On Thursday, June 12, 2014 9:12:11 PM UTC-4, Bunny McElwee wrote:
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.

I have had the same thing happen in my beds. I have taken 3 soil samples 3 different times to the local cooperative extension and they could not identify what was causing it. You can try tomatoes in the other beds but I would be surprised if they do well. It is hard to believe that whatever is in the "bad" bed isn't in the others as well. In my experience other plants have done just fine. Peppers, squash, zucchini and cucumbers have done well with no wilt. I too tried all the disease resistant plants to no avail. I feel your pain and it is frustrating as hell.
MJ