Tomato wilt has been an ongoing problem at the Community Garden.
It causes tomato plants to suddenly wilt and die. In our hot, humid climate in Virginia Beach. Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) , Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum), and Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) , Southern Blight (Sclerofium rolfsii) are all potential causes.
Tomato Wilt disease is popping up in various plots throughout the garden. With this heat, you may think that a plant is just stressed. Within a day though, the plant is dead. Other tomatoes nearby are still strong.
The plant will not recover from this disease and should be removed asap.
If we see this in your plot, we will contact you to remove it asap to help lessen spreading of the disease.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment for this disease besides sterilizing the soil.
If you have wilt disease in your plot do the following:
- Gently remove the plant so the soil does not scatter. (the disease is in the soil). If you are using the Compost Kiosk service, you can compost it. Otherwise bag it and take it home to dispose of.
- Do not plant another tomato in it’s place. It will get infected too.
- If you do have green tomatoes on the vine, you CAN pick and let them ripen to eat. The disease does not affect humans.
Be Proactive
With our climate, and many plots so close together, this disease can’t be controlled. There are some things you can proactively do to try to prevent it though.
The disease is in the soil.
- Properly mulching your plot as we recommend with a layer of newspaper or cardboard and thick layer of straw will create a barrier.
- When you are watering, do not splash up from the ground. You can water gently or with buckets, but no splashing.
- Trim away bottom leaves of plants so the leaves are not touching the ground.
- Maintain spacing between plants for airflow and protection (You can plant other vegetables/flowers/herbs in between).
- Clean your garden pruners with alcohol in between pruning plants.
We have tried multiple experiments to combat this problem with no success.
We’ve tried:
- Sterilizing the soil. ( black plastic tarp for 6 weeks during the summer)
- Grown a hemp crop
- Grow tomatoes in sterile (bagged soil ) in pots
- Grow tomatoes in hay bales
- Try different varieties of tomatoes that are more disease resistant. (The Giving Garden has great success with what they grow).
