As I mentioned in an earlier post, try rotating your tomatoe patch to
other locations
in case there is something residual in the soil. Your plants could have
been attacked
by either insects or some fungacide. I add fertilizer, mulch, and sand to
amend my
soil over the winter. Keeping your plants properly watered helps a lot.
You should
try and determine why the plants died, like taking samples of plant to
some local
experts for analysis. Even the manner in which they died can give a clue
to the
cause. It would probably be better if you first composted your leaves and
then put
them into the soil. They may not be fully broken down by spring, and
could have a
negative effect on your plants, like draw nitrogen from them. I use last
year's compost for the current fall season. If you don't want to compost,
at least turn your
leaves into the soil this fall, so they will break down a little faster
for next year.

Sherwin D.

rile wrote:

This was the worst year I've ever had growing tomatoes. By the middle
of August most of the plants had died. I'm assuming it was some type
of blight that might have gotten them as well as several other things.
I know that I should rotate where in the garden I raise tomatoes but
am wondering if anyone does anything special to their gardens over the
winter time? Mine is already cleaned out and tilled. The only thing
I tend to do over the winter is put leaves on it and then till them
under in the spring.