Cause of death?

jhouse · September 9, 2019

This is related to my Voles thread, same sick plant, I wound up cutting it down.

The leaves didn't look quite like any disease I could find, not much yellowing -- and if was voles, they didn't touch any fruit at all, or jalapeno peppers that were very close to the ground. Touches here and there of what looked like early blight, had a little of that in the other healthy plants and been snipping it out.

When I cut the plant down, the stem cross section was hollow, with a brown ring around the hollow center, light green around the outside. Outside of the stem looked normal. (I'm a novice so my observations could certainly miss something).

Does that stem appearance help in cause of the failure of this plant? the 2 plants either side are in good shape. I'm sorry I didn't think to get a picture!

edited with photos from stem cut down about 4 days ago. Not sure if it helps but what the heck.

in case that code doesn't work:
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3316
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3317
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3318
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3320
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3319

Labradors2 · September 10, 2019

It could be Bacterial Wilt.

Linda

jhouse · September 10, 2019

o my. Just read about it.

I cut the plant down last Saturday but didn't remove the roots. With 2 surviving plants in good shape on either side, I wonder if digging up the soil might be worse than leaving it be until the season is over, then remove the roots/soil last and dispose.

Unless it's voles, sadly, the symptoms of the plant fit bacterial wilt more than anything else.

Labradors2 · September 10, 2019

To be on the safe side, you could dig up the soil where the plant grew now, since you know exactly where it is. (You can still use it to grow something that is not in the tomato family.) You will be all set for next year

.

Linda

brownrexx · September 10, 2019

I had the same thing happen to one plant last year. None of the nearby plants were affected. I cut the stem and I recall seeing a brown ring which indicates a vascular problem but I put a piece of stem in water and did not see anything white coming out of it which would mean bacterial wilt.

I pulled the plant and removed a couple of shovels of soil from the hole. I wanted to see what would happen so I bought a new seedling at the store and put it in the same hole. It grew fine and produced nice tomatoes.

jhouse · September 10, 2019

Sounds like a good idea. I mulched heavily with straw (probably what attracted the voles) so that may contain the spread to the other plants a bit. I thought I'd take a photo the following day after cutting it -- when I cut again, the stem was kind of deteriorated and maybe slimy. Wish I'd known about putting some stem in water.
Actually, I put the plant including stem in a garbage bad to dispose, and it hasn't been taken yet. Wonder if I could still do the stem in a cup of water test?

jhouse · September 10, 2019

thanks Brownrexx maybe it isn't bt, I sure hope not!

jhouse · September 10, 2019

I'll try putting some stem in water just to see what happens.

Might use a hazmat suit while doing it

jhouse · September 10, 2019

Well, I did the water test, even though the plant was cut down about 4 days ago. No signs of the white goo of bacterial wilt, but after 4 days not sure if that would show. I did take some pics though.
The worst area of the stem is low towards the roots, a little higher up the damage doesn't look nearly as bad.
The wilting on the plant wasn't uniform all over, some stems/leaves were wilted all the way, but some didn't look too bad, in case that's a clue.

in case that code doesn't work:
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3316
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3317
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3318
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3320
http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3319

brownrexx · September 10, 2019

If I am remembering correctly that looks similar to my plant that I had trouble with last year. I pulled the plant and removed a couple of shovelfuls of soil before the plant was dead and like I previously said I replanted a seedling in its place and it grew just fine.

I had forgotten all about that problem last year and this year my tomatoes are in the same location but I have had no further problems like that so if it was bacterial wilt, then it did not persist in the soil but I really do not think that it was BW.

jhouse · September 10, 2019

That's a comforting thought

Hensaplenty · September 10, 2019

Did the plant also have root rot? I lost several tomatoes this year to a disease that was new to me, called Southern Stem Blight. Mine also had the brown stem ring but no white goo in the water test. I determined it was Southern Stem Blight. You do have it in Ohio.

https://u.osu.edu/miller.769/2017/06/

It is very prevalent in SC, and our extension agents here recommend planting tomato plants with a 4 x 4 or 6 x 6 aluminum foil piece wrapped around the lower stem, burying half of the aluminum foil and leaving half exposed. I'll do that next year, but didn't this year.

