Hollow stem

Dave_Z6 · July 21, 2006

Been raising tomatoes for years and never had this happen before.
Plant was small but otherwise looked healthy, then at about two feet tall with three small fruit set it suddenly withered. Applied modest amount of moisture to no avail. No noticeable foliage disease.
Plant just dried up over a period of a week.
When I pulled it today and looked for cutworm damage-saw none. Cut stem the short way in several places and saw that beginning about 6"-8" from ground line it was hollow as a soda straw.
Anyone know what killed it ???
Dave

Polar_Lace · July 21, 2006

Timber Rot?

Dave_Z6 · July 21, 2006

Thanks for the responses and linked web sites Robin and Keith. Great reference sites.
This is in an area of good drainage and nothing planted there previously but grass and tomatoes so I'm not sure it's either of the diseases suggested.
I just hope it's an isolated happening and does not affect other plants. So far, so good.
Thanks again,
Dave

Fert1 · July 27, 2006

Last year, every plant I had did exactly what you described. No noticeable foliage disease, then the top wilts and it works its way down the plant. Stems were hollow. I never was 100% certain what caused it, but it was extremely virulent and made its way across my garden killing everything in its path. So I hope what you have is something different.

I had my plants all in one row. It started a one end, then the next day the plant next to the dead one would die, and so on and so on. It was like every day, it moved over to the next plant until everything was dead. Very strange! I suspected Bacterial Wilt, but nothing was oozing when I cut the stem and stuck it in a glass of water. So I finally decided Pith Necrosis was the most likely problem, but I didn't think it would be so virulent.

A friend who lives nearby had the same problem. Killed all of her plants too. This year, she planted in the exact same spot, and did not have the problem. Go figure! It has been dryer this year, where last year we almost got together to build an ark.

July 21, 2006	#1
Dave_Z6 CHOPTAG™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 79	Hollow stem Been raising tomatoes for years and never had this happen before. Plant was small but otherwise looked healthy, then at about two feet tall with three small fruit set it suddenly withered. Applied modest amount of moisture to no avail. No noticeable foliage disease. Plant just dried up over a period of a week. When I pulled it today and looked for cutworm damage-saw none. Cut stem the short way in several places and saw that beginning about 6"-8" from ground line it was hollow as a soda straw. Anyone know what killed it ??? Dave

July 21, 2006	#2
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Timber Rot? __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

July 27, 2006	#4
Fert1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Upstate SC, Zone 7 Posts: 543	Last year, every plant I had did exactly what you described. No noticeable foliage disease, then the top wilts and it works its way down the plant. Stems were hollow. I never was 100% certain what caused it, but it was extremely virulent and made its way across my garden killing everything in its path. So I hope what you have is something different. I had my plants all in one row. It started a one end, then the next day the plant next to the dead one would die, and so on and so on. It was like every day, it moved over to the next plant until everything was dead. Very strange! I suspected Bacterial Wilt, but nothing was oozing when I cut the stem and stuck it in a glass of water. So I finally decided Pith Necrosis was the most likely problem, but I didn't think it would be so virulent. A friend who lives nearby had the same problem. Killed all of her plants too. This year, she planted in the exact same spot, and did not have the problem. Go figure! It has been dryer this year, where last year we almost got together to build an ark. __________________ Holly