Problem with tomato garden

[kirk1701]

Hey everyone,

Having some major issue's with the tomatoes in garden, seems like overnight 40 plants up and welted and no particular reason and its hit/miss? One weltered and one right next to it 1 foot away still doing fine.

First thought was herbicide drift as I got myself into trouble with this a few years back so I now know better. Sunday evening I sprayed some acorns that have popped up into tree's in the front yard (100 feet away from garden). I waited till late evening when the winds were calm, used low pressure and put LI700 in the mix as a drift control so I don't believe the 2,4-D was the culprit here. Besides, its to sporadic not every plant. Besides, herbicide drift would have the leaf's rolled up, my whole vine just went limp.

(pics attached)

Second thought was I over fertilized (not my choice) I put Osmocote around the plants when I set them out. That was enough to last 3 months but "someone kept griping at me to put triple 10 around them so I did (Last Thursday) and the following Monday was when they started welting?
Local extension office says end of leaf's would be brown if over fert. so that ruled that out

Third, I have done a little research online, looks more like a fungus based on THIS:

Bacterial Wilt Southern bacterial wilt attacks the tomato plant at the base, causing rapid collapse and death of the entire plant. Cut through the stem and note a dark water-soaked center or even a hollow stem. The cause of this bacterial wilt is Pseudomonas solanacearum, according to the University of Tennessee Extension Service.

So, this is my best guess so far.

I pulled up 42 plants last night, all that I seen that looked infected. Today I see another 10 that are welted

Any more idea's anyone?
Thanks in advance

 

[Kya D]

Kirk I sure wish I could help. But I have no clue what is wrong.... someone here will surely be able to tell you something about your plants.
Welcome to the family.
I sure do hope we can solve the prob.

 

[RonsGarden]

Hey Kirk!
Welcome to our forum!
Sounds to me it's a root problem!
Did you plant the tomatoes in the same spot you planted them last year?
You must know about rotating your pepper, tomato, and eggplant crops!


I like your cages! Did you make them yourself?

 

[kirk1701]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.

Yes, we did plant in the same area as last year, rotated last year from the year before because we wanted to plan ahead and have what ends up being pulled up or done producing first all in one area so we have one large area for fall crop.

Space is limited so moving to a new area is out of the question.

Little more info on the problem; I pulled up another 15 tomato plants scattered throughout the garden again just an hour ago that has welted since yesterday. Plus, its not limited to tomatoes, also have a Cayenne peppers that looked bad yesterday, pulled it up today as well. Also looks like some squash are welting along wit some Cauliflower and Broccoli that is not looking well.

Green beans still look great (knock on wood!!!)

Hope that provides some more clue's.
Help please, me becoming desperate

 

[RonsGarden]

I can see the peppers suffering the same problems as tomatoes, and even potatoes can be infected!
Here's a few more questions:
Did you add anything to ammend the soil recently, before planting?
How thick is the mulch you are using and what kind is it?
I am assuming that you didn't have any problems last year?

Not much bothers beans!

 

[RonsGarden]

Having another look at your photos I noticed row covers: if you use them yearly you should sterilize them before re-using them! They can carry over fungi and bacterial spores from previous years!

 

[kirk1701]

I can see the peppers suffering the same problems as tomatoes, and even potatoes can be infected!
Here's a few more questions:
Did you add anything to ammend the soil recently, before planting?
How thick is the mulch you are using and what kind is it?
I am assuming that you didn't have any problems last year?

Not much bothers beans!

After setting out the tomatoes I put preem down, nothing went down prior other then tilling the soil. After putting the preem down to prevent weeds I also use a old trick my brother-n-law told me about; newspaper and grass clippings to also keep the weeds down and keeps the ground moist during hot dry patches.

Now and only now after its too late I'm being told the pre-emergent I put on the grass back in March could now be transferring in the grass clippings to the garden? I find that hard to believe so could there be any truth to that? I guess you could say the grass clippings is what I'm using as mulch

No, no problems last year and I used the preem around the tomatoes last year, no grass clippings though.

