Mystery wilt

kerns125 · June 30, 2016

Just like brian1269, I have a mystery wilt.

My tomatoes are all planted in Earthboxes, 2 plants per box. Have had great experience w/ the boxes and this is my 3rd year using them.

Two of my boxes thus far have a strange happening: one of the two plants in each has completely wilted, though the wilted plants' leaves look green and are lacking any telltale spots, yellow/brown, or other obvious signs of disease. The second plant in each of the boxes looks great -- green, bushy, healthy -- so I don't think it's a water or drainage problem. I also couldn't see any obvious breaks in the stems.

I pulled the two wilted plants yesterday; both happened to be grafted plants -- I used Big Beef rootstock ironically to convey resistance to several fungal wilts, with an Anna Russian scion and a Malachite Box scion on top -- and had been healthy until recently -- had already set lots of green fruit and had been doing fine until a week or two ago. I cut the main stems of each affected plant and submerged them in water to look for the white ooze that would be characteristic of bacterial wilt, and the water remained crystal clear. So I am at a loss. Any ideas??
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leshachikha · June 30, 2016

I had this problem last year with Malachite Box. No yellowing, no spots, and then bam! Wilt. My Paul Robesons also died quickly, but the Sungold (both hybrid and the Select II), San Marzanos, and Brandywines growing in the same bed didn't seem affected.

I'm discouraged to hear that you are experiencing this problem after grafting onto Big Beef, because I did the exact same thing this year in an attempt to avert it!! Ugh.

No clue what it is though.

b54red · July 2, 2016

Try using RST-04-106-T as a rootstock. I have not had a single plant wilt since using this as my main rootstock. It is apparently somewhat resistant to Bacterial Wilt and maybe it will stop the problem. It is worth a try. Before I found it I used highly resistant rootstock but each year 8 to 10 plants would fall to something like Bacterial Wilt where the whole green healthy looking plant would just start wilting for no apparent reason. Last year was my first year using it and neither me or the friends that I gave extra grafted plants to had any wilts last year and none so far this year and that is enough to convince me it is at least better than anything I have used before since we all have this problem to one degree or another every year.

Bill

kerns125 · July 3, 2016

Thanks for the tip, Bill.
Jen

Lindalana · July 3, 2016

I have no clues, but have one plant in the pot tha suddenly did this to me as well. Loaded with fruits. It is potted with promix, high off the ground, on the bench. No signs of diseases as well. Just sudden boom and it is limpy. I keep watering and it remains limpy but green...

June 30, 2016	#2
leshachikha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 23	I had this problem last year with Malachite Box. No yellowing, no spots, and then bam! Wilt. My Paul Robesons also died quickly, but the Sungold (both hybrid and the Select II), San Marzanos, and Brandywines growing in the same bed didn't seem affected. I'm discouraged to hear that you are experiencing this problem after grafting onto Big Beef, because I did the exact same thing this year in an attempt to avert it!! Ugh. No clue what it is though.

July 2, 2016	#3
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Try using RST-04-106-T as a rootstock. I have not had a single plant wilt since using this as my main rootstock. It is apparently somewhat resistant to Bacterial Wilt and maybe it will stop the problem. It is worth a try. Before I found it I used highly resistant rootstock but each year 8 to 10 plants would fall to something like Bacterial Wilt where the whole green healthy looking plant would just start wilting for no apparent reason. Last year was my first year using it and neither me or the friends that I gave extra grafted plants to had any wilts last year and none so far this year and that is enough to convince me it is at least better than anything I have used before since we all have this problem to one degree or another every year. Bill

July 3, 2016	#4
kerns125 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: 22301 Posts: 92	Thanks for the tip, Bill. Jen

July 3, 2016	#5
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	I have no clues, but have one plant in the pot tha suddenly did this to me as well. Loaded with fruits. It is potted with promix, high off the ground, on the bench. No signs of diseases as well. Just sudden boom and it is limpy. I keep watering and it remains limpy but green...