Tomato Wilting problem

[teh]

Hi,


I live in Malaysia and currently practicing pot planting with Tomatoes.
I am using a 10 gallon ceramic pot to plant it. I transplanted the tomatoes
to the 10 gallon pot which is located outdoor. It was growing well for past 3 weeks and all of a sudden it started to Wilt. I checked on all the forums regarding fusarium wilt and so on and it does not match the description because the wilting happen randomly on the branches and it does not recover during night time. Anyone have any experience on this?

thank you

[hendi_alex]

Growing tomatoes in pot culture can be a challenge. If the wilting is not bacterial, then the first thing that comes to mind is a possible drainage issue. When growing in a pot, tomatoes are usually faced with a dual problem, as they constantly move from too wet to too dry. A ceramic pot is likely to have limited drainage, and that could be the problem. If the soil is staying too damp, lots of roots could begin to rot in the sour soil deeper in the container. When growing tomatoes in a large pot, I always opt for large nursery containers that have five or six drainage holes around the bottom edge. I also add lots of perlite to the soil to keep it from getting water logged. If I understand you correctly, that your plant wilts but recovers at night, that may make sense with root loss. The plant may not be able to keep up with transpiration during the day, but in the cool temperatures of night can keep up.

[rainbowgardener]

I read that the other way "and it does not recover during night time. " I took that as written.

But either way I was also thinking a possibility would be over watering/ lack of drainage. If the tomato plant is being seriously damaged, then you don't have much to lose by lifting it out of the pot and seeing what the soil is like at the bottom.

If the drainage holes get clogged or something, your soil can seem perfectly normal on top but be wet and nasty at the bottom.

If you lift the tomato plant carefully from the bottom, you should be able to put it right back in the pot if everything seems okay.

[hendi_alex]

I'm not familiar with the behavior of plants with fusarium wilt, and was confused as to whether comment related to the plant in question or was relating to one with fusarium wilt. Regardless, I just did a quick google and that result confirms that over watering or under watering can mimic the disease.

This article from Colorado State University gives a pretty good overview of potential tomato problems.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02949.html

[teh]

Hi

Alex and RainbowGardener.


My pots has 3-4 big holes at the bottom. I seldom water them but the strangest thing is that my plant which is placed sheltered from rain starts to show this symptom where else plants which are not sheltered seems to be doing fine for now. Around 5 of my plants already dead wilting. Only the branches and leaves wilt but the stem stays strong.

[teh]

oh also i am using red sand mix with vermicompost. I do think water can pass through easily. Or am i wrong?

[teh]

Today dinged out one of the plant and noticed a new symptom. The stem near to the root seems dark purple or black in colour and its hollow. And this symptom seems to be slowly progressing upwards toward the top