I have 6 - 4' x 12' x 12" raised gardens. Last year, did fab. This year,
we've had crazy weather (freezing cold well into April) and had to replace
plants twice due to frost burn. So, the garden is a bit behind this year, so
I'm not where I should be on a normal year. However, things are starting to
go a little, so I have hopes. My problem is this. One of my beds is for
tomato plants, a variety from big boys to better boys to Amelia to Heinz.
Average run of the mill tomatoes from the local Lowes. Planted, deep, caged,
watered, etc. Plants grew quite nicely, although slow to start due to
getting them in late. Started coming on well, nice fruit set, no obvious
issues. All of a sudden, it got quite hot here (I'm in Charleston, SC, not
sure what zone, but I think its 9). so I watered daily to keep up with the
drying soil as the temps got into the 90's every day. No rain for some time,
at least no to speak of to boost the garden. SO, about 3 days after the
temps started rising, I noticed that during the day, even after I had
watered, it looked like the plants were wilting. Overnight they would perk
up, but then about 3 days after that, they stopped perking up, even though I
watered. then they began to yellow, leaves curled, and the plant just
stopped growing or doing anything. Tomatoes all over them, and they looked
ok, but the plant itself, looked dead. SO research I did, for days on the
web. I know I have wilt. I do not know for sure which one. I took out 3
plants, looks like I have 2 more almost gone, and 2 more starting to show
the same signs. The soil in the bed was actually brought from a neighbor,
who moved and told me to take the bed and dirt. So I did. Then she told me,
btw I had the same problem with my tomatoes last year, same bed, same soil.
So, by my description can someone tell me what wilt I have? It appears that
I need to remove the plants from this bed and not plant them there again,
but it looks like I am supposed to do that for 4 years! Can I not use this
bed at all? Is there something I can plant in it's place that isn't
susceptible to wilt? Should I remove all the soil and replace? The info on
the net is so confusing that I am more unsure of what to do now than when I
started. I understand that some of the plants that I had in there were
supposed to be resistant, but they still went down. I tried to find more
plants with the FVNT on them, but local stores show none of those letters.
Some say disease resistant, but they don't say what disease they are
resistant to. I can post pictures I think tomorrow as I didn't think abut it
before writing this if it would help identify. I was hoping maybe I could
plant tomatoes in a different bead that has gone through a Bush Bean cycle
and move the second planting of bush beans to this bed. But I am not sure if
the wilt will just strike again. Any help would be greatly appreciated, sure
would like to get my tomatoes back on track for homemade salsa and sauce!
Thank for listening!


Oh, and the soil in all of the beds, including the infected one, is a mix of
black soil and mushroom compost, about 60-40 if I had to guess. I actually
helped the neighbor put her box in, it was one of the reasons I took it,
because I knew what was in it.