After several years without tomatoes in the ground, I planted some in the backyard. Roma's and cherry Super Sweet 100. Was going good until this week when sections wilted and would not recover. Classic wilt symptoms.
Can't say if it fusarium or verticillium wilt or something else, but is there any thing I can do so I can plant in the ground?
I'll have tomatotes: I planted four pots with Roma and Celebrity, and the over 60 plants I planted on my sister-in-law's place are going strong. Guess I'll be having fried green tomatos from my backyard plants.
I feel your pain, and am enjoying fried green tomatoes as well. All the books, studies, doctoral thesis', lab reports, agricultural extension brochures, and old wive's tales say "There is no remedy for infected soil" They suggest to buy varities with the V F etc but that does not work. Some say wash tools and hoops to be sure you do not transmit the infection. Cannot see myself washing tools.
I read everything I could find on the internet about the various wilts, as I have had major problems the past two years. Soil that was fantastic one year killed tomatoes the next. I know, I know, crop rotation and all that, but I just do not have the room for that much rotation. And, the past two years were my first to have this big of a problem. I emailed guys who had conducted variety tests for their doctoral work at Florida and Virginia Tech. I wrote agricultural specialists in Louisiana. Same answer, "no cure". I did learn that some varieties were supposed to be somewhat resistant to Southern Bacterial Wilt, which is what I had narrowed mine down to.
The varieties I found were Florida 7514, Neptune, BHN 669 and one that starts with a K. These were found to work in hot, humid, moist areas. So this year I ordered seed, grew many plants, and have them interspersed with Celebrity, Better Boy, Brandywine, BeefSteak and Sweet 100. I have them in soil where tomatoes died last year and the year before. I have a good chart showing the variety in each spot. In addition, I have my "real" tomatoes in large containers with soil that has never grown toamtoes before. In all, I have way too many tomato plants (82) but they are all "for the cause".
I will post my amateur results as they are available. At this point I have lost three plants (with lots of green tomatoes). Two better boy and one beefsteak. One neptune and florida 7514 are not looking great but I have not pulled them yet.
I read everything I could find on the internet about the various wilts, as I have had major problems the past two years. Soil that was fantastic one year killed tomatoes the next. I know, I know, crop rotation and all that, but I just do not have the room for that much rotation. And, the past two years were my first to have this big of a problem. I emailed guys who had conducted variety tests for their doctoral work at Florida and Virginia Tech. I wrote agricultural specialists in Louisiana. Same answer, "no cure". I did learn that some varieties were supposed to be somewhat resistant to Southern Bacterial Wilt, which is what I had narrowed mine down to.
The varieties I found were Florida 7514, Neptune, BHN 669 and one that starts with a K. These were found to work in hot, humid, moist areas. So this year I ordered seed, grew many plants, and have them interspersed with Celebrity, Better Boy, Brandywine, BeefSteak and Sweet 100. I have them in soil where tomatoes died last year and the year before. I have a good chart showing the variety in each spot. In addition, I have my "real" tomatoes in large containers with soil that has never grown toamtoes before. In all, I have way too many tomato plants (82) but they are all "for the cause".
I will post my amateur results as they are available. At this point I have lost three plants (with lots of green tomatoes). Two better boy and one beefsteak. One neptune and florida 7514 are not looking great but I have not pulled them yet.
I can certainly understand, and feel the pain when it comes to this disease!
I too have few large spots in the garden... It's a given, half way through the plant's life, one side just dies, then, the other side follows. Enough to get plenty tomatoes, but never lasting through August...
The only thing worked so far, was grafting (to Emperador root stock). No traces of any disease last year. So doing it again this year.
As for fighting this nasty - the only thing was suggested, in addition of loooooong term rotation, is solarizing the soil - which I have not done so yet. But certainly will, at least one raised bed this year. Soon, all the lettuce and kohlrabi will be harvested, and I will double dig then cover the entire 20' bed in plastic, and let it cook for about 1.5-2 months. Yes, it will kill all the life in the bed, but I will replenish it with compost and micorrhiza in the fall and again in the spring.
Good luck to all who battling this disease!
Regards,
D
I too have few large spots in the garden... It's a given, half way through the plant's life, one side just dies, then, the other side follows. Enough to get plenty tomatoes, but never lasting through August...
The only thing worked so far, was grafting (to Emperador root stock). No traces of any disease last year. So doing it again this year.
As for fighting this nasty - the only thing was suggested, in addition of loooooong term rotation, is solarizing the soil - which I have not done so yet. But certainly will, at least one raised bed this year. Soon, all the lettuce and kohlrabi will be harvested, and I will double dig then cover the entire 20' bed in plastic, and let it cook for about 1.5-2 months. Yes, it will kill all the life in the bed, but I will replenish it with compost and micorrhiza in the fall and again in the spring.
Good luck to all who battling this disease!
Regards,
D
Long term crop rotation? I haven't planted anything in this spot other than grass. That's what's so disappointing. No tomatoes in the ground for a least 4 years anywhere in the backyard. Some potatoes planted February 2011 about 20 feet away from the spot.
Solarization has been promoted for control of rootknot nematrodes here. U of Florida research suggest some success but no guarantee of control. If it could do something for soil viruses I would certain be willing to try.
I would like to find out more about how to graft soft tissue plants like tomato, especially if it could really make a wilt proof plant. I know just a little about woody tissue plant grafting, nothing about soft tissue.
Solarization has been promoted for control of rootknot nematrodes here. U of Florida research suggest some success but no guarantee of control. If it could do something for soil viruses I would certain be willing to try.
I would like to find out more about how to graft soft tissue plants like tomato, especially if it could really make a wilt proof plant. I know just a little about woody tissue plant grafting, nothing about soft tissue.
The first time I had a whole row of tomatoes to die was a converted yard/grass to garden. I think it is safe to say that there were never any tomatoes in that spot. After they died I began reading, and one culprit was old soil where weeds had grown for years. But my pier boxes were filled with dirt I brought from the farm. They did great for one year, and then the plants bit the dust the next year.RickRS wrote:Long term crop rotation? I haven't planted anything in this spot other than grass.
I would like to find out more about how to graft soft tissue plants like tomato, especially if it could really make a wilt proof plant. I know just a little about woody tissue plant grafting, nothing about soft tissue.
I am with you on learning the grafting process. Duh, can you give me some lessons?
4 year rotation is long enough in my book, and still no help - tough, I know...
Grafting is actually easier than I ever imagined... Here is a link to a great hands on video from Johnny's seeds: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-video_tomato_grafting.aspx
Soft tissue plants are not all that different, just a bit more tender to handle...
I found it to be the most useful. Give it a try next year, and we can all compare the results?
I will post few epics later, hardening off, should be going into the ground next week.
Regards,
D
Grafting is actually easier than I ever imagined... Here is a link to a great hands on video from Johnny's seeds: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-video_tomato_grafting.aspx
Soft tissue plants are not all that different, just a bit more tender to handle...
I found it to be the most useful. Give it a try next year, and we can all compare the results?
I will post few epics later, hardening off, should be going into the ground next week.
Regards,
D