Have you been watering too much? How much sun were they getting before you moved them? Have you used any fertilizer? How big are the containers? More info please!

My source for pure manure appears to have dried up, but I've found a closer source for manure. This, however, is mixed strongly with sawdust. I read up that sawdust will leach out the nitrogen of the manure and actually stunt plants unless supplemented with a strong nitrogen source. I went to my local garden store and found that they had no idea what I was talking about and the only thing close to the Ohio State recommended level of 34-0-0 was chemical lawn fertilizer. I was talked into getting some blood meal, good but expensive and only 12-0-0. I decided to use it in a couple of small areas with the lasagna method but to go ahead and get the lawn fertilizer as I have over 60' of fence that I need to improve as the soil appears sterile. I intend to put Virginia creeper along the fence and hope it does get invasive as that would save me money. :) I don't have any problem combining my love for organic gardening with the addition of some chemicals...if in the long run they benefit the soil and are not toxic. It looks like my compost pile is going to get interesting and I've also decided to do some lasagna beds closer to the house for this year until I can get the compost cooked and find and afford the Virgina creeper. Thanks for all your input. This thread is fascinating. Here is a link that might be useful: Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Mary, this is an excellent question and one you shouldn't be embarrassed by :-) The terms 'green' and 'brown' to describe either carbon or nitrogen sources really do describe their coloration as well. Greens - the N source - really are "green"....or very close to it. They are fresh plant parts - grass clippings, debris from the veg garden, plant trimmings, weeds (without seeds), seaweed, fresh leaves, kitchen waste, etc. The non-green greens also include coffee grounds and eggshells (as considered kitchen waste). And fresh animal manures. Browns - the C source - are more "brown" than not: fall leaves, twigs, stems, chipped brush, other wood products, straw or hay, cardboard and other paper products, sawdust, pine straw, etc. IOW, dry or dead material. And yes, some materials can be both, depending on the stage they are in their life cycle. Green, fresh leaves, like might be generated by pruning, are a N source - dried, fallen leaves (dead) gathered up in fall become a prime source of C. It is a little bit more complicated than this - what determines whether a material is really a green or a brown is its ratio of carbon to nitrogen. But in general, most greens are green and fresh and most browns are brown and dried/dead. From th Organic Gardening Forum FAQ:the difference between greens and browns.

floral_uk: good eye that you saw the fava been, yep, it's a mixed edible and ornamental garden that's been left untended for a long time. I'm going to post a photo soon regarding the fava beens because although we had them in salad a couple of days ago and they tasted great, the exterior of the plant is completely infested with black aphids and I want to see if I can get rid of them or if I have to get rid of the plant.