On Aug 12, 7:38*am, songbird wrote:
Homercles wrote:
Something's in the ground where I raise tomatoes, killing the back row. *
* I planted them about 3 feet forward last year and it didn't happen (I had
a bumper crop), but this year I've lost the back row again.
They just wilt and die after they get about 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall.
There's no sign of cut worms and it's been an established gardening spot
for 15 years, with only tomatoes for 10.
*I've been told by an old timer that there's a blight in the ground and
it's moving forward. I've also been told it's walnut blight as there's a
walnut tree about 30 feet away, but I've not found any roots in the ground,
but it's only been tilled to about 10 inches deep.
*The tomatoe patch is mulched with landscaping fabric (black plastic) with
pine chips on top.
*Whatever it is kills hybrids as well as heirlooms.
Anyone have any idea what it sould be, and if I make it a raised bed would
it stop?

* need more info.

* how do you prepare your gardens/soil and
grow your tomatoes?

* not sure, what it almost sounds like to me
is that your shade might be increasing if you
have surrounding trees that are growing taller.
but dunno for sure as i'm not there to see
the layout... *tomatoes are dry weather loving
plants that like plenty of sunshine. *if you
get rainy and cloudy spells or you are getting
more shade then that could set the plants up
for fungal attack or other diseases (wilts,
viral, whatever).

* i have not had your problem, but we rotate
tomatoes through our gardens -- rarely putting
them in the same place more than one year in
a row.

* i have heard suggestions to do soil tests to
see what the pH is and then change it severely
the next few seasons to try to discourage whatever
it is (and not put tomatoes, peppers, eggplant
or potatoes in that space again until the third
or fourth year).

* also i have heard of cover planting the area
with onions, garlic, chives and mustards to help
change the soil.

* because i've not had your problem i can't say
if these work or not.

* one thing that does sound more useful is to
dig a trench and bury the top foot or two of
the soil down deep and that might also help
break the cycle. *we do this for almost all
the gardens here once in a while as we incorporate
the last season's debris into the ground again.
this way any fungi that are in the top layer of
soil are not left to easily start up again the
next season. *it also helps break up the hard
layer of clay we have underneath everything
here. *through the years the soil improves as
we keep working organic materials down further
and this helps the plants survive droughts
and heat waves better as they can get their
roots down further quicker/easier.

* i've kinda wandered all over here in this
reply, but perhaps some of it can help. *you
can always try parts of this on different
areas of the patch and see what helps the
most... *

* songbird

sounds like a definite sorta maybe I don't know what you have but I'm
going to tell you anyway!

good job bird!