Too much nitrogen in the soil also contributes to the problem. Select varieties that are less prone to cracking, such as 'Early Girl', 'Jet Star', 'Roma' and 'Sweet Million'. Keep the soil evenly moist with regular watering and mulch. Fusarium and verticillium wilts are diseases caused by soil-borne fungi. The lower leaves on diseased plants turn yellow, wilt and die.
Plants die prematurely.
Remove and destroy infected plants. Rotate plants annually. Or, grow plants in a commercial pasteurized potting mix in sterile containers. They devour tomatoes, leaves and stems. Hand-pick and destroy them.