loveykatie
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Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:50 pm
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Leaves turning yellow/brown

I am having issues with my vegetable garden. Some of the leaves are discolored. It seems like a lot of them are kind of a lighter yellow color and less of a green color, especially towards the bottom of the plants. On one of my tomato plants the leaves are turning a brown and look like they may be dying?

Is this all normal, and if not, what can I do? See photos attached.

Thanks!!
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feldon30
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Thanks for posting the photos. Ok so you are growing in containers, in this case 5 gallon buckets...

What soil and additives did you fill the containers with?

How many holes did you drill in the buckets? How high up the sides did you drill the holes?

loveykatie
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Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:50 pm
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I mixed top soil and peat moss at a 50/50 ratio. Also used garden-tone vegetable food at time of planting. I have about 15 holes on the bottom and two holes about 2" up - one on each side of the buckets.

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rainbowgardener
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It should be plenty of holes, but I never put any topsoil in a pot. Too heavy and moisture holding. The peat is lighter and fluffier but also moisture holding. You could do a mixture of 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss or coconut coir, 1/3 perlite (or coarse sand, or crushed granite - something mineral and not moisture holding that won't break down and compact). Or you could even do 50-50 peat and perlite, but then you would have to water and fertilize more.

It is normal for the oldest leaves at the bottom to yellow and eventually drop off, but I think your plants are staying too wet.

loveykatie
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Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:50 pm
Location: Maryland

Yes it does seem like the mixture might be staying to wet. Anything I can do other than replanting everything now that I'm sure the roots are throughout the entire thing? Trying to figure out a somewhat easy solution.

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ElizabethB
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You can re-pot if you are very gentle. Other than that back off on the watering. Glad you used a large enough container.

Good luck

Susan W
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Agree you can try to let it dry out some. Then try some fish. By that I mean fish emulsion, and I like Alaska brand (box stores), doesn't stink. That will get some N back in for green. Pinch off the worst yellow leaves and let plant work on new growth. Once they start looking pretty again, cut back on N or you'll have all leaves and no flower/fruit. Another one I like is Johns Recipe (Lady Bug brand) found in some garden centers. It has a ratio of 3 -1.5 -2. You can also work in some Black Kow. This is the bagged poo, rated .5 - .5 - .5 (I get it at Lowes). It has sand in it, so works in easy. I work that in around the top with the hand cultivator.

As for container mixes, we all have our pet formulas. Mine is about 1/2 bagged top (I check for ones with some sand, not all clumpy clay), some cotton burr and black kow. When doing the pot add a few handfuls of 'enriched dirt' which is my compost pile of dumped pots, kitchen scraps and a mess of worms.



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