On 1 Jun 2004 10:57:47 -0700, (Fleemo) wrote:

My tomato plants had just started to flower, (Sungold and Early Girl)
and then BOOM! Now they've wilted with a strange twisted shape. (See
photos at http://www.inhouzemusic.com/z) I suspect some kind of
bacterial wilt. We had some rain the other day, and I understand water
splashing on soil and onto the leaves can carry the disease. I'm not
sure where the disease came from, as we had strawberries in this bed
for the past few years.

Not positive but think that berries my be susceptible to some of the
same "wilts" that tomatoes get. I know that raspberries and tomatoes
aren't supposed to be grown together or one after the other.

But... did you spray any broadleaf weed killer ..or .. a neighbor
spray dandelions/other broad leaf weeds in their yard lately? 2 4 D
contamination can cause contorted growth.

Could also be fusarium, verticillum wilt. You have a county extension
agent office in town? Master Gardener program usually mans the phones
for gardening questions. Might be able to take an example, or direct
them to that url if they have computer access in their office.

If not, check to see if there is a garden center that has folks
working that aren't just hires off the street, but has knowledgable
folks. That would be my second choice. Cutting off a branch and
hauling it in would be hard to tell whether the wilting when you got
there with it was from a disease or the being cut and hauled in. Put
it in a bucket with some water in the bottom immediately..as in take
it with you to the plant and cut.. into the bucket with it.. if it
comes to that.

If you end up finding out that it's one of the wilts.. I was told that
it's going to be there, in the ground from then on, but you can buy
resistant varieties, and of course, don't plant things that are
affected one after the other.. rotate the crops.

I have anthracnose in my yard for sure, and the neighbor's tree died
from one of the wilts, but they didn't know which, so I imagine it's
all through the place.

I hope it's a careless neighbor rather than the other. Either way, do
not put the plants in the compost bin.

Janice

Sooo, my question is, where do I go from here? Are these plants
definitely gonners? Luckily, I have several backup plants still in
containers that look beautiful. Can I yank out the infected plants
and plant these in their place? The only other place I have for them
is in the same bed, the other half of a 4'x8' raised bed where I just
harvested the garlic. Is there some way to eliminate the disease or
reduce the plant's chances of getting infected again?

Thanks.

-Fleemo in Zone 9