Screwed Up Again--Drowned Plants

[Setec Astronomy]

I'm growing all my tomatoes in planters, most of them self-watering. Some of them don't automatically overflow from the reservoir, they have a float gage and a drain valve. Since it's been hot and dry for the most part, I have had the drain valves closed. After the tropical storm that passed through the other day, a couple of them were in the "red zone" on the float gage, but since it was supposed to be hot again today, I didn't think about draining them.

I was out all day and when I came home a little while ago, the plants in that planter were all wilted...drowned I guess. I drained the water out, but did I just kill them?

[edweather]

I've seen plants in standing water, but they usually don't wilt and die quickly. Mine just became stunted and yellowed over time. Check the main stem near the soil line and make sure there's no insect damage. Also, root damage can quickly kill a plant too, but temporary overwatering usually won't kill a plant.

[MissS]

Now that they have some air back to the roots, let's see how they are in 24 hours. If it was the over watering then they should bounce back quickly.

[Setec Astronomy]

Now that they have some air back to the roots, let's see how they are in 24 hours. If it was the over watering then they should bounce back quickly.

I'm not too hopeful.

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[brownrexx]

They do look bad. I hope that they make it.

[Labradors]

If you need replacements, perhaps you could take some cuttings from these plants now!

Linda

[MissS]

No they don't look too good at all. It looks like you have some type of bacterial wilt going on. Cut a stem and then place it in a clear glass of water to see if any milky fluid leaches out. Then cut a stem vertically and see how the interior looks.

[worth1]

Could be root rot.
Had this happen to a bunch of peppers one year.
It was chilli wilt.

[Ginger2778]

I would ASAP cut some off at the stem, no roots, and stick those into plain water for a few days. They might perk up, and make new roots on those stems, and you'll have mature plants ready to make fruit without waiting. This was Labrador's advice too.

[Setec Astronomy]

I'm pretty sure they just drowned. The third plant which didn't look as bad as the other two, looks worse today. These plants already have tons of unripe fruit on them.

[worth1]

Run a rod in the soil and make holes everywhere.
This should help maybe

[Setec Astronomy]

Ok, I think I can call these plants officially dead. What do I do with all the green fruit that's on them? Leave it on in the hopes of ripening, or cut them all off and put them in a bowl on the kitchen table in the hopes of ripening?

[Vanman]

Fried green tomatoes?

[brownrexx]

Is this ALL of your plants or do you still have a couple?

If you don't have any plants left, I would go to a store and pick up a plant or two so that you can still have fresh tomatoes at home. I see that Lowes and Tractor Supply still have some. They are overgrown and even pot bound but at least you could have some of your own tomatoes. There is still time.

I am also in zone 6b and I bought A big, overgrown Big Beef for $1 one year and it gave me tomatoes before Fall.

[Ginger2778]

Ok, I think I can call these plants officially dead. What do I do with all the green fruit that's on them? Leave it on in the hopes of ripening, or cut them all off and put them in a bowl on the kitchen table in the hopes of ripening?

Did you read my entry above? They WERE saveable, might still be.

[Setec Astronomy]

Did you read my entry above? They WERE saveable, might still be.

I think they were already too far gone. I drained the water out of the planter--how is cutting off the plant at the ground and trying to grow roots going to be better than trying to save it WITH roots? The foliage is all dead.

Is this ALL of your plants or do you still have a couple?

It was 2-3 (one might still make it) out of 33, so I have plenty of plants, just no more of the varieties that got drowned...unless I could possibly figure out which of the large suckers I cut off a few weeks ago and stuck in water as a blight hedge belong to these 3 plants (if any) rather than the other 30.

[Nan6b]

Did you read my entry above? They WERE saveable, might still be.

I think they were already too far gone. I drained the water out of the planter--how is cutting off the plant at the ground and trying to grow roots going to be better than trying to save it WITH roots? The foliage is all dead.
...

You had a plant with ruined roots and a healthy top. The top was wilting, but until the leaves dried out to crispiness, they were still alive. The ruined roots could not supply water to the whole plant. But a cutting put in water can pull enough water to keep itself going until it can pop out roots. You showed us pics of leaves that were still alive. If you had taken the advice to make cuttings at that time, you could have rooted some cuttings.

[Ginger2778]

The hairs in the stem above become new healthy roots as long as the stem is healthy. The top looked fairly healthy before. Then you get a renewed plant, saved to continue to grow.

[worth1]

I have had them survive after the leaves dried up by pulling and putting in a fresh container of soil with the stem in it.
In a shady area.
I wont give up till the things are crispy brown.

[brownrexx]

I rooted some pretty sad looking ones this year when I had a problem with some stems. They all rooted and are now growing.