Tomato Wilt Disease

Causes of Tomato Wilt and How to Treat it

Tomato wilt is something no gardener wants to experience because it often means the tomato plants will have to be disposed of.

This however depends on what the cause is in the first place,wilt on tomatoes can be treated or it can kill your plants. Here are six of the most common causes of tomatoes wilting.Not Enough Water can cause tomatoes wilt

Tomato plants need an inch of water every week. If the soil is dry, your tomato plants might start wilting but a generous watering can bring them back to full health. A good watering once a week should be enough. You should water your tomatoes around the base of the plants rather than from above which might cause mold. It is a good idea to plant your tomatoes in raised beds or well-drained soil because tomatoes don't like to stand in water and this can also cause tomato wilt.

Stalk Borer

This is an insect pest which attacks tomatoes by boring into the tomato plants and making tunnels in the stalks. These insects are cream and purple striped caterpillars which mature into grayish brown moths. Tomatoes which have died should be uprooted and disposed of. Mowing or cutting back tall weedy areas around the tomato plants can help to control stalk borers. Insecticides do not work on them. Affected plants might wilt and die but affected plants can be brought back to health if you get rid of the stalk borers.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

This virus can cause wilting, stunting and bronzing of the tomato plant foliage. The fruit might have green or brown rings on it. No tomato plants are resistant to this virus so you will need to remove any infected plants to stop the virus from spreading to all of them.

Bacterial Wilt

This type of tomato plant wilt can be diagnosed with an easy test. Remove the plant from the soil and rinse the stem and roots. Cut a four inch long section from low down on the stem and suspend this cutting in a jar of water.

If a cloudy, milky ooze comes out, this in an indication of bacterial wilt. You need to destroy any plants which have this disease and plant future tomato plants in a different location. Don't reuse the stakes or ties.

Vascular Tomato Wilts

If your tomatoes have a vascular wilt, they might wilt during the day but perk up at night. Sometimes the wilting becomes worse each day until the tomato plants die. This type of wilt plant is caused by soil-borne fungi which enter the tomato plants via injured roots.

The foliage of an infected tomato will turn yellow and the plant will die. To minimize the chances of this happening, be careful not to damage the roots if you transplant tomatoes because once the plants are infected, there is no treatment for them.

Walnut Toxicity

Black walnut trees produce a toxic material that can be harmful or lethal to tomato plants. Yellowing and wilting of the foliage, stunted growth and death are walnut toxicity symptoms. If your plants have this virus, you will need to remove the affected ones because you cannot cure them. Don't plant tomatoes less than a hundred feet from a walnut tree.

As you can see, there are various reasons for tomato wilt. The best advice is to keep an eye on your tomatoes and if any suffer from tomato wilt, remove them to prevent the other tomato plants from becoming infected too.

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