Plants in garden turning yellow...

[BuckySWT]

What's going on here?

Here's the background:

1) raised beds (made out of untreated 2x12's cut to 4' x 4')
...square foot gardening

2) filled with 100% organic compost. Several teaching buddies (ag guys) do straight compost and have lush gardens.

3) had good rains. try to water from a can if we use city water to let the chlorine evaporate out (let it sit a few hrs in buckets).


Veggies come up green and as they grow...turn yellow.

Something nutrient wise they are not getting?
Nematodes?
Fungus?

Not seeing anything eating the leaves.

Even our marigolds (almost overnight) lost all their blooms (spider mites?)

I've got some organic fertilizer (4-4-4) that I used once about a month ago when I noticed our okra turning yellow. Now it's the whole garden EXCEPT our tomatoes.

Our tomato beds are doing superb. Hearty, green, starting to produce fruit already. ONLY difference: Mixed half and half compost and miracle gro potting soil in with the tomato beds.


Having a hard time thinking that the compost would not be providing the nutrients that the plants needed...it was really nice looking dirt.


Any master gardeners out there with any suggestions?

[Bonesplitter]

Sound's like they are getting too much water.

[BuckySWT]

Sound's like they are getting too much water.

hmmm...my wife does water every day.


Cut the city watering, and just leave it up to mother nature right now, until summer hits and things really dry out?

[jerp]

Sound's like they are getting too much water.

When plants start turning yellow at the tips it is often a symptom of root rot. I would think water would drain well in raised beds - especially with the soil you are using but if there is clay below, causing the water to pool they may be suffering from 'wet feet" which can lead to root rot

[BuckySWT]

When plants start turning yellow at the tips it is often a symptom of root rot. I would think water would drain well in raised beds - especially with the soil you are using but if there is clay below, causing the water to pool they may be suffering from 'wet feet" which can lead to root rot

we put news paper down as a weed barrier before we filled them.

underlying soil is typical of the Blackland Prairie...good black dirt (great for foundation repair guys)

leaves are entirely yellow


so for root rot: quit watering and let the beds dry out, and see if things green up?

[jerp]

Best way to tell if it's root rot is to pull something up and look at the roots. If they are soggy and black thats a strong indication that's what you are dealing with. I was also told that high nitrogen fertilizer can make it worse. Fungicide sometimes works to reverse the problem but I've never had much luck saving them once it gets bad enough to be noticable.

[BuckySWT]

ugh...ok.

I'll pull an okra plant tonight and check it out.

funny how the WEEDS seem to do just fine *grumble*

[dragonsdaddy]

hmmm...my wife does water every day.


Cut the city watering, and just leave it up to mother nature right now, until summer hits and things really dry out?

in the cooler weather, it is better to let the plants feel the need to extend their root system so that when summer hits, they'll be prepared. even in mid summer, i rarely water more than weekly. let the plants tell you when they need water by looking wilty after dark. it is perfectly normal to wilt a little during a hundred degree day.

[BuckySWT]

in the cooler weather, it is better to let the plants feel the need to extend their root system so that when summer hits, they'll be prepared. even in mid summer, i rarely water more than weekly. let the plants tell you when they need water by looking wilty after dark. it is perfectly normal to wilt a little during a hundred degree day.

will do.

[mikemorvan]

Depending on how much is there, the newspaper may be your problem. It'll act as a sponge.

[ckuehl]

Whenever you fertilized your yard did weed and feed get into your beds?

Also like mike said above maybe you can poke some holes into the newspapers to let the water through.

[BuckySWT]

Depending on how much is there, the newspaper may be your problem. It'll act as a sponge.

we did it basically 2 ply...2 sheets thick.

the wild morning glories have managed to grow up through it so I don't think that's too thick. but if it's saturated...I can see how 2 sheets could dam things up.

[bucksnducks]

If the plants in a raised bed are turning yellow its rarely a water issue unless the ground underneath is solid clay (newspaper is too porous to cause that kind of pooling). You have a nitrogen deficit. Organic bed mix is notorious for nitrogen issues (its great with potassium and phosphorus, though).

I own a landscape company and was raised in a fertilize plant. I see exactly what you're talking about regularly (like weekly!). If the soil came from a bag in a store the nitrogen probably leached while it set. If it came from a compost pile there is probably an issue within the pile.

Folks that I deal with daily think that compost and organic soils will fix all the plants problems all by itself. This simply isn't true. Add a nitrate stabilizer to the soil and your issue will clear up with the next planting.

[BuckySWT]

If the plants in a raised bed are turning yellow its rarely a water issue unless the ground underneath is solid clay (newspaper is too porous to cause that kind of pooling). You have a nitrogen deficit. Organic bed mix is notorious for nitrogen issues (its great with potassium and phosphorus, though).

I own a landscape company and was raised in a fertilize plant. I see exactly what you're talking about regularly (like weekly!). If the soil came from a bag in a store the nitrogen probably leached while it set. If it came from a compost pile there is probably an issue within the pile.

Folks that I deal with daily think that compost and organic soils will fix all the plants problems all by itself. This simply isn't true. Add a nitrate stabilizer to the soil and your issue will clear up with the next planting.

yup...bagged organic.

ok so....call this planting a loss, till the beds under, nitrate stabilize and re-plant for this season? Or can I do something to save this planting?

[dataxman]

When plants start turning yellow at the tips it is often a symptom of root rot. I would think water would drain well in raised beds - especially with the soil you are using but if there is clay below, causing the water to pool they may be suffering from 'wet feet" which can lead to root rot

This