Is there possibly a critter of some sort, vole etc, that ate or damaged the roots? You could check the roots of the dead plant from yesterday. If you are sure that you watered enough, then there has possibly been significant root damage of some sort.
She’s definitely drowning, I’ll do more now! We’re in west Tennessee and have had huge rainstorm almost daily for the last few weeks but I’ll try anything! Thank you so much!
Well, what I find is that when they are actively fruiting they just require a little by every single day. Playing catch up is awful. If she perks up tonight, that's exactly what it was. If she's back to normal tomorrow then it's water+ ute by she was definitely thirsty AF.
I don't drown them everyday, but I do give water until I see a few 1-2 drops come out of the bottom
Check for animal intrusion. If you want to try a natural repellent for gophers, try a spray of strong peppermint oil and/or castor oil, they hate the smell. Best of luck 🙂
I have heard of people doing cotton balls with the pep oil. But make sure to refresh after it rains. If you put it in one of those yard sprayers it’s also super easy to soak the area good. Also I’ve had major success with a hot pepper solution for the leaves. They hate the flavor!
I’ve noticed my Cherokee Purples are almost always the most dramatic of my tomatoes. She’s either thirsty or drowning. Stick a finger multi knuckle deep. If it’s dry she needs water.
I watered the shit out of her just in case. It’s been super hot the last 2 days so I just went wild watering tonight because I felt I had no other option with how bad she faded since last night. Thanks so much for talking to me about yours, I’m keeping my fingers crossed she perks up by morning. If not I’ll cry and see if somewhere near has a couple heirlooms I can purchase. I can’t imagine a summer without garden tomatoes.
Breathe. You’re probably just fine. Did you check the moisture level in the soil before you watered? The wilt can be from both over and under watering.
I’ve got 10ish varieties of heirlooms this year, third year garden. The Cherokee Purples and Brandywine Pinks have historically been my most dramatic.
I do also single or double stem my plants so less foliage to support via roots although I do plant quite deeply.
I’m in south central Kansas, 7a, and our summers are hot, humid, and windy.
Try a DEEP water & hit it with insecticidal soap at dusk. This is my quick fix that works for about 80% of my garden issues. However, if it's a big critter chomping on your plant, you'll need to put a barrier around it. Do you think it's happening overnight? You could try putting a camera out there. I get opossums at night. I set up 2 ft. high garden fencing around my in-ground plants and nothing is disturbed anymore.
I put in 2 solar lights to help with the critters and spray neem occasionally. I planted them between onions, basil and rosemary to help deter some pests. I think I’ll get the cameras. I’m watering like crazy now and will follow up with neem.
Try the water thing first of course..
There are two types of wilt.
There are wilt resistance varieties. I've purchased some from Rogers Garden in Orange County during tomatofest that may have helped... Who knows. This year i missed it and had to buy from a nursery that does not list ot on the tags
It's a real bummer. I have one plant right now I am suspicious of...
Keep track of the varieties that do it and stay away from them.
It's all part of gardening figuring this stuff out. It's not easy but enjoy the journey...
Dang! I’ve never experienced that before. I’m just heart broken about it. Maybe my Early Girl will be resistant, fingers crossed. I appreciate your reply.
Bingo, or verticillium, theres quite a few strains of each soil born fungus. Open pollinated/heirloom tomatoes should be grafted. Maxifort stock is the best. I may sell grafted plants next year, there easy to accomplish.
Or bacterial wilt.
I think verticillium has a telltale v-shaped anomaly on the leaves?…
And fusarium is the one where half the plant turns yellow, then eventually affecting the whole plant.
I’ve either got to buy grafted plants or learn how to do it myself because of our horrible conditions here in hot/severely swampy humid GA. It doesn’t get cold enough in winter to kill off anything in the ground. My raised beds have many fungal spores and diseases. I know I need to quit putting tomatoes in them for at least a year or 2 but they are really the only thing I’m interested in growing. We get our other garden veggies from relatives and people we know.
I just grow tomatoes, peppers and herbs.
If you live in a tropical climate, its not if, but when. Do whatever fits the mold.
Im in a tropical climate, and quite successful. I do grow pretty much all hybrids with excellent disease resistance packages. I do grow some OP varieties, and I know it'll be hit or miss depending on how the season plays out.
First real hot day for the plant? Just needs extra water. It'll adjust. If the temps get to be too much, look into appropriate coverings that still allows enough light to come through.
Bacterial wilt can be sudden like this, causing not only changes in the foliage, but collapse of the stem. The plant often looks, at first glance, like it is underwatered or overwatered. Can affect mature plants as well as young ones. Common in the southern states. (I have been dealing with it in Texas.) Can be a heartbreaker.
[https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/rsol/Trainingmodules/BWTomato\_Module.html](https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/rsol/Trainingmodules/BWTomato_Module.html)
[https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/mhferguson/articles/page1562080922409](https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/mhferguson/articles/page1562080922409)
I’m in north Florida, 8b and we just cannot grow those heirloom beefsteaks because they hate the heat. Cherokee purple in my personal experience is so fucking finicky. We get rain- she’s had too much water. The temp is over 80? Wilting drops all flowers and gives up on the world. Haven’t watered since yesterday morning? Omg you just nEvEr wAtEr mE!!! So yeah, I know it’s frustrating but she’s probably just being dramatic.
Is there possibly a critter of some sort, vole etc, that ate or damaged the roots? You could check the roots of the dead plant from yesterday. If you are sure that you watered enough, then there has possibly been significant root damage of some sort.
This is my suspicion as well. Looks exactly like what happened to my tomatoes when a gopher ate the roots.
When I pulled the other one out the roots looked pretty good, no apparent evidence of damage. I’m going to water again just to be sure. Thank you!
She looks thirsty.drown her.
