Fusarium Wilt

[Christa B.]

One of my tomato plants started wilting heavily on one side. The leaves didn't turn yellow, they were just extremely wilted so I cut that section of the plant off. several days later more of the plant began to wilt the same way, green wilted leaves. I pulled the plant up, just in case it was diseased. I wish that I would have taken a photo before I pulled it out but I didn't think to do it. After I pulled it up, I did cut the stem open and I took some photos. What do you guys think? Is it fusarium wilt? I read that fusarium is most often a southern plant disease. I live in southwest, Ohio, zone 6a. Some would say my winters are cold, others would say they aren't that bad. I would say that I have a middle of the road kind of climate, not southern and not really northern either.
I should also mention that I have woods growing around my yard and there are several black walnut trees in there but I have never found any roots in my garden so I doubt that juglone from the walnut trees is the issue, I would assume that the entire plant would wilt in that case. This was a plant that was very close to having ripe tomatoes on it. Thanks for any help! Besides occasionally reading about it on the internet, I have no experience with fusarium. I did read that the leaves turn yellow with fusarium, is that always true? That didn't happen to mine.

[b54red]

Christa as someone who has battled fusarium for over 40 years in my garden I would have to say that picture certainly looks like you have fusarium. The good news for you is that you have good cold winters that can kill it back so you may not see it often. Down here it is relentless and even when using highly resistant root stocks for grafting or planting highly resistant varieties it still can eventually get into many of them before the season is over. The yellowing leaves is a common symptom but it is not always a symptom. Sometimes the plant will just slowly start wilting.

Bill