wilting... too much water?

[drakebutt]

hi, this is my first time trying to grow a garden of any sorts and everything was going ok until recently. A few days ago a couple plants started to wilt, now 2/3 of the garden has wilted. I have been reading online and I'm not 100% sure if I'm over watering or not watering enough. It seems that at one end of the garden, where the elevation is slightly higher, its too dry. At the lower end the plants are drowning. i just read today about watering too heavily and the danger of runoff. i will ease up from now on.

the soil is a sandy mix. i added sheep manure and black earth, mixed it in before planting. I have stopped watering and placed a tarp above the plants to shade them. From what i have read online the best thing i can do is to shade the plants and let them dry out.

Tomorrow morning I will add some pictures.

could someone clarify for me;
how much should i be watering? i live in southern ontario (i was told to water 1 gallon/plant/day) 1inch/week
how can i identify a plant that is drowning? stems are like cooked spaghetti, yellow leaves at bottom?
how can i identify a plant is thirsty? dry crispy yellow leaves towards bottom?
how can i save an over watered garden?
should i keep them in shade until they look healthy again?

[Lindsaylew82]

Hey Drakebutt!

Welcome to the forum!

Is there a point in the day when you feel like your plants are showing signs of recovery?

Do they recover when you water? If it under watering, the plants should recover when you water them.

You could try to refrain from watering the plants you are suspecting of overwatering.

If drainage is an issue in your low spots. You may have to remedy the drainage issue before you can fix the problem.

Yellowing isn't usually a sign of under watering, but is with overwatering... HOWEVER... Your plant could just be nitrogen deficient, which could also be causing the yellowing!

[drakebutt]

Thank you for the reply!

I'm really leaning towards that I may be over watering. Here are some pictures.

Should I put the shade back over top?
I was told to let the sun hit them... not sure if I should though. I think it's just going to add in needed stress from the heat.

[Peter1142]

You know when to water by sticking your finger in the ground. If it is moist, you don't water.

I have watered my garden about 6 times this entire season.

[drakebutt]

Right before everything started going wrong, I watered my plants like I usually do. I didn't check the weather and we ended having alot of heavy rain. It sucks but I think they are definitely drowning.

From what Im reading online, full shade and no water. Clip off yellow leaves. And then cross my fingers I suppose.

[Lindsaylew82]

Here's what I would do:

I've never seen a tomato that didn't like full sun. Mine are in full sun all day long. It doesn't make sense to me to shade them. I think the water would be that much longer on the dirt...

I would take the longest pitchfork you can find, and push it all the way down into the dirt, all around these beds, every 2 feet or so, and lift it ever so slightly. This will help to aerate the soil, and maybe break up some of the impaction.

I would allow a few days to go by, and then repeat.

IF you see symptoms resolving, then this fall, I would consider amending your beds to help with drainage.

[drakebutt]

Thank you I will try that. At this point anything is worth a try.

[Lindsaylew82]

What kind of soil is this?