My Tomato Plants Are Withering & the Lower Leaves Are Dying
- 1). Water your tomatoes correctly; both too much water and too little water can make your plants susceptible to wilt. Water deeply every two to three days during hot weather. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings, but never allow the soil to become completely dry. Water the plants slowly at the base of the plant. Avoid watering your tomatoes with overhead methods, such as with a sprinkler.
- 2). Spread 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch around your tomato plants to prevent soil evaporation, but keep the mulch 3 to 4 inches away from the trunk of the plant. Use a mulch such as chopped bark or dried grass clippings.
- 3). Fertilize tomato plants lightly, but regularly. Use a liquid or granular fertilizer formulated specifically for tomatoes, but use the fertilizer at a rate of half that suggested on the container. Always water the soil before applying granular fertilizer.
- 4). Maintain a clean area around the tomato plant. Pull or hoe weeds regularly, as weeds can prevent air circulation and foster humid conditions that can cause wilt. Destroy any infected plant parts immediately to keep the bacteria from spreading to the soil and to other plants.
- 5). Clean any tools that you use to tend affected tomato plants, including hoes, shovels or pruners. Wipe the tools with rubbing alcohol or a solution of one part bleach and ten parts water. Repeat before and after each use.
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