What kind of plants are you growing? Which ones appear OK, and which ones have pale leaves? I am having similar problems with some of our blueberry shrubs, very likely due to high pH. But most garden plants do fine in neutral soil, so I doubt that pH is causing your problem.

That could be Iron, Manganese, or a couple of others. This website may give a clue.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Nutrition

Eric, thanks for the response. Kimmst, thanks for the link. I guess, I should have described my soil a little more - our soil in this part of the state tends to be a little acid so I'd be surprised if it's iron or manganese. My flower beds are mixed - native and garden perennials and annuals. The plants that look the worst are native lupine, annual Diascia, and Veronica. Some of the perennials I've had for years, others are new this year.

What I wonder is the problem is
1. the manure wasn't as aged as the farmer said. 2. the seaweed has too much salt in it (I got it from a seed and feed store and it is sold as a supplement for cows). 3. Some virus or disease?

Kimmsr that's a helpful site, thanks for posting it.

Not sure, but I've heard that chicken manure may be alkaline if they've been fed a lot of calcium carbonate. If so, give your soil time to neutralize it and your plants ought to recover.

Hi,

I planted a tree this spring and took a suggestion by someone to backfill with 1/2 native soil [clay w ph of 6.4] and half bark mulch. Three weeks after planting the leaves suddenly started looking like you describe. Pale with dark veins.

I took the leaf back to the nursery and they said it was a nutrient deficiency perhaps caused by the added mulch that may have made the soil too acid and it couldn't take up the nutrients. They recommended digging up the plant and planting again in just native soil. Which we did. They said to wait two weeks and see if it was better...so we are waiting.

Adam

Hi Dr. H. and Adam,

I posted a response to Dr. H. on Saturday, but now I don't see it.

I think your idea that pH is the problem makes sense. I'm constantly amending that soil - trying to make it less sandy, and I'm sure I've completely changed the composition of it. Many of my plants are native - so they're used to a slightly acidic soil. I'd never heard that about chicken manure - but I googled it - and just like you said - it does increase the pH. I never would have guessed.

Thanks!

I have been adding copious amounts of organic matter and cover crops for a few years, and I believe the result is that my formerly acid soil has gotten neutral to alkaline, and this has caused yellowing leaves and poor growth of eggplants, which like a more acid soil. In the same bed, the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and zucchini are thriving, but the eggplant, which use to do great in the same spot, is yellow and stunted. My soil pH, which used to be acid, is now 7.2. This is within the range of tolerance for the other plants, but eggplant like it more acid. So, it is true that adding organic matter can change the pH, and this can have an adverse result on certain plants.

Hi, just an update on my tree. So far, since replanting it, there is new growth but the growth is pale green..maybe that is supposed to be that way and some of the older leaves have greened up more, but the leaves that had the darker veins are still that way. Not sure whether to expect them to turn green again. Just that the new leaves don't have that seems to be a good indicator. I think it will be ok, and I am planning on letting it alone the rest of the season and see how it does next spring.

:-)
Adam

I realize this is an old thread, but believe it or not if you're googling "pale leaves" this is the first thing that comes up. I was looking for an answer to a plant problem I was having and found this video that really helped out.

So just in case anyone else is searching for an answer to the same kind of pale leaves problem I was having, I'll put the answer I found here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hydroponic Secrets with Erik Biksa