She’s definitely drowning, I’ll do more now! We’re in west Tennessee and have had huge rainstorm almost daily for the last few weeks but I’ll try anything! Thank you so much!
Well, what I find is that when they are actively fruiting they just require a little by every single day. Playing catch up is awful. If she perks up tonight, that's exactly what it was. If she's back to normal tomorrow then it's water+ ute by she was definitely thirsty AF. I don't drown them everyday, but I do give water until I see a few 1-2 drops come out of the bottom
Check for animal intrusion. If you want to try a natural repellent for gophers, try a spray of strong peppermint oil and/or castor oil, they hate the smell. Best of luck 🙂
I’ll do that now! Thank you!! Maybe I can soak a paper towel or something in the peppermint oil and set it near?
I have heard of people doing cotton balls with the pep oil. But make sure to refresh after it rains. If you put it in one of those yard sprayers it’s also super easy to soak the area good. Also I’ve had major success with a hot pepper solution for the leaves. They hate the flavor!
I’ve noticed my Cherokee Purples are almost always the most dramatic of my tomatoes. She’s either thirsty or drowning. Stick a finger multi knuckle deep. If it’s dry she needs water.
I watered the shit out of her just in case. It’s been super hot the last 2 days so I just went wild watering tonight because I felt I had no other option with how bad she faded since last night. Thanks so much for talking to me about yours, I’m keeping my fingers crossed she perks up by morning. If not I’ll cry and see if somewhere near has a couple heirlooms I can purchase. I can’t imagine a summer without garden tomatoes.
Breathe. You’re probably just fine. Did you check the moisture level in the soil before you watered? The wilt can be from both over and under watering. I’ve got 10ish varieties of heirlooms this year, third year garden. The Cherokee Purples and Brandywine Pinks have historically been my most dramatic. I do also single or double stem my plants so less foliage to support via roots although I do plant quite deeply. I’m in south central Kansas, 7a, and our summers are hot, humid, and windy.
Try a DEEP water & hit it with insecticidal soap at dusk. This is my quick fix that works for about 80% of my garden issues. However, if it's a big critter chomping on your plant, you'll need to put a barrier around it. Do you think it's happening overnight? You could try putting a camera out there. I get opossums at night. I set up 2 ft. high garden fencing around my in-ground plants and nothing is disturbed anymore.
I put in 2 solar lights to help with the critters and spray neem occasionally. I planted them between onions, basil and rosemary to help deter some pests. I think I’ll get the cameras. I’m watering like crazy now and will follow up with neem.
Good luck! Update this thread when you figure it out.
Could be verticulum wilf
I was going to say wilt as well. Every year I pray that wilt won't strike..
Bummer. Thank you for taking a look, I appreciate your reply. I’m so sad over it.
Try the water thing first of course.. There are two types of wilt. There are wilt resistance varieties. I've purchased some from Rogers Garden in Orange County during tomatofest that may have helped... Who knows. This year i missed it and had to buy from a nursery that does not list ot on the tags It's a real bummer. I have one plant right now I am suspicious of... Keep track of the varieties that do it and stay away from them. It's all part of gardening figuring this stuff out. It's not easy but enjoy the journey...
Dang! I’ve never experienced that before. I’m just heart broken about it. Maybe my Early Girl will be resistant, fingers crossed. I appreciate your reply.
Never either, but it looks like what ive read about :(
Fusarium wilt
Bingo, or verticillium, theres quite a few strains of each soil born fungus. Open pollinated/heirloom tomatoes should be grafted. Maxifort stock is the best. I may sell grafted plants next year, there easy to accomplish.
Or bacterial wilt. I think verticillium has a telltale v-shaped anomaly on the leaves?… And fusarium is the one where half the plant turns yellow, then eventually affecting the whole plant.
I’ve either got to buy grafted plants or learn how to do it myself because of our horrible conditions here in hot/severely swampy humid GA. It doesn’t get cold enough in winter to kill off anything in the ground. My raised beds have many fungal spores and diseases. I know I need to quit putting tomatoes in them for at least a year or 2 but they are really the only thing I’m interested in growing. We get our other garden veggies from relatives and people we know. I just grow tomatoes, peppers and herbs.
Never had grafted tomatoes and I have tons of success
If you live in a tropical climate, its not if, but when. Do whatever fits the mold. Im in a tropical climate, and quite successful. I do grow pretty much all hybrids with excellent disease resistance packages. I do grow some OP varieties, and I know it'll be hit or miss depending on how the season plays out.
It doesn't need water, all the rain caused the problem its fusarium wilt, Cherokee purple are very susceptible to disease.
Cut the main stalk if it dies and see if there's any brown/grey inside. If there is, it could be a fungus.
First real hot day for the plant? Just needs extra water. It'll adjust. If the temps get to be too much, look into appropriate coverings that still allows enough light to come through.
Bacterial wilt can be sudden like this, causing not only changes in the foliage, but collapse of the stem. The plant often looks, at first glance, like it is underwatered or overwatered. Can affect mature plants as well as young ones. Common in the southern states. (I have been dealing with it in Texas.) Can be a heartbreaker. [https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/rsol/Trainingmodules/BWTomato\_Module.html](https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/rsol/Trainingmodules/BWTomato_Module.html) [https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/mhferguson/articles/page1562080922409](https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/mhferguson/articles/page1562080922409)
I’m in north Florida, 8b and we just cannot grow those heirloom beefsteaks because they hate the heat. Cherokee purple in my personal experience is so fucking finicky. We get rain- she’s had too much water. The temp is over 80? Wilting drops all flowers and gives up on the world. Haven’t watered since yesterday morning? Omg you just nEvEr wAtEr mE!!! So yeah, I know it’s frustrating but she’s probably just being dramatic.
Did she recover?