My co-worker was wondering if someone could tell her what's wrong with her tomato plants. She lives in zone 9. "any idea of what is happening to my tomato plants? They started out great and have set fruit but whole branches are turning yellow and it looks like it is spreading to other tomato plants as well." ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Thanks in advance!
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/DiagnosticKeys/TomLeaf/TomLeafKey.html Cheryl, the above website has pictures of various tomato diseases. It's Cornell U. in NY, and the site is dependable. From my "guess" she has bacterial pith necrosis. There isn't much to be done about it. I'd suggest that she uproot those tomatoes, plant something there that is not in the nightshade family, and replant tomatoes in another spot. The disease is soil-borne so she shouldn't plant tomatoes there again. Sorry to be such a downer .
Oh Cherylad, it's a shame about those lovely tomatoes. I would harvest the green ones right away and make fried green tomatoes. I would plant tomatoes in big pots until I learn why the have a soil problem.
Cheryl, Growingpains has a great idea with the container planting. I hadn't thought of that as a cure for the soil-borne disease problem. Suggest to your co-worker that she/he get 5 gal. buckets and bore several holes in the bottom, fill the bucket with good potting soil and plant the new tomatoes there. Problem solved!
I'll let her know about the container suggestion. But... won't the soil problem still be there? Does it only affect tomatoes? I know she has a pretty small yard (and has lots of nice plants/flower), so I wonder if the soil problem would be everywhere? And if so, I guess the only way she could grow tomatoes would be in containers?
The soil problem would still be there, but with containers with "new" soil, she could have tomatoes. Anything in the nightshade family would be affected by the soil borne disease, but not other plants like beans and lettuces.
Heat that soil up! Use the area as a compost pile. By creating a thermal compost (temperatures will reach 150 f), this will essentially kill all pathogens and diseases, weed seeds, ect. If this way is done, be sure to not let the pile get higher, as it will also kill off the beneficial bacteria in the pile. Alternative: burn some hardwood there. Mix it in with the native soil. The heat, is obvious. pH levels will rise tremendously, so there's no point in trying to plant there again for a couple months. After which, buy some organic compost, or use some homemade, mix it in, boo yah! Earthworms should come in to enjoy.the area as well. Assuming the area isn't pounded with chemicals. By the way. Just because the bag of soil, much, seed at the store says natural or organic, doesn't mean it is. Do some.research. Example: Earthgro organic humus and manure...no no no. Most the time, as a rule of thumb, if it has slow release.fertilizers, its not.natural or organic. Not always the case though.
And why did no one ask the original poster of any methods being utilized? Just up and throw out an 'opinion' based on a picture. I'm not trying to bash, berate, or down anyone by any means whatsoever. Simply here to help and advise as well. Bit advising without knowing anything about the soil, fertilizer used, or watering habits just doesn't make.any sense. So, are these plants still alive? In need of help?
Just as an experiment, since the tomatoes are zilch anyway, harvest the fruit then prune everything back to about 1 or two feet and take off all the leaves and small branches except healthy ones. Then using a 5 gal. bucket mix betadine with water at about a cup per 5 gal of water and drench the soil around the plant. Might have to dam the sides till finished. But just let the solution soak in and go as deep as possible. It is not harmful to you or the plant. Its the same thing your doctor washes his hands with. Then just wait and see if the plant puts on any new growth. Might not work if plant is too far gone but I have had some good results on other things with this method. Betadine is antibacterial as well as anti-fungal. Tell us if it works for you.
Oh well,, you know me. I will experiment with anything. I have used a lot of the things you buy at the garden center for various problems off and on,,but have had best results with things I have here at home. I just think about whats causing the problem,,then see what I have that will fix it. I figure if it works for people, should work for plants.