Having another look at your photos I noticed row covers: if you use them yearly you should sterilize them before re-using them! They can carry over fungi and bacterial spores from previous years!

If by row covers you mean the homemade tomato cages? This is the first year using them, I bought cattle fencing and made them this spring. However I do have some of the bought cages on the back row which have been used for up to 6 or 8 years now, never sterilized those though.

Thought I'd add a pic of what the garden looked like last week before this hit.

 

[RonsGarden]

Well, the problem is usually a simple one!
I could very well be the grass clippings!
Preem is non-selective and will kill everything! Bet you that it lingers on the dead grass. I strongly suggest, like the directions on the product, to dispose of the dead grass and not use it in your mulch, or composter!

What is the black running up and down the rows?
I was thinking the black was a row cover!
Is that for drip watering?

I really like your tom cages! I'll have to have a look at making my own! The ones that you get for around a dollar are rather small, and short for some of the taller growing heirloom toms!

 

[kirk1701]

Well, the problem is usually a simple one!
I could very well be the grass clippings!
Preem is non-selective and will kill everything! Bet you that it lingers on the dead grass. I strongly suggest, like the directions on the product, to dispose of the dead grass and not use it in your mulch, or composter!

What is the black running up and down the rows?
I was thinking the black was a row cover!
Is that for drip watering?

I really like your tom cages! I'll have to have a look at making my own! The ones that you get for around a dollar are rather small, and short for some of the taller growing heirloom toms!

Not sure you understand, Preem is made for the garden to keep weeds down?? As seen here:

http://www.southernstates.com/catalog/p-489-preen-garden-weed-preventer-16lb.aspx

Now the grass clippings I put down over top of the preem as an extra layer of weeds control and keeps the ground moist BUT...

I put a fertilizer/weed control product on the lawn back in March so I'm now being told that product could be transfered in the grass clippings to the garden; that true and can it really hurt the garden?

Now here's what I use on my lawn:
CarpetMaker® 6-0-18 with 0.43% Barricade

http://www.southernstates.com/promotions/professionalturfguide/fertilizers.aspx

Yes, the black you see is soaker hoses.

As for the cages, exactly why I went into making my own, 4 feet high and I used a 10' rebar cut in half for the stakes (cheaper then fence stakes) and 1 5 foot rebar then anchors 2 of the cages because you weave it down though the fence

 

[Crabbergirl]

Welcome to the forum.
After reading all the post, I believe it is the grass if you are adding it before it drys out. In the summer and when plants are young and tender you cannot add fresh grass clippings. It will wilt the young plants. Pull the grass clippings back from around the plants and the root lines. When it cools down you can push it back around the plants.

 

[kirk1701]

Welcome to the forum.
After reading all the post, I believe it is the grass if you are adding it before it drys out. In the summer and when plants are young and tender you cannot add fresh grass clippings. It will wilt the young plants. Pull the grass clippings back from around the plants and the root lines. When it cools down you can push it back around the plants.

But I started putting the grass around them four weeks back, the plants were not 10" tall??? I don't put the grass right up to the stalk either I keep it back about 10 to 12 inches away from the plant. So around the plant is nothing but dirt.

Plus, we had a heat wave here in June, last two or three weeks was 90+ days everyday; the tomatoes took off like a weed doing great then it cooled down. Thats when they started welting

 

[kirk1701]

Just an update:
Just got back from the extension office where I left about 6 different plants from different areas in the garden. The master gardener was at the university so I didn't get to talk to her but she's suppose to call me when she looks at the plants and to answer some questions.

I've been told not to pull up anymore plants till she has a chance to look at them and if she can make a diagnosis and if there is a cure.

Needless to say, I'm expecting nothing more then a answer of herbicide drift so I'm ready for that too. Stopped at Lowe's and bought $30 in plants and if Herb drift is the answer I'm going to ask; "so I can replace the plants that dies with new ones in the same place then right?" :drinkup:

Got home and 6 more plants have welted since this morning; its noon now and the garden is in full sun.

