Tomatoes can wilt overnight.
Diagnose the problem quicky with these tips.
When it comes to drama in the garden, tomatoes are stars.
Credit:Liudmila Zavialova / Getty Images
Wilt is a sign of stress that needs to be addressed quickly to save the plant.
Unfortunately, wilt is often not curable, but it can be prevented.
Liudmila Zavialova / Getty Images
1.
Drought Stress
Tomatoes have greater water needsthan many other garden vegetables.
When their water needs are not met, tomatoes will slow their growth and wilt.
Tomatoes require 1 to 2 inches of water per week to thrive.
Plants growing in fast-draining, sandy soil grow best when they receive about 2 inches of water a week.
Tomatoes planted inwell-drained loamor slow draining clay, grow best with about 1 inch of water.
What to do:
Properly water your plants.
Too much water is just as problematic as too little water.
Water when the soil 2 inches below the surface is just dry to the touch.
When you water, water slowly over a longer period of time.
High Heat
Tomatoes grow best when the air temperature is below 90F.
Care for the plant well until the high heat passes.
Walnut tree roots reach far beyond the tree canopy and so does toxic juglone.
Grow tomatoes in containers.For best results choose a pot that contains at least 5 gallons of soil.
Raised beds are not an option in juglone impacted areas.
The toxic juglone will move into the raised bed soil.
Removing the walnut tree is not a solution either.
Juglone exists for many years in the trees decomposing roots.
These fungi enter the plant through its roots and block the movement of water and nutrients.
Within a few days the infected plant will turn yellow and wilt.
A telltale sign of fungal wilt is brown streaking just under surface of stem tissue.
There is no cure for fusarium and verticillium wilt.
Avoid destructive fungal wilt diseases by planting resistant varieties.
Celebrity, Mountain Pride, and Quick Pick all have resistance to fungal wilt.
Crop rotation is another tool incombating fungal wilt.
Look for signs of southern blight at the base of a wilted tomato plant.
There is no cure for southern blight.
Remove and discard infected plants as soon as they are noticed.
Identify bacterial wilt as the cause of plant death by cutting pop kick open the main stem.
There is no cure for bacterial wilt.
Promote healthy tomato plants with these 5 easy strategies.
