Question
Dying Tomato Plants
Hi! We have purchased about 20 tomato plants in the past
month and all but 2 have died within a couple of days after
transplanting to the garden from the container purchased at
the store/nursery. We bought 11 plants first (two of which
were of the Cherry variety and are doing ok). The rest
died. We just went and purchased 9 more and those are
slowly dying.
We live in Southern Georgia and while this is our first
garden here, we've had many successful years of experience
growing tomatoes in Wisconsin.
Any suggestions? Thank you!
AnswerShanna, I would assume these plants have been hardened off at the nursery or garden center from where they were purchased. Plants do need a hardening off period to acclimate to outdoor conditions.
If they were properly prepared, you most likely have a soilborne disease that is killing the plants. The only way to tell for sure is to take a sample of the soil to a nursery where an expert can test it. If they find a disease exists, you will need to solarize the soil by laying 4 mil black plastic over the area to kill the bacteria.
If no disease is present, you should amend the soil by adding a generous amount of organic matter, such as peat, compost, aged manure, and shredded leaves. This will boost the disease resistance in the soil and improve the overall tilth. It will also provide a steady dose of nutrients to the plants over the growing season. This process is even more essential for clay soil. Clay tends to drain poorly causing the roots of young plants to suffocate, preventing them from absorbing oxygen and nutrients. Within a few days, the roots will rot and the plants will die. Organic matter corrects this condition and dramatically improves the drainage.
Finally, if all else proves fine, you may want to purchase the plants from a different garden center. Although I doubt this is the issue, it is always a possibility that they did not care for the plants properly before selling them. This is a rare occurrence since most garden centers pride themselves on the quality of their plants.
I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever provide assistance.
Regards,
Mike
