Plants dying right after mulch laid... nitrogen robbing or?
turquoisegardenia
11 years ago
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Laurel Zito
11 years agotoxcrusadr
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Help All Plants Seem to be Dying
Comments (21)Looks very much like a soil issue. Something toxic...that could be attributed to many things... looks like fertilizer burn. Not saying that is it but what would be the outcome if an overdose of fertilizer is spread all over the soil, on top, and not tilled in or double-dug well in advance of planting... Lets back up a couple months...(because your raised bed soil looks very much just like your surrounding yard soil)...and the fact that this in not your first garden season... A month or so before planting, add your amendments of choice, double dig them in and rake and pull any sneaky weeds...this will evenly distribute additives and airates your soil....nice and fluffy...give it a good wet drink and rake smooth. Avoid stepping and compacting. I then cover my beds with a weed barrier that allows rain water in, not plastic. That just preps my beds for a good planting week...plants that like cooler weather go in often a month ahead of others like peppers, cukes, tomatoes... I mulch a week or two after everyone has settled in. I don't think it is the peat pots. You've got others in plastic and various suppliers. Bonnie, etc. I avoid them like others...but did purchase a bonnie this year...at least it has a plastic sleeve...and i pulled a bit of the peat away to inspect the roots before buying...just takes one inattentive employee assigned to watering to stress nursery starts by giving barely a sprinkle and not a soaking...so your plants could have been stressed before you even brought them home...(why many of us start our own plants and can only blame ourselves for failure and even then can have unexplained disasters but it does not cost money, just time and effort) A good soil analysis with some of your leaf matter included will solve any mysterious fungal issue...remove your plants...they look not so good by the dried up roots...may recover in a deep tray of pro mix? Not so sure...but i would double dig your bed...with a spade, one end to the other, flip your soil and water it soaking wet...while you wait for test results. Then add what is needed... So sorry, but their is still hope and plenty of time for a good growing season......See MoreWhich mulch is better
Comments (14)Did some research. Found these two articles/studies helpful: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/SUL12.pdf http://ohioline.osu.edu/sc186/sc186_14e.html Main Conclusion: More composted yard waste in your mulch = more organic matter , less compaction, more NPK, more growth, more flowers, and less nitrogen robbing If you are not using highly composted yard waste (heartwood chips), add nitrogen Summary: From Worst to best wood muches: Ground Pallets - decays fastest and robs most nitrogen Dyed Ground green wood - decays fastest and robs most nitrogen Partially composted hardwood bark or young softwood tree - decays slower, but little nitrogen to aid decay Partially composted hardwood (trees and branches) - decay faster, but contains more nitrogen Partially composted yard waste (brush, stems, branches, leaves, grass) - decay faster, but contains lots of nitrogen mature softwood tree bark (pine, cypress) - decays slowlest so less nitrogen robbing Conclusions: Unless you are using pure mature soft wood bark, which is impossible to find, use mulch with the highest amount of nitrogen rich (smaller plant parts) yard waste that has been composted the longest. Make sure the mulch supplier sprays mulch with water and turns it occasionally to avoid souring. If you want slow to moderate growth on bigger plants like trees and bushes, and better insect resistance (due to the stressed plants producing more defensive chemicals), use mix with more bark and woodchips....See MorePumpkin plant dying
Comments (3)Hard to see the last picture, but I'm assuming its SVB. Once the plants get real established and they get to root into the ground along the vine, the plant can usually survive some SVB damage. Since you are in zone 7, you have time to start again. Go get yourself some "tulle" fabric, get a big piece of it, and cover your next seedling you plant. Keep them covered (all the way to the dirt,)so the moths cannot get under it and reach your plants, as that is how they get there... eggs laid one the vine by the moths. Keep the plants covered as long as possible, and then when you remove the covers, mulch and cover as much of the vine part as possible. You should do much better. By this time the plants will be well established, and you should be able to get some pumpkins....See MoreFirst time container gardener - Plants dying from bottom up
Comments (12)Usually when the yellowing begins at the oldest leaves first and works its way up progressively through the older leaves ... and the yellowing is uniform yellowing with no black spots or ringed blotches on the leaves ... that is a sure sign of the plant robbing nitrogen from the older leaves and transferring it to the new growth ... meaning your plants are asking for a nitrogen boost. However, I don't see the "yellowing" ... all I see in your pictures is some off-color, dull khaki colored leaves like in that third picture, then it seems the coloration goes to dry, dead, dark tan or light brown. Also, look at that first picture and the last picture where the discoloration seems to have skipped past some of the older leaves and is well progressed on a some of the foliage in mid-plant. That doesn't seem indicative of typical nitrogen deficiency which would seem to be the first deficiency that would appear if indeed you are flushing or leaching out nutrients by over-watering as N is more unstable and "leachable" than P or K ... and you say you're fertilizing regularly with Miracle Grow. So, I don't really suspect it's lack of application. I'm thinking possibly disease of some sort. I'm not familiar with Miracle Grow plant growing mixes, but I did have trouble this summer with a knock-off brand of the same type stuff from Scotts (which I think is the same company now) where it was just to moisture rententive for the tomato plants I happened to use it for. I thought I had lucked into a good deal when I got a couple of busted bags for half price ... but the plants in that mix withered up similarly to yours, but not exactly the same color or pattern of disorder. But the mix always seemed saturated. My other potted tomatoes never had a problem all summer even though I watered them nearly daily and at the risk of overwatering ... but they were in a very porous homemade mix and never showed the least sign of what we're talking about here. So, I'm really no help with regard to the possibility of over watering. Personally, since your plants are showing that funky off-color on the leaves AND some of the stem tissue ... and since there seems to be some leaf distortion going on there too ... like a little roll while there's still some greenish color left ... you may want to take some examples of leaves to your county extension horticulturalist. If you do, take some healthy leaves, some that are just starting to show the disorder, and other foliage AND some of those discolored stems in various stages of dying and death so she or he has enough evidence to make a determination whether you're dealing with a fungal or bacterialogical agent or some other thing we all may be missing here....See MoreLaurel Zito
11 years agomytime
11 years agoLloyd
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11 years agotoxcrusadr
11 years agomytime
11 years agoKimmsr
11 years agojolj
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11 years agoLaurel Zito
11 years agophxplantaddict
11 years agoKimmsr
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11 years agoLaurel Zito
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8 years ago
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