As the vessels are plugged and collapse, the water supply to the leaves is blocked. With a limited water supply, leaves begin to wilt on sunny days and recover at night. Wilting may first appear in the top of the plant or in the lower leaves. The process may continue until the entire plant is wilted, stunted, or dead. Tomato and potato plants may recover somewhat but are usually weak, unthrifty, and produce fruit of low quality.
Peppers typically collapse rapidly and die.
Fusarium and Verticillium wilts are rarely significant in field grown tomatoes due to the widespread incorporation in tomato cultivars of genes for resistance to the pathogen. Additionally, new races of both pathogens have been identified that are capable of overcoming the resistance in many popular tomato varieties. Verticillium race 2 is now common in tomatoes in Ohio, but its importance in reducing yield is not known at this time. There is very little genetic resistance available to either disease in pepper or eggplant. Later the lower leaves wilt, turn yellow and die and the entire plant may be killed, often before the plant reaches maturity.