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ellen_abbott

black krim plant stems drying out

Ellen-Abbott
9 years ago

Three of four black krim heritage tomato plants about 14" tall have had the bottom 3" or 4" of the stems turn brown and dry causing the plant to bend above about an inch or so from the ground and fall over. The first one was a couple of weeks ago and it had been a very windy day and I attributed it to the wind. Last Monday we left for a few days and the other plants were healthy. When we returned Wednesday, two more were dried out and bent over but unlike the first one, the foliage was not wilted (see photo). I dug one up and it had healthy roots and healthy looking foliage. I dug the second one up and potted both of them in deep pots, covering the dried out stems section and also a section of healthy stem hoping it would stimulate root production. Today, the following Friday, the tops still look healthy though it was overcast all day yesterday. My local tomato 'expert' has no idea what is causing this. Any suggestions? All the other varieties of tomato plants, some hybrids, some heritage, planted at the same end of the garden are unaffected so far.

Comments (11)

  • labradors_gw
    9 years ago

    It looks terribly dry there!

    I think you did the right thing with your potting technique. You could also try leaving them in situ and piling soil around and above the dried-out part of the stem. Maybe even cut the bottom out of a flower pot to help to keep the soil in place.

    I hope you can figure out the cause!

    Linda

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    --- It is fallen off because you did NOT plant it deep.

    -- It is wilting because it is thirsty.

    OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
    the cracked surface indicate that you had mostly CLAY soil. It can stay soggy or can get dry and hard. Not good medium.
    To correct that you need to add a lot of compost to it.

    I would dig it out (wit a shovel, tryin not to disturbe the roots too much). Then prepare a big hole(~15" wide, 15" deep), add some compost OR potting soil, some manure, some native soil, a spoon full of granular fertilizer ...mix them all together and replant your plant . Bury it :DEEEP, all the way to the lowest green leaf. .. mulch the top, water REAL WELL.. and watch it grow.

  • Ellen-Abbott
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    seysonn...I did plant them deep and none of the other varieties I planted are having this problem, only the black krim. and I'm pretty sure they bent over because the bottom part of the stem dried out and it could no longer support the weight of the plant.

    It is not wilting because it is thirsty, in fact in the picture it had not wilted at all. the garden was thoroughly watered on Monday, I took that picture on Wednesday. None of the other plants, tomatoes and peppers, were wilted so they were not thirsty.

    I do have some clay in the soil but it is not mostly clay and only the top crust was dry and cracked, moist and friable below. I add dirt and compost and fertilizer and till twice a year. this is not my first garden or my first time growing tomatoes but it is my first time to plant black krim heritage tomatoes.

  • Mike
    9 years ago

    Yes the soil looks terribly sad lol but that isn't the issue because apart from what's going on, the newer growth looks beauitful! It looks more like a bacterial/viral issue than a watering problem.. fusarium wilt possibly...

  • sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
    9 years ago

    Your soil may be moist under the desert cracking, but the top surface is dry from hot temps?
    May not be draining properly...staying moist too long and not having a bit of drying before rain and soaking again.

    Could we see a pic of the rest of the healthy garden?
    Looks very healthy up top. Was it standing up on its own for a while?

    Location, your zone, and a bit more info...when they were planted etc and if these were starts, recently purchased, your first gardening attempt...or at it for years in the same soil and this just happened...

    I would mound up some more soil, even a bit from the surrounding area, then give some nice shady mulch. I use straw around my tomatoes.
    Since you chose to not give supports, (fine to do that), but they supported themselves, and then toppled over from their fruit weight. A sudden bend can cause problems.
    You could dig it up and lay it back down deeper and sideways covering most of the stem and the bend area.

    A hay or straw mulch suppresses weeds but you don't seem to have a weed problem.

  • labradors_gw
    9 years ago

    Sleevendog wrote:
    " Since you chose to not give supports, (fine to do that), but they supported themselves, and then toppled over from their fruit weight. A sudden bend can cause problems. "

    That could well be the answer! Perhaps the plant toppled over and the stem got crushed and then dried out. Re-planting with a cage or a stake for support could well be all that is needed!

    Linda

  • Ellen-Abbott
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks to all for your replies. I finally determined it was fusarium wilt. All four plants from the nursery finally succumbed but all the other tomato plants (different varieties) are doing well. The cracked top crust is deceptive. That's just what it does and is easily broken up. Drainage is good, the soil underneath was/is very nice, not dried out, not soggy. It does get very hot here but not yet. I hadn't staked or caged them because they were not tall enough to need it yet. The four plants only had 1 small tomato forming each and were only about 12" - 16" tall. I've been growing tomatoes successfully in this garden for about 5 years but this was my first time to try heritage tomatoes. I gather the black krim is very susceptible to fusarium wilt and I believe they came form the nursery already infected since I have not had any evidence of having it in my soil previously.

  • donna_in_sask
    9 years ago

    I had that happen a few years back, haven't had a repeat thank goodness. I agree that it's fusarium wilt. It was so strange to have the base of the stem go woody and then the plant toppled over. I read that it can be from infected seed or it can be present in the soil and enter through a wound.

  • Mike
    9 years ago

    With Fusarium hanging around I would most definitely solarize the soil towards the end of the season... =)

  • johns.coastal.patio
    9 years ago

    One more vote for mulch.

    For some reason it doesn't seem as emphasized as it was in gardening some years ago, but for summer crops I think it is vital.

  • cold_weather_is_evil
    9 years ago

    >> I believe they came form the nursery already infected since I have not had any evidence of having it in my soil previously.

    The University of Arizona says it's widespread in the soil, tomatoes or no tomatoes. Let's hope they're wrong.

    Your pic shocked so many people, not from the wilt, but from the soil surface. You can tell there's a whole slew of die hard mulchers here! It really does help mitigate some of the harsh conditions in warm zones.

    This post was edited by cold_weather_is_evil on Mon, May 19, 14 at 23:29