ambidext
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:44 pm
Location: Oakland, CA

yellowing leaves at bottom of pole beans

Hi, I have had this happen not only to my pole beans but also to the lower leaves of my edamame and tomatoes. The lowest leaves get yellowed and the leaves in general don't stay dark green. They get more of a pale green. Could I be over or under watering? The soil is definitely more clay than it needs to be, but other veggies grow fine and I don't think the beans need to go very deep, right? Suggestions?

Thanks,

Steve

bcomplx
Full Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun May 04, 2008 8:09 pm
Location: SW Va

It's normal for plants to let go of their oldest leaves near the bases of the plants, but unless plants are really struggling to keep up with huge nutrient demands (like tomatoes loaded up with many pounds of fruit), there should not be loss of overall green color in the leaves.

This is a situation where an organic liquid feed with a fish-based fertilizer can help. When plants are under nutritional stress, they can and will take up nutrients through their leaves as well as their roots. So, mix up a batch of stinky fish food and pour it over the plants until they are dripping. After 48 hours, check to see if there has been a beneficial effect, and repeat. Won't cure everything, but it will cure temporary problems brought on by the huge demands of nurturing fruit and making new growth at the same time.

Good luck!

Barbara



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