Another Sick Tomato - Clues?

[rsg2001]

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/myAlbums....152670635450.1

I hope that you can see this picture. (If not, I can email it individually). I posted my query a few days ago on another thread in Tomatoville, asking if someone could help identify the problem my Black Cherry is having from a description, but no one has responded yet. The picture tells the story. Every morning I see another branch or two succumbing. Any clue as to what this is?

I have two Black Cherry plants growing in a self-watering planter (both affected) and until a few days ago it was doing marvelously, already 4 1/2 feet tall and sporting several clusters of tomatoes. I had the same wilt last year affected only this same variety, but late in the season after big production - both the plants in the container as well as one in the ground experienced this problem. None of the other varieties are experiencing this problem. I have been using both Serenade and Messenger as per the label directions and had also sprayed it with a foliar feed (MultiBloom, a fish formulation). The fruit are not affected by whatever this is. I wondered if it is verticillium.

It starts with the end-leaf on the branch turning brown at the end (does not turn yellow) and creeps up the sides of the leaf, which dries and curls, and makes it way to other leaves on the stem. In most instances the branch starts to separate from the stem, indicating to me that it is a circulatory problem. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Robbin

[kimpossible]

The pic link asks for a screen name & password...

[PeteD]

The verbal description sounds like CRUD to me, which Carolyn has described as possibly an aberrant form of early blight that may be outgrown.

However, I had two Persimmon plants with this (it started indoors) and I just pulled the second one two days ago because it would not go away. The rest of the plant looked healthy (just brown tips and leaf edges) and it was setting fruit well, but I did not want to take any chances because I had seen signs of spreading earlier this year with all the rain in MA. I knocked it down (apparently) with Daconil and Copper Sulphate earlier in June, but when it came back I said "enough". My tomatoes are spacing pretty closely (2 to 2.5 feet) so I erred on the safe side.

Other than trying the Daconil route to see if you get improvement, I am not sure. It would be helpful to see the picture...

[rsg2001]

Pete, thank you for your response. I can't seem to get my picture to post but if you are willing to look at it, let me know if I can email it to you. (Drop me a line at rsg2001@aol.com). When I saw it, I too thought it was like a giant version of CRUD. The last two days haven't seen any more branches with the symptoms, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. We have had a lot of rain and humidity in the past few weeks and perhaps that is a factor.
Robbin

[PeteD]

The easiest way to post pictures (IMO) is to use photobucket.com You can open a free account, upload your picture and then get the links. The IMG links (third option) will place the picture directly into the post. That way everyone can see it.

[rsg2001]

[img]

Thanks - hopefully you can see the picture of the problem now that I referred to in my first post in this thread.

Robbin

[tanagerzoo]

excessive watering? Not allowing the soil to dry out--or mostly dry out before watering again? Or perhaps poor drainage? Are the holes in your containers big enough and not getting blocked by heavy soil?

My drainage isn't the best and after 10+ inches of rain in about 4 days, I've now lost 3 plants. They start out looking like yours and then progress to severely wilted, then crispy.

I've lost purple russian, paul robeson, and green zebra.

[rsg2001]

[/b]I have them in a self-watering pot, which has a reservoir of water that wicks up to the soil as needed. It's basically never dry and supposed to stay moist. It's possible that is the issue, but I've been using this type of container for years and the only time this problem has come up before is with Black Cherry. (Last year, other Black Cherry plants in conventional containers also succumbed to this, so maybe it just doesn't like containers.) Perhaps this variety simply doesn't like 'wet feet'. Meantime, I have Sungold, German Johnson, Eva Purple Ball and Evergreen growing in the same type of containers and their health is good.

Last year, when I grew Aunt Gertie's Gold in a self-watering container, it was sick from the get-go, so I discarded the container mix and bleached the container. I suspect that there are some varieties that just don't cotton to this type of container.

In contrast, the Black Cherry planted in my in-the-ground garden is growing very slowly and hasn't flowered yet. I had some challenges germinating this variety this year and last, too.

Last year, EPB, after a prodigious season in a self-watering pot, simply yellowed and dried up at the end, but were so productive I couldn't complain. They aren't quite on that production pace this year but doing fine.

The plants in these containers overall usually stay pretty healthy until mid to late September when they just kind of tire out. These pots really stimulate a lot of growth, pretty quickly.

[MsCowpea]

Did you spray them with anything?

(What mix do you use in the SW container?)

[rsg2001]

I use Serenade, Messenger, and I also did one foliar application of fish emulsion a couple of weeks ago (since sometimes container plants can use the nutritional boost). I plan to do the fish application again next weekend.

The mix is Garden Supply Catalog's formulation for self-watering containers - a soilless mix.

[PeteD]

I am not sure what the problem is, but it doesn't look like blight or CRUD to me.

Maybe someone else can help.