jhouse · September 11, 2019

Not sure about root rot, don't think I've ever had it. My garden is heavily mulched with straw, and I have to fight early blight so much that I cut down the plant at soil level without removing the roots, since I avoid soil being around the plants as much as possible to avoid the blight. I didn't want to dig around and expose the several remaining plants to soil.
We have had a lot of rain off and on, the soil is quite moist (or wet). Clay type soil. My PH tested good this year, I did feed several times so maybe nitrogen was a factor? Hadn't fed in weeks tho. I've only watered twice this year (soaker hose covered with weed fabric) as the soil stayed moist to wet due to rain. Our temps have generally been quite hot (90's). We did just have a week or more of cooler temps though. Same variety next to this plant is okay.
Since I had a couple of vole-y looking holes maybe the roots on the one plant got chewed on?
The outside of the stem looked normal. The same OSU link mentioned Pith Necrosis, I wondered about that. It appears randomly which fits.
http://u.osu.edu/vegetablediseasefac...osis/advanced/

September 9, 2019	#1
jhouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: sw ohio Posts: 153	Cause of death? This is related to my Voles thread, same sick plant, I wound up cutting it down. The leaves didn't look quite like any disease I could find, not much yellowing -- and if was voles, they didn't touch any fruit at all, or jalapeno peppers that were very close to the ground. Touches here and there of what looked like early blight, had a little of that in the other healthy plants and been snipping it out. When I cut the plant down, the stem cross section was hollow, with a brown ring around the hollow center, light green around the outside. Outside of the stem looked normal. (I'm a novice so my observations could certainly miss something). Does that stem appearance help in cause of the failure of this plant? the 2 plants either side are in good shape. I'm sorry I didn't think to get a picture! edited with photos from stem cut down about 4 days ago. Not sure if it helps but what the heck. in case that code doesn't work: http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3316 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3317 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3318 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3320 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3319 Last edited by jhouse; September 10, 2019 at 01:38 PM. Reason: add photos

September 10, 2019	#9
jhouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: sw ohio Posts: 153	Well, I did the water test, even though the plant was cut down about 4 days ago. No signs of the white goo of bacterial wilt, but after 4 days not sure if that would show. I did take some pics though. The worst area of the stem is low towards the roots, a little higher up the damage doesn't look nearly as bad. The wilting on the plant wasn't uniform all over, some stems/leaves were wilted all the way, but some didn't look too bad, in case that's a clue. in case that code doesn't work: http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3316 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3317 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3318 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3320 http://www.tomatoville.com/picture.p...pictureid=3319 Last edited by jhouse; September 10, 2019 at 01:43 PM.

September 11, 2019	#13
jhouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: sw ohio Posts: 153	Not sure about root rot, don't think I've ever had it. My garden is heavily mulched with straw, and I have to fight early blight so much that I cut down the plant at soil level without removing the roots, since I avoid soil being around the plants as much as possible to avoid the blight. I didn't want to dig around and expose the several remaining plants to soil. We have had a lot of rain off and on, the soil is quite moist (or wet). Clay type soil. My PH tested good this year, I did feed several times so maybe nitrogen was a factor? Hadn't fed in weeks tho. I've only watered twice this year (soaker hose covered with weed fabric) as the soil stayed moist to wet due to rain. Our temps have generally been quite hot (90's). We did just have a week or more of cooler temps though. Same variety next to this plant is okay. Since I had a couple of vole-y looking holes maybe the roots on the one plant got chewed on? The outside of the stem looked normal. The same OSU link mentioned Pith Necrosis, I wondered about that. It appears randomly which fits. http://u.osu.edu/vegetablediseasefac...osis/advanced/ Last edited by jhouse; September 11, 2019 at 08:52 AM.

September 10, 2019	#2
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,894	It could be Bacterial Wilt. Linda

September 10, 2019	#5
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	I had the same thing happen to one plant last year. None of the nearby plants were affected. I cut the stem and I recall seeing a brown ring which indicates a vascular problem but I put a piece of stem in water and did not see anything white coming out of it which would mean bacterial wilt. I pulled the plant and removed a couple of shovels of soil from the hole. I wanted to see what would happen so I bought a new seedling at the store and put it in the same hole. It grew fine and produced nice tomatoes.

September 10, 2019	#12
Hensaplenty Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 122	Did the plant also have root rot? I lost several tomatoes this year to a disease that was new to me, called Southern Stem Blight. Mine also had the brown stem ring but no white goo in the water test. I determined it was Southern Stem Blight. You do have it in Ohio. https://u.osu.edu/miller.769/2017/06/ It is very prevalent in SC, and our extension agents here recommend planting tomato plants with a 4 x 4 or 6 x 6 aluminum foil piece wrapped around the lower stem, burying half of the aluminum foil and leaving half exposed. I'll do that next year, but didn't this year.