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Re: tomato stem rot

Evonne wrote:-

> This is a new one for me, the stems on my tomato plants turn brown (not
all
> of them) and some, but not all of the fruit starts to rot before its
> ripened. I've pulled up the worst of the plants and I'm trying to ripen
the
> green tomatoes inside. But can anyone tell me what causes this? How can I
> prevent it? Should I plant my tomatoes in pots under the eaves of my
house
> next year to keep them from getting too wet? Thanks. 

And Donna wrote:-

>it really does sound like root rot...they literally are
>drowming..I think it might be a good idea to remember this for next year
>and maybe plant them in either another area where they will get better
>drainage or plant them in pots where you can control the water

Hi Evonne
I hate to disagree, and it is always difficult to diagnose problems without
eyeballing them,  but if your stems are going brown it could be due to
Botrytis or Gray Mould. Are there gray furry patches on the stem as well as
brown?
Botrytis can cause decay in the fruit. To prevent it you should reduce the
humidity by adequate ventilation if the plants are inside and avoid
overcrowding of the plants wherever they are. To treat the present problem,
cut out the diseased parts and remove diseased fruit. 

If you grow organically there is not much else you can do. If you don't
mind chemicals then spray or dust with a fungicide like carbendazim,
assuming it is available in the USA
 I guess you may need to keep your plants sheltered from the wet if your
weather is always very damp.

Root rot, due to poor drainage, causes damage to the roots but I don't
think the stems are affected. The plants tend to wilt in hot weather. There
is not much you can do about it anyway. Except grow your plants next year
where the drainage is better. Or as you suggest, in Pots.

I love growing tomatoes, but they do have their share of problems.

Regards
Stephen

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Stephen Griffiths
Barfield Allotment Association
Whetstone, London. England.
stephen.griffiths@dial.pipex.com.
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