The first symptoms are wilting of the youngest leaves, usually during the hottest part of the day. This can easily go unnoticed because the leaves stay green but eventually the entire plant wilts and dies. These dramatic symptoms occur when the weather is hot (over 85 degrees), the humidity is high and lots of rainfall has left the ground wet. It’s also more common in soil with a high PH.
You can diagnose bacterial wilt by cutting the stem at the base of the plant. Look for discolored tissue. Suspend the stem in a glass of water. If it is infected, a white, slimy substance will ooze into the water within just a few minutes.
Bacterial Wilt is caused by the pathogen bacterium Ralstonia Solanacearum and is quite common in the moist sandy soils of the humid coastal south. This bacterium lives in the soil and will work its way quickly through the roots and up the stem of the plants.
Bacterial wilt often happens where plants have been cut, injured or weakened by insects or simply by cultivation. The bacterium clogs up the stem, preventing water and nutrients from reaching the leaves and the plant dies.
Causes and Symptoms