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.

You're over watering, and probably incorrectly. Watering every day is
not good for tomatoes. You'd do best to water deeply to encourage
roots to grow deep, but not more than twice a week. Water early in
the day and do NOT wet the leaves... I strongly recommend soaker
hoses... you especially don't want to put your tomatoes to bed with
wet leaves so water early in the day. Also lay down a mulch layer of
straw (not hay) to prevent muddy water from splashing up onto the
underside of the leaves when it rains, the straw will form a mat, it
will help retain moisture and keep weeds down. Don't make the sin of
introducing hay into your garden, hay contains lots of seeds and once
hay takes hold it's near impossible to get rid of it. What you
describe sounds like you're using a garden hose to water your garden
and probably in the later part of the day, then you are causing soil
to splash up onto your plants and they will stay wet all night. If
you notice farmers using automatic irrigation systems they water in
the morning only, conserves water by not watering in the heat of the
day, more water goes into the soil, plants don't take in water through
their leaves anyway but if plant leaves stay wet too long all kinds of
diseases occur. Water droplets on plant leaves act as tiny magnifying
lenses, they concentrate sunlight and literally burn the leaves. Use
soaker hoses. Also a raised bed only 12" high is of no real benefit,
you'd do better gardening directly on the ground... unless you elevate
your raised beds to 30" get rid of them.