am planting some other veggies now. I don't know if I am going to plant tomatoes or not, maybe just 3 or 4 plants just to have some cherries in the winter. I am feeling pretty discouraged right now. so I may just not plant any for a while.

July 12, 2011	#10
beefsteak Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NW PA zone 5 Posts: 121	"I am feeling pretty discouraged right now. so I may just not plant any for a while." It sounds like you feel like I did when my tomatoes got a late blight a few years ago, but I got over it and you will too!