verticillium wilt is something that starts from the bottom like you mentioned. Have you grown your tomatoes in the same soil as last year?

Yes, I have used some of last year's soil, and I know I put some of last year's soil and dead plants in the compost bin. Oy! But thank you for the response. I can't identify it 100% from what photos I have found, but the blighted leaves continue. I guess it's not too late to restart everything. Think my compost is doomed?

No your compost is probably ok. If it's just standard yard waste compost I'm sure you can use lots! The verticilium wilt can happen more easily if tomatoes are planted in the same spot or in the same soil year after year. Just use fresh potting soil (and your compost) for your tomatoes next year. The soil that is in you containers now is still fine to be used for most plants just not tomatoes.

Oh I just realized you said last year's soil was in the compost bin. That's tricky and it might not be enough to matter. It's probably good compost but I just wouldn't use it on your tomatoes again.

Pattybee, when growing in containers and in Florida weather I always use fresh soil when starting a season and I only use a soil less mix, I leave the compost for the garden beds. We have a lot of fungal diseases and bugs and when the plants are weak anything can get them.

In my garden I expect every season to be successful especially with cherry tomatoes, they are the easiest to grow. Today's harvest in my garden....

Silvia

I've gotten four or five tomatoes off of my plants. Started with five, and two are dead. The ones that are left exhibit the same symptoms as the OP. Silvia, what soil mix do you use in your pots? Mine always seems soggy or bone dry, in spite of careful watering.

Oldmangroot, tomatoes are very prone to disease here in Florida but for me most of the varieties do well. I always grow my seedlings and transplant them to the 5-1-1 (Al's mix) from the container forum. The mix drains well and is also economical especially when I grow a lot of tomato plants. After a good season, my tomatoes also decline but I already harvested plenty for fresh eating and saving for when I don't have fresh tomatoes from the garden.

Practice makes perfect and eventually your tomatoes will be successful too, it is all worth it.

Silvia

Thanks for all the input. Next week I am going to visit our county's master gardeners who set up shop a couple of hours each week at the local library. I'll bring them a sample of the leaves to get confirmation that it is verticillium. If confirmed, I guess, I'll start all over. Mostly I buy Bonnie Plants that are already started, so eventually I'll get some yield, but I am really disappointed as there are tomatoes getting ready to ripen on these plants, and I just won't buy tomatoes at the grocery anymore as they're so tasteless. I am really missing a good-tasting salad!

Mine are doing the same thing and I have only grown tomatoes in that soil in those pots once! So I need new soil. But I use 4 25gallon pots and that's a lot of soil to buy. I grow one Thessaloniki in each of three pots and three grape tomatoes in the fourth. Do you all think I can downsize the pots so I can get away buying less soil each season?

Here is a link for some interesting information about verticillium (if that's what we are dealing with): http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Tomato_Verticillium.htm

I am having the same problem in central florida as the temps get cooler. The stalks are turning yellow and the leaves are turning yellow with spots all over them. They are so brittle I tough them and they break off. I have at least a dozen tomato plants left covered in tomatoes(smaller than normal but okay) so I hope they ripen before the entire plant goes.

Likely to. If it's verticillium I probably had it on last year's tomatoes towards the end of the spring, but they continued to produce lots of fruit

Bea: I use 5 gal. and 7 gal. pots for my grape and patio varieties. I know nothing about Thessalonikis. If they grow really big plants then surely a larger container is needed, but perhaps not 25 gal. Altho' the smaller the pot, the more you have to water them. Would you consider these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008X44F7E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2JPCWPKBEFIKO&coliid=I1AWOX17QD14HW&psc=1 ? They're also available in 10 gal.

I saw my county's Master Gardeners today and came away happy. I pass on their advice for you to take or leave.

They said from the myriad leaf samples I brought they could not identify verticillium and that many of the leaves looked as if the plants were suffering from the almost constant rain my area, quite uncharacteristically for this time of year, has been having.

In any event, the feeling seemed to be that tomatoes are extremely difficult to keep disease and bug free in the south without spraying them with poison, and they've become accustomed to the leaves being subjected to any number of virus, mold, and critter problems in our area while still producing good fruit, (with cherry varieties being more vulnerable) so they advise just going with the flow. Cut off the damaged leaves, keep an eye out for caterpillars, and cut out the center stalks of the plants to allow for free flow of air. Also, don't use, as I told them I had last year, Miracle-Gro or any high nitrogen fertilizer because it will promote more leaf growth rather than feed the fruit growth.

For caterpillars they recommended a microbial insecticide called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) referred to as Thuricide.

I picked 2 Super Sweet 100 cherries off while I was pruning the plants today and they were hmm, hmm good! So I'm not dumping and starting all over, but for any new plants I buy I will use fresh soil so I have a control group. If their leaves get funky as well I'll know I was given good advice.

Also, anyone know where to get Everglades tomato seeds or plants?

Just a tip I picked up from somewhere, maybe one of my British or Aussie shows, but once the plants get about 3 ft, remove all the leaves from the bottom foot of the plant. One of the most common ways for tomato plants to contract leaf diseases is from soil splashing up onto the leaves from below during a rain. Once the lowest leaves contract the disease, it quickly begins to spread up the plant. By removing leaves from the botto. foot of the plant, you make it less likely that soil diseases will attack the leaves.

Thanks, Michael. Sounds like a great idea.

I've had the same issues with multiple varieties of tomatoes. Seems like I get one great yield and then shortly thereafter the bottom leaves start to spot and then yellow and then brown. This starts to extend upward. Earlier this year, I started removing any impacted branches and that didn't seem to do anything but possibly accelerate it (weakened the plant?). After it completely browned, I pulled up cherry, re-potted and trimmed back EVERYTHING down to just the main stalk and no leaves. And it actually came back to life very healthy. So they seem resilient none the less!

I don't use any pesticides and very limited fertilizer. Trying to stay as close to organic as possible.