Is this a nitrogen shortage problem ?

[Al Dykes]

I've got a dozen tomato plants that over-all are doing as good as I can remember. Lots of golf-ball or larger green fruit. No pest problems.

A few of the leaves have turned yellow and shrivaled. Essentially all are on the lowest part of the largest plants. In the past I'd live with this, but this is the first year I've been reading rec.gardens.edible and it occurred to me to ask.

A couple weeks ago I mixed appx 1/2 cup of "tomato fertalizer" next to each plant, and I've been wetting the plant leaves down with dilute Miracle-Grow every couple weeks. Sun and rain in NJ have been good.

Is this normal, or a sign of a problem. What should I do about it ?

Thanks

[Bob S.]

There are lots of reasons it could be happening. One reason is wilt that is very common in tomatos. Some varieties are specifically bred to resist wilt but many are not. If your varieties are not VFN resistant, there is not much you can do about it.(Assuming it is a wilt problem).

Bob S.

[Beecrofter]

Bob, you will find that vascular wilts appear more like the plants need a drink as the pathogen clogs up the the stems. A simple test is to make a long slanty cut in the stem and touch them together, when you pull them apart you see sticky strands and if you look at the vessels you see discoloration.

[Jim Carlock]

What causes the wilt problem ? Is it a fungus or some other sort of infection ? I have two tomato plants that I have left for a week.

The leaves have all turned brown and dried up, but as I live in Florida, I am currently assuming that it is the heat that is causing the brown leaves and I don't think they've been getting enough water.

I'm finding that Ferry Morse seeds as well as Burpee seeds are working great. I'm having a little trouble with some American Seed chive seeds though. There anything in particular that might help getting some chives started up ?