 

[RonsGarden]

It will be interesting to see what she has to say!
I can hear your frustration!

 

[kirk1701]

I can hear your frustration!

Yea, been down this road three years back, could have been me and herb drift then I can't be for sure but they sure were quick to point the finger at it soon as I told them I had sprayed 2,4-D

I wasn't experienced in spraying then, I am now and when I sprayed I was 6" away from marigolds, funny they are still growing and 150 feet away the garden is dying due to drift???

I hope I'm jumping the gun and they don't be so quick to point at the herb.

Here's some pic's of my yard, it didn't get this way without some knowledge right.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1642355912220.72620.1636527708&l=fef9622e9b

 

[RonsGarden]

Up here we have to get used to the fact that weeds are here to stay! There are safe organic pesticides available!
250 weed control products were banned in 2008! The list include 95 chemicals used in various weed control products! 2,4-D is one of them!
Did a search on Preem, but not much info comes up!
CarpetMaker® 6-0-18 with 0.43% Barricade is not available up here, if it was it would have been banned!

 

[kirk1701]

Up here we have to get used to the fact that weeds are here to stay! There are safe organic pesticides available!
250 weed control products were banned in 2008! The list include 95 chemicals used in various weed control products! 2,4-D is one of them!
Did a search on Preem, but not much info comes up!
CarpetMaker® 6-0-18 with 0.43% Barricade is not available up here, if it was it would have been banned!

Yea, see your in Canada and I remember that bann happening now, you guys can't get a lot of stuff we do and also, New York is following your lead too.

I'm in Kentucky and down here we get weeds you guys don't and a longer growing season. I'm always teasing my sister in Pa. you shovel snow 9 months out of the year I mow 9 months out of the year

 

[RonsGarden]

We only shovel 4 months of the year! Usually only 3!
I'm almost completely organic and only use Round-up on the driveway! It's on the ban list, but it is ok where I live for now!
I'm working on exterminating a very large, very old daylily colony! Round-up seems to be working and will need to re-apply in a few weeks if any sprouts come up!
The colony is at the base of very old pine trees, so couldn't dig to get all the roots and tubers out! I'm planning on planting my hybrid daylilies I brought with me when we moved here on the lake! They are still in their pots and need to be divided and planted this year! Should add some needed color that the native daylily doesn't!

 

[Crabbergirl]

Here in Fl with organic gardeners we have a good rule of thumb. If it's in the garden and it's a weed pull it. It it's in the lawn leave it, if brown water it, if green cut it

Please let us know what the ag lady says

 

[kirk1701]

We'll, dropped the plants off at the extension office yesterday morning. The master gardener wasn't in so she was going to take a look at them and give me a call back, but I've been told not to pull anymore plants up till she looked at them.

4 PM yesterday and no callback so I called them, hmmm she had done left for the day?? Wasn't there at 10 AM and had left by 4 PM DAMMMMM I want that job
So, the lady said she looked at them and didn't know what it was so they are sending them off for testing.

Personally, I'm beginning to think its the grass over top of the soil, with all the rain we've had (which is unusual) its not having a chance to dry out

 

[Crabbergirl]

We'll, dropped the plants off at the extension office yesterday morning. The master gardener wasn't in so she was going to take a look at them and give me a call back, but I've been told not to pull anymore plants up till she looked at them.

4 PM yesterday and no callback so I called them, hmmm she had done left for the day?? Wasn't there at 10 AM and had left by 4 PM DAMMMMM I want that job That would be great hours, but I know here that the Master Gardners are volunteers with no pay
So, the lady said she looked at them and didn't know what it was so they are sending them off for testing.

Personally, I'm beginning to think its the grass over top of the soil, with all the rain we've had (which is unusual) its not having a chance to dry outI agree, I do think it was the hot grass. I found out about that the hard way my self. Then if it rains on top of it, it almost boils the plants, in addition fungus will grow with molds as well as making the plants susceptible to viruses

Good luck overcoming this issue