Wow. I never thought tilling TOO deep would ever be a problem. Yeah, someone answer this.

Since tilling is known to bring up old "weed" seeds there is no reason why the same operation could not bring up disease pathogens that might be buried in the soil, another reason to not till. If you have built up a good, healthy soil the bacteria in that soil can suppress those pathogens. While solarization can suppress disease pathogens it will also kill off the beneficial soil organisms.

Not knowing anything about this wilt stuff, I wonder if it might have come in with some of the compost? If it did "come up" with the tilling, wouldn't there have been diseased plants grown there in the past? Or if the tomatoes came in as purchased seedlings is it possible it was introduced that way?

Interesting subject none the less.

Lloyd

I have experienced this wilt in the past, I hope that it is not VW because I understand being a soil born pathogen Solar Sterilization is the only remedy. This is why I get compost from a certified organic supplier, it is only $30 a large pickup load.

I am a little interested in the no till method , however I believe that once you have worked the soil over and over season after season , the weed seeds and other bad elements are eradicated over time. This seems to be evidenced by posters useing tilling methods over the course of many seasons with no overly adverse effects.
I don't really wish to gamble a season or two of crop to acheive this as yet, and I don't have the space to lay idle the garden for a season of Soil S.

I am wondering if the cover crop will do away with last seasons soil detriments.
How much more effect on the working micro culture will any more soil disturbance have? (I still need to break up the large parts from turning over the ground cover), and should I turn in the new compost I bring in , or just lay it on top?

As long as the ph and NPK are correct for the heirloom tomatos I grow, aside from worms how else can the dirt be improved ?

I will probably find the ratio of worms to sq. ft. of garden space when I find a vendor.

Tom

A friend in Kansas watched her tomatoes go wilty for a while summer before last, and then they pulled out of it. She was growing a resistant variety, so we don't think it was Verticillium. Rather, a touch of walnut wilt is suspected, because rotting walnut roots can release juglone for many years, and tomatoes are highly sensitive. Might there ever have been a walnut tree growing near your troubled tomatoes?

Here is a link that might be useful: my website

Hmmm:
I never would have suspected it as I don't believe there were any walnut trees here.

A very large Maple stands about fifty ft away and I believe those were the roots I chopped out years ago in the first garden prep.
I remember a small depression where a tree was, close to the spot many years ago.
There might be one in the neighbors yard, however I would think that I would be seeing walnuts if the squirrels were bringing them to the garden.

I only grow heirloom tomatos. Since they have no resistance to disease, I am hopeing it was just a severe case of blight or wilt. It seemed to only effect certain plants, but in one general area of thee garden.

What a pleasant site Barbara.

Tom

"As long as the ph and NPK are correct for the heirloom tomatoes I grow, aside from worms how else can the dirt be improved?"

Tilth can be improved (with compost, manures, hay, etc.)