yellow leaves

[boobiepiebaby]

i've been told my plants are yellowing because of a lack of nitrogen. how can i fix this? is it an easy remedy? the yellowing has grown up about 1/4 of my plant...

[opabinia51]

Just add some manure (available at nursers, and other stores) to your soil around the plants. That'll do the trick.

[Franco]

I think a while ago I was told to give my tomatoes Seaweed emulsion fertilizer every 2 weeks and fish emulsion every 2 weeks (alternate weeks), the seaweed being used for nitrogen and the fish for... potassium maybe? But anyway, The seaweed fertilizer has worked well for me so I[m sure you could try that you can find it at your local gardening store most likely.

[praying mantis]

Like you, boobie, three of my tomato plants are going yellow. I have been adding fish emulsion to my other plants, liberally. I did not add it regularly to my tomato plants because I didn't think they needed it. They have been green and strong until last week. The plant most afflicted is VFN resistant, so I don't think it is an infection. I was discouraged by the demise of my cucumbers early last week. This yellow thing started happening to one of my tomato plants and now possibly three tomato plants. I hope I can salvage something. good luck everyone.

[Reptilicus]

Just add some manure (available at nursers, and other stores) to your soil around the plants. That'll do the trick.

Opa, the manure wont 'burn' them? I hear a vicious rumor that too much manure will burn the plants.

The reason I'm asking is I forgot to till up manure at teh begining of the season. I'll add some now if it'll help and not hurt.

[praying mantis]

The yellow leaves are working their way up three tomato plants. I let them dry out, in case I over watered them. I fed them fish emulsion this morning. Not knowing what is causing my plants damage or where it might strike next makes me anxious.

My plant that is almost entirely yellow is next to a tomatillo that is vigorously green and healthy. There are blossoms everywhere on the tomatillo but they fall off instead of fruiting. Because of the striking contrast between a dieing plant with a few tomatoes and a healthy plant with no fruit, I have begun to dislike the tomatillo plant.

[doccat5]

You might also want to spray your plants with epsom salts water. It's 1 teaspoon to 1 quart of warm water and mix well. The magnesium will give them an extra boost and help them absorb and use the nitrogen in the soil.

[opabinia51]

Whoa, I've missed this thread for a while!

No manure from a nursery will not burn your plants as it is usually composted but, check just to be sure.

Fish emulsion is good stuff as well.

A lot of people like to use epsome salts but, as you all know I'm an old organic and I don't like to add straight salts to my plants because they can burn the plants and they also kill beneficial soil biota and beneficial biota that live on the leaves and stems of plants.

What works really well is to brew compost tea from non sterilized compost in a 5 gallon bucket with a little aquarium pump and use that as a foliar spray. The tea will add nutrients to the plant but, more importantly it will add beneficial biota that will eat any disease causing organisms.

The tea should not smell bad, if it does; discard it.

[applestar]

I LOVE this forum! I'd *just* started a 5-gal bucket of compost tea this morning, and *only yesterday* I was rummaging in the garage and had come across an old aquarium aerator pump. Ran outside right away and hooked up the pump to bubble away in the bucket. THANKS

[praying mantis]

I'll try the compost tea. At the moment, I have 2 gallons of water with earthworm castings in it. This will be ready before I can get the compost tea going. I shouldn't be sad. I have loads of peppers growing and the squash/melons are happy. The potatoes are going nuts and the corn is lovely. I will do what I can.

Thank you for the suggestions.

[opabinia51]

That is great! Good for you guys! You'll be amazed at how well this stuff works.

I'm not sure if I said this above but, don't use sterilized compost.