A day or so ago the Rinaldo plants (I have two on one stake, in a 10-gallon pot) displayed yellowed leaves. I gave it and the other plants some 7.4.2 fertilizer and watered them in well.

Today the plant (part of it) was wilted. I watered it again and waited a bit. Still wilted. I looked at the ground and noticed one of the two plants had a brown stem. When I felt it, it was spongy and light. The plant was wilting because it was dead at ground level. What could have caused this?

The stem of the other plant is juicy and stout and green at ground level.

I don't know what caused this. Is this disease, or was the plant poisoned by something (it sits on the edge of a parking lot), or was it overfertilized? Should I pull this plant? Will its healthy neighbor be affected?

Thanks in advance.

GTG

And I'm keeping in mind the brown area at the soil line.

So, any brown lesions on the stems? Please look carefully.

Any spots on the leaves? If so, please describe in detail.

Carolyn

Thanks. The leaves don't have spots. However, this afternoon I noticed a woody brown area (about an inch above the soil line) on the other Rinaldo plant, and also one on the Ernesto plant in the neighboring pot. The spot is only about 3/4 of an inch in diameter and superficially looks like a bit of dead brown leaf pasted on the stem.

The first, wilted Rinaldo plant I mentioned has done what I suppose is the tomato equivalent of sending out lifeboats: it has numerous tiny root bumps going about eight inches up the stem. I don't know if I could cut the plant off there and stick it in water or wet soil to get it to re-root, but it might bring the disease with it also.

GTG

I found a picture. I think this is early blight.

A fungicide is recommended for control, but I don't know which one to use, and whether there are possibly any organic alternatives.

Thanks.

GTG

The wilting and yellow leaves that you've already described and not compatible with a diagnosis of Early BLight.

EB is a foliage disease and lesions on the stems with spots on the leaves would be very very unusual and you've described no spots on the leaves, just yellow wilting leaves.

So, any typical spots of EB on the leaves?

I'm tending to think a systemic disease.

What you describe on the main stem are called root primordia and are quite normal. Transfer of any plant part when it's a systemic disease can transfer the disease/

Carolyn

I would too Farkee if it weren't for the brown lesions GTG is describing at the soil line which isn't typical for just waterlogged soils and wilting plants and yellow leaves.

Carolyn