pepper plants yellowing

[Jan Davis]

Eighteen pepper plants - 14 are turning yellow and are wilting. Watering is done by flood irrigation in ditches on either side of the rows, not quite finished grass clipping compost was plowed into the soil in early spring, plants were covered in a tent at night until after last freeze. My partner in the garden prefers letting the soil dry out before reflooding.
We've been told the compost has burned the plants, that they've been over watered - I disagree but I'm willing to listen!
Advice on what's happening and suggestions for what to do now will be appreciated!

[Inamon]

Try sulphur and magnesium.

Use epsom salts for the magnesium (in solution but I don't have a recipe) and sulphur from a local chemists. If sulphur is unavailable you can collect book matches, cut off the heads and soak them in water. the sulphur will dissolve, then pour around the base of the plant. Any left over will eventuall dissolve with rain et al.

For better results next year I recommend collecting book matches all year and trimming heads directly into the hole you will be planting. When the plant is transfered it will slowl but surely pull all the nutrients it needs from the match heads.

[opabinia51]

Nitrogen defiencies often result in yellowing of plants. This could be due to a lack of Nitrogen in the soil or the lack of some micronutrient that aids in the absorption of Nitrogen.

Anyway, using salt based fertilizers or elemental fertilzers has the risk of burning the plants and will definately break down soil structure and kill beneficial soil flora and fauna.

I would recommend using either some well rotted manure or even better buying (and you can make this for free) some compost and spreading it around your plants. Also, you can fertilze them with liquid fish or liquid seaweed fertilizer.

Using organic fetilzers will feed your plants indirectly by feeding the soil; where plants naturally derive their nutrients from anyway. It will also maintain the soil ecosystem, lessening the chance of the plant succombing to a disease or nutrient deciency.

[Inamon]

I agree with opabinia51, I guess I keep forgetting that we are container growing and most other people are in-ground growers.
Much better to use a natural fertilizer as it is natural (obviously) but as Opa has posted many times before, with continual pumping of unnatural elements into our environment we are creating ecological challenges that will most probably be passed to our children with no obvious solutions.

Natures way baby, is the only way! Or as I like to put it "the more crap you put in the less crap we'll have to clean up."

[Jan Davis]

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions - good starting point to help these plants recover...

[opabinia51]

Glad to assist, that's why we are here. I'm sure that your plants will be fine. Seaweed fertilizers are loaded with micronutrients as well as macronutrients. Coffee grounds are also loaded with all the good stuff as well but, if you add them, do it in small amounts and addition is best done with mulched up leaves.

[Inamon]

I knew Opa knew more than me! thats why I'm here though!

[opabinia51]

Inamon, it's great to have you here. All knowledge is good knowledge and we all can offer something.

Keep dishing out that advice! I've learned what I know by researching different techniques and trying them out. It's all good.