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Old 06-09-2006, 01:06 AM posted to triangle.gardens
ncstockguy ncstockguy is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 63
Default Tomato plants -- sudden death

Whiteflies really attack tomatoes this time of year, and can kill them.
Did you notice tiny white fliers floating off the plants when they were
shaken?
Sevin works, usually.

Daniel B. Martin wrote:
I've always accepted blight as inevitable, so I plant plenty of tomato
seedlings anticipating attrition. Cultivars are chosen for their
disease resistance. This year they were Celebrity, 4th of July, Early
Girl, Mountain Pride, and Lillian's Yellow.

This past week, after the heavy rains brought by hurricane Ernesto,
almost all of my tomato plants died suddenly. Limp leaves, then brown
dry leaves, then a dead plant.

When the dead plants were pulled they had a smaller root structure than
normal. What might account for that? Was lack of roots a symptom or
a cause of death?

I see no vole tunnels. My garden has always had crickets but this year
they are more numerous than ever. Do crickets harm tomato roots?

We always read about crop rotation. My garden is 35'x35' and I rotate
as much as practical within that space. With tomatoes, eggplant, and
sweet peppers being in the same family, is effective crop rotation
possible in a small garden?

Daniel B. Martin