Wilt on my tomato plants.

[Tom Cavanagh]

I have had the problem for three seasons now and I fear that my soil is permanently diseased. Last year I used a spray that helped marginally. But this spring was so wet that I couldn't maintain spray retention on the plants. Anyone ever had this problem and effected a permanent cure? A soil treatment seems the direction to go as foliage spray isn't getting it done.

TIA Tom Cavanagh

[Blues Ma]

I planted only container tomatoes for two seasons. Once returning to garden planting the problem had disappeared. Did this on advice from a really old gardener.        

[pat]

Suggestions:

1. Use plastic mulch to avoid rain splashing soil up onto the plants, and/or soil getting splashed up when you water the plants. Maybe you do already?
2. Grow your tomatoes in a hoophouse if you have one or otherwise under plastic if possible. According to a Cornell University Extension fact sheet on late blight that I recently read, it can be carried on the wind. Is *that* discouraging, or what? :(
3. Grow tomatoes in (large) containers in soilless mix or (purchased) mushroom compost or similar. Something from elsewhere. We have grown a very large cherry tomato plant (Yellow Pear) in one of those big Rubbermaid (or similar) storage tubs that are sold in discount stores - we drilled holes in the bottom first. I often see them on sale for about .99 - pretty cheap for a 22-gallon container - much cheaper than a comparable-sized plant pot would cost. If we can grow a Yellow Pear in a container, I reckon any tomato can be grown in a container.
4. Grow tomatoes in those new upside-down hanging bags - i.e., the tomatoes wind up growing upside-down. You'd need a very strong support for them. A friend of ours grew a Sungold this way and it worked well. Sungold is a good-sized plant.

Pat

[simy1]

classic crop rotation case. would you consider planting them in the frontyard for a couple years. you can still plant the other veggies in back.