Yellowing leaves on previously healthy plants

Mike_d_s · June 4, 2014

Hi all,

I've been raising tomatoes for a few years now without too much issue, this year I have a problem that has sprung up in about the last week. I'm not sure exactly when I started as I was out of town and just noticed it when I got back this week.

Basically I had what were healthy plants and two of them have started getting yellow leaves and one particularly is looking very bad now.

Initially a few days ago, just the leaves were yellow with both older and newer growth yellowing. The leaves themselves initially didn't look unusual other than turning yellow, not really curling or spotted. But in the last few days, the stems are yellowing as well and the yellow leaves are really wilting. I also noted the one tomato with the worst yellowing has a bunch of nodules along the stem which I always heard was a stress response so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Also I noticed as well the cherry tomato next to it is starting to show some yellow leaves as well on the side facing the bad one, so now I'm starting to worry as it looks contagious.

This is the first time I've had this kind of problem in my patch and while I'll hate to pull the plants, I don't want to lose any more if I can help it if there is no hope.

What do you think, am I out of luck here with these plants?

thanks,
Mike

b54red · June 5, 2014

I can't really tell much from that photo but it could be fusarium wilt. Cut one of the yellowing stems and see if dark yellow or brown tissue is showing inside the stem just under the outer layer. Has just one stem started yellowing first before more stems starting to yellow followed by wilting?

If it is fusarium wilt then it is soil borne and very difficult to deal with. I have fought it for decades. Growing hybrids with triple fusarium resistance or grafting onto rootstock with that kind of high fusarium resistance have been the only truly effective means of beating it that I have found. The only other option is to plant a lot of plants and keep replacements handy so if a plant gets it you can replace it. You could pull the plant and take it to your county extension office and see if they can diagnose the problem.

There are other things that can cause yellowing and wilting like a heavy infestation of mites.

Bill

newgardener_tx · June 5, 2014

Looks like Fusarium wilt to me too. I have lost 10+ plants due to this. The plants dye within days with a lot of fruit on them.

June 5, 2014	#2
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I can't really tell much from that photo but it could be fusarium wilt. Cut one of the yellowing stems and see if dark yellow or brown tissue is showing inside the stem just under the outer layer. Has just one stem started yellowing first before more stems starting to yellow followed by wilting? If it is fusarium wilt then it is soil borne and very difficult to deal with. I have fought it for decades. Growing hybrids with triple fusarium resistance or grafting onto rootstock with that kind of high fusarium resistance have been the only truly effective means of beating it that I have found. The only other option is to plant a lot of plants and keep replacements handy so if a plant gets it you can replace it. You could pull the plant and take it to your county extension office and see if they can diagnose the problem. There are other things that can cause yellowing and wilting like a heavy infestation of mites. Bill

June 5, 2014	#3
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	Looks like Fusarium wilt to me too. I have lost 10+ plants due to this. The plants dye within days with a lot of fruit on them.