This has happened to my tomatoes for nearly 3 years. I never pondered the issue as I thought it was a weather related problem (too cold). However when talking to someone that grows tomato plants near-by I found out that they do not have the same problem.

Every year, about the middle of august, my tomato plant's lower branches begin to dry up and die. They turn brown. The fruit is never affected and new fruit will set also. I irrigate the plants from the ground (I have a weep-hose under the soil) so no water (unless it is rain or dew) lands on the leaves. The soil is covered with a ground cloth to help keep the soil moist and warm. Every fall I remove all the plants and debris from my garden and throw it away to prevent disease. This year I even planted tomatoes in a pot and the potted tomatoes look exactly like the planted ones although they have totally different soil.

My pototoes (nearby) and peppers (in the same garden as affected tomatoes) are unaffected. The problem does not look like late blight.

Could this be a weather related problem? Maybe the dew and/or cold nights that we have in august damage the plants?

I was going to put the tomatoes in another garden next year but then I noticed that all my potted tomatoes look the same way so I don't think moving the plants to a new garden will prevent the same things from happening next year.

The person I talked to without the tomato problem does live in the city so he would have more protection from cold weather and wind than I would have.

thanks for your help!

-rj