Wilted Quickly?

[b54red]

If the plant does not get better as the soil dries then there is always the possibility that you could be experiencing Bacterial Wilt which usually occurs after a spell of heavy rain. I have never seen it in a container plant but I'm sure it is possible. It used to be a real problem every few years for me until I started grafting with RST- 106-04-T rootstock which is BW resistant.

Bill

[AlittleSalt]

This is what the plant looks like 24 hours later. The mix is still damp to the touch, so I'm guessing I should let it dry out some more instead of feeding it with 4-18-38 Calcium Nitrate Epsom Salt water. The plant looks awful and maybe is at the point of no return.

[greenthumbomaha]

I've had one branch suddenly look like that , but not the whole plant, Nematodes here are only associated with farm crops like soybeans, not tomatoes afaik. All is not lost. Get something ready for that spot, like squash. Those leaves don't look like they will come back, at least mine never do when they are wilted like that.

I came on because one of my tomatoes looks exasperated. It is a potato leaf, which I have never seen wilt. Stuff happens, especially this crazy weather year! Let's hope it doesn't spread for either of us.

- Lisa

[AlittleSalt]

Bower, I was thinking the same thing. It could have been contaminated with something before I bought it.

The fact that none of the leaves turned yellow/brown has me wondering what's happening. With RKN and FW3 there is yellowing especially on the lower parts.

I've been spraying with a product called Worry Free (Pyrethrin) I haven't seen much bug damage even though the rain washes it off.

I took off my socks and shoes to feel the ground beside the buckets. It looked wet by where the holes are drilled, and it is wet. Which means the containers are still draining. The holes are really close to the bottom...I'll go measure...3/4 inch or 1.9cm to the center of the holes, they basically are on the bottom. There are at least 6 holes on every bucket - some have more. The reason why some have more holes is exactly what Oakley wrote. Last year's plants had the bottom blanketed with roots just like they do in solo cups.

It could be Bacterial Wilt. I'm not familiar with it, but there's a first time for everything I guess.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Salt,if no barrier, then nematodes, which are microscopic worms after all, can crawl through the drain holes, so even though wetness might be the issue here, you can still get nematodes even though you are growing in pots. The barrier isn't for drainage, it's to keep the nematodes out. A simple layer of a cut plastic bag of the thickness like your fertilizers and potting mixes come in, put under the pot, is all it takes to keep nematodes out.
No barrier, then what's the point of even growing in the pots? You will need to sterilize your mix in the pots now too.
(I do understand the wilt is probably from overly wet), the point I'm trying to make is in addition to the overly wet soil.

I waited all day to respond to this (When it's finally sort of quiet in our house). I do remember back in 2017 when you told me about putting the plastic sacks down as a barrier, but I forgot along the way until you reminded me today.

Propping up the buckets makes sense too. It's too late for this growing season to move the buckets for plastic sacks or propping them up because of the cages the plants are growing through.

So that brings up sterilizing the mix. What would be needed?

[Worth1]

I have had water logged plants come back that looked worse than those.
One of the problems is if it is water logged the plant could have lost a lot of its roots from rot.
My big tubs only have one 1/2 hole and drain very well.
So it might be the container mix not draining well enough.'
If it is the problem adding any liquid to the container wont help at all.
The Problem starts with so much moisture causing a lack of oxygen.
Some plants can deal with this like water plants >Elephant Ears< but not tomatoes and peppers.
I have elephant ears living in swamp muck.

[b54red]

I’m sorry to say it; but it sure looks like Bacterial Wilt. BW totally wilts a perfectly healthy green plant. One day it looks great and the next day it looks like it is wilting somewhat from the heat and by the 2nd or 3rd day the whole plant looks limp. It only gets worse from there and there is no cure once it starts. I have lost over a 100 tomatoes to BW over the years. It has never been a yearly problem for me but it does seem to pop up sometimes usually after heavy or frequent rains. It usually showed up here during early summer or very late spring when those heavy rains are more likely.
I have heard it is soil born but from my observation it appears to need very wet warm soil to be a real tomato killer. It also appears to be fairly random in which plants are affected by it. The most plants I have lost to it was approximately 20 out of around 80 in the garden; but I have heard of it killing a whole field of tomatoes.

Bill

[brownrexx]

I had one plant do that last year too. I have never had it happen before. I grow all of my plants from seed so I did not purchase a diseased plant.

It would wilt during the day and perk up at night. After about 2 weeks of this I dug the plant and all of the soil around it and discarded everything. I cut the stems open and found nothing amiss.

I bought a big Beef seedling and planted it in the same spot and it grew fine so it's a mystery that I never solved but I sure am glad that it didn't spread to the other plants. .

[Shrinkrap]

I had it happen to one plant in an Earthbox, while the other was fine. The first picture doesn't capture the dramatic wilting, especially in contrast to the other one in the box. I panicked and pulled it within 24 hours. The fourth picture was the "soil" from that ara of the box, which I think was really the plant food I put in a strip, and was obviousy WAY too wet.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by b54red

I’m sorry to say it; but it sure looks like Bacterial Wilt. BW totally wilts a perfectly healthy green plant. One day it looks great and the next day it looks like it is wilting somewhat from the heat and by the 2nd or 3rd day the whole plant looks limp. It only gets worse from there and there is no cure once it starts. Bill

It sure does look and act like the bacterial wilt that got mine too, Bill. That was the reason I switched to buckets for the tomatoes. And so far I'm lucky not to have had the problem in a bucket. Keeping fingers crossed!

[AlittleSalt]

Earlier today, I went out and cut a stem that had already been damaged by a storm. I cut below the wound and put it in clean water. I can't see any white exudate/slime. I split a stem and it is brown inside.

This is the fourth day of wilt and it looks worse each day. 5 days ago - this plant looked fine. It only has two main stems and the storms made keeping it trimmed easy, so it's getting plenty of air circulation.

The leaves are starting to change color today. I went out last night with a bright flashlight to inspect the plant very closely to see if there was anything I was missing. There are some small root initials that I had overlooked high up on the plant, but that was all.

Seeing it getting worse daily and the brown in the stem is making me want to get it out of the garden - bucket and all. I thought about moving it to isolate it and put it in an area with more sun, but I'm not sure I could move it without stems breaking.

The 9 other tomato plants look wonderful.

[AlittleSalt]

It looks like 3 of us were posting at about the same time. Seeing the brown in the stem makes me want to see the roots. I will then know if it is RKN or if the roots have rotted.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

It looks like 3 of us were posting at about the same time. Seeing the brown in the stem makes me want to see the roots. I will then know if it is RKN or if the roots have rotted.

FWIW- the brown inside the stem isn't the fusarium look. Does it smell bad? I'm thinking bacterial wilt.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

FWIW- the brown inside the stem isn't the fusarium look. Does it smell bad? I'm thinking bacterial wilt.

It has a strong tomato plant smell. After reading a lot more about bacterial wilt, I'm almost positive that's what it is.

[Worth1]

Witchcraft, there has to be a witch or possibly witches in the area.
Any new people in town or red heads they are your first suspects.