tomato, pepper, and eggplant problems (pictures included)

[panhandler]

I am new to the forum and pretty new to vegetable gardening. I have attached some pictures of plants that are having problems. any suggestions? these were transplanted over a month ago and have looked like this for a while. no or slow growth.


thanks!

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[rainbowgardener]

They definitely look puny and not thriving. Can you tell us a little bit more about conditions? What is the soil they are in? How are you watering and fertilizing? What have temps been like? Are they in full sun? Were they hardened off to adapt to the full sun?

The more information you can give us, the better help we can be!

[tedln]

Hi panhandler! Welcome to the forum.

My climate is identical to yours since I only live about 30 miles North of you on Lake Ray Roberts.

Our eggplants are very similar in size simply because it is just now becoming hot enough for eggplant. The outer leaves on your eggplant and your pepper plant appear to be a little low in nutrients, probably nitrogen. Your tomato plant looks pretty normal for the time of year. The inner leaves or newest leaves on your eggplant look like it is ready to grow with the hot weather ahead.

I have a number of different types of pepper plants growing in the same soil. Some have the small stature and yellowish color of yours while others are bright green and growing fast. Most years, the weaker looking plants catch up with the others when their roots develop properly.

I'm only guessing at your conditions since I know nothing about the quality of the soil your are growing in.

Ted

[applestar]

I'm noticing the wood chip mulch which would tend to lock up nitrogen. Maybe using wilted grass clippings UNDER the wood chips might help (scrape aside, put grass clippings down, then replace the wood chips for uniform look, if that's what you're going for). They could probably use a foliar spray of of Fish fertilizer too (HG recommends hydrolized fish/fish hydrolysate). AACT is a good choice as well.

[hendi_alex]

The wood chips were the first, most obvious thing to me as well. But I would recommend a soil test. Here at my plot, when the plants look like that there is generally not enough nitrogen or other nutrient, plus the pH may be too low. In much of Texas a pH problem could be to the high side. Either way, when the pH off, a plant can't absorb nutrients properly, and the plants will look sickly and undernourished. If pH is low add lime, and if it is high, add sulfur, but it is best to go by the application rates indicated by a soil test. The local extension service will usually test the soil and give the result with recommendations.

[panhandler]

thanks for the suggestions, here is a bit more background...

description of the soil (purchased and installed in rasied beds...
Description: This soil mix provides a healthy dose of fully decomposed compost and soil/sand mixture (75/25) to help revitalize your existing beds. It is a low-cost alternative to restore necessary organics & nutrients in the beds, and its sand content provides the added benefit of increased drainage.

I applied about 1/2" of composted manure to the beds prioir to planting, as well as 1 application of organic nitrogen fertilizer a few weeks later.

I am considering sending samples to the TAMU extension, but would anyone recomend a home Ph test prior to this? I know it will take several weeks to get the soil test results back and I would like to make adjustments ASAP to try and help the plants along.

also, would ya'll recomend removing the wood chip mulch and replacing with a different mulch? what kind?

thanks again.

[ajijoe]

hello

I noticed the wood chips too

what kind of wood are they??

if there walnut you need to remove them, from what I know about walnut shell,wood and roots they give off a growth inhibiting agent this could be your problem??

also I do agree also that they can lock up much of your vital nutriants

I use grass around my plant, its great for keeping the moisture in the soil breaks down into usable compost and keeps down the weeds, when it breaks down too much I just add more

hope this helps

thanks your friend Joe

[garden5]

Welcome to the Helpful Gardener.

It sounds like you should have plenty of nutrients in the soil and that you plants are on par with others in your area. If they look like they are not getting enough nutrients, it could be due to the PH being off-kilter, thus preventing plants from drawing in nutrients. Although is is best to send a sample in, I've read that the store-bought test kits do a fairly good job of testing the PH.

Good luck.