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Garden Gate:  Desperate Gardener  |
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Lindy Reilley
Farmgirl in Training
25 Posts
Lindy
Fillmore
California
USA
25 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 01 2005 : 9:01:01 PM
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I was told with mushroom compost my vegies would grow to be 6 ft. tall - but at the moment most of them are 6 feet under. I have lost the cukes and purple string beans - the strawberries, zuchini and lemon balm etc. have scorched leaves..funny though the tomatoes and other herbs look just fine. I'm confused is the soil to acidic? Does it need more phosphorus? Obviously a beginner here. I have a day or two before I leave on vacation - is there a plant vaccination? :} I will try to go by a nursery before I go - but I thought I'd go to the source of combined wisdom.
Thanks,
Lindy |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 12:08:47 AM
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Lindy, Did you plant in straight compost? What do you mean by you lost the cukes and beans? Did they have scorched leaves or did they just shrivel up? How much sun are they getting and what kind -- south or west? If your plants are stressed absolutely do not add fertilizer. That will do them in for sure. Are you watering on a regular basis and in the morning? Maybe we can help with answers to more questions. It's really kind of hard to do not seeing the plants. Probably going to the nursery and taking a specimen plant will get you better answers.
Kay
North Clark County Farmgirls |
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pegC
Farmgirl in Training
16 Posts
Peggi
New Jersey
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 05:44:30 AM
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Lindy,
I was just reading up on compost last night. If I understand your symptoms, I have had some similar issues. What is your compost made of? According to the books I got from the library, it seems my compost does not have enough "brown" material. As you can see I am still learning too. Anyway, brown is the dry stuff, like straw or dry grass. My compost doesn't smell as beautiful and earthy as I remember and this straw idea makes sense. I used to add straw from our dog houses when I changed over the straw. The dogs are gone now :( and the compost seems different and my vegetable leaves (for zucchini and cukes at least) seem "burned". So maybe this is it?
Peg
Jersey Farm Girl in Training |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 06:10:38 AM
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I agree it's hard to tell from what you have suggested might be happening. Could you have used too fresh a compost that is still actively "working" and actually zapping your plants of nutrients? I saw this alot with people who had trees cut down and then used the fresh chips as mulch. Bad, bad, bad!The nitrogen becomes unavailable to plants growing in the area as the "mulch" uses it to begin decomposition. Another thing it might be is too much fertilizer? Your description sounds like a chemical "burn". Vegetable plants don't need to be huge to yield excellent quality produce, are your varieties intended to be that large naturally? A knowledgeable nurseryman or the extension service might be your next step to have your soil tested. Hope that helps some, have a great vacation anyway!
with a happy heart |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 09:17:21 AM
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Bramble -- that's exactly what I was thinking, that the compost was still too hot and not done cooking. Thus burning the plants.
Compost that is done will be dark brown, crumbly, and have an earthy smell to it. If it stinks then you've got too much green matter in there and it's not done.
Some people plant in all compost, I personally mix mine about half compost and half soil.
I got free chicken manure this year from a neighbot who got too much. It was supposed to be dry and ready to use but it was hotter than a firecracker. I didn't discover this until after I had put on the place I tilled and planted something. So now I can't put anything in there until next spring!
Kay
North Clark County Farmgirls |
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Lindy Reilley
Farmgirl in Training
25 Posts
Lindy
Fillmore
California
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 10:36:42 AM
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Thank you everyone for your help. How amazing is this networking!
Details. Plants are in 12"w X 12"deep wooden troughs, slats for bottom w/ ground cover netting to keep soil in. There is a layer of rocks then 1/2 compost,1/2 soil mix. The temp here has been about in the 80's and the plants get aprox. 6-7 hrs of sun a day. I purchased the compost from a mushroom growing facility - thought it was a great deal $5.00 for a trailor full. I found out later that they grow mushrooms in manure? Yuck! Anyway, possible problems:compost was still to "hot", Miracle gro was applied (too much fertilizer?), my plants don't like me...
I have been giving them a good soaking, then letting it dry (will the water help leach out?)
I planted established plants and some (mentioned before) are doing well while others have "burned" edges on leaves, while others seemed to just shrivel up and die. Are the ones with burned edges on their way out too? They seem to have new growth coming in. The seeds I planted -radishes, sunflowers... are coming up strong and healthy.
My friend is always telling me "patience grasshopper". So I guess I shall just replant and go on my vacation..
Lindy |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 11:17:36 AM
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Adding the miracle grow to the mix was probably what has done in the plants. Your mix of mushroom compost may also have still been too hot but might not have done so much damage without the addition of chemicle fertilizer. We give our plants to much of a good thing and also add some bad stuff and they show us by either dying or burning. I suggest stopping the miracle grow as of now. The compost with the soil will do the job for the plants that are still growing and also test the soip PH before planting anything else. Really there isnothing wrong with growingthings in well composted manure. The manure used to grow mushrooms is just what the mushrooms need to grow and then after they have exhausted the manure it is usually ready for garden veggies. They may be changing their manuer sooner than needed so may need to let it work a while longer before planting in it. Straw and dry leaves are great additions to hot manure, the carbon in these things helps to get the excess nitrogen used up to make beautiful clean earthy smelling compost. See if you can get a copy of the Rhodale book of composting from the library. It will help to answer a lot of your questions.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 4:14:06 PM
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I agree the the Miracle Gro might have been over kill. Plus thinking on all the chemicals that are probably in it-- I have decided not to use it on my food-plants (flowers can get it fine)
Also-Don't think too much about the manure content in your compost it is actually one of the best fertilizers that you can use! by the time it is composted to fertilizer it is not nasty stuff any more...more dried and can actually smell kindof "sweet" because the bacteria process that creates compost changes all carbon based material into growing medium.
Also if you over water is will flush the nutrients out of the soil (this might be a good thing in your case since you have a concentrated mix) but be careful about over watering your growing plants...sometimes over watering can produce the "burn" effect. Also if the leaves are turning brown and then whitish- you might have sunburned your plants too.
One quick fix would be to add more soil matter (no more compost) to your mix where the pants have died... this would thin out the concentration of fertilizers to a possibly more bearable level.
Good luck. |
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Lindy Reilley
Farmgirl in Training
25 Posts
Lindy
Fillmore
California
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 8:20:00 PM
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Thank you,
Another good point about the overwatering - my little daughter ever so helpful...
Wow guess I need to look at the ingred. on the miracle gro - one just hears oh this is great ...just didn't take the time to look. It always helps to make an informative decision.
Appreciative,
Lindy |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 8:54:51 PM
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Lindy- This is probably more of an answer than you wanted! Overwatering in plants can produce something like edema in people . The cells become swollen from absorbing too much water and in plants they can rupture and will eventually collapse. The end result will be a part or majority of the foliage has a burned or dead patch. It is usually somewhat sunken or recessed compared to the rest of the leaf.
You probably could flush some of the fertilizer out if you didn't have anything growing in the soil. But too much water with the plants in can be as bad as too little. Sorry... wish it was an easier answer.
with a happy heart |
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Lindy Reilley
Farmgirl in Training
25 Posts
Lindy
Fillmore
California
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 10:13:40 PM
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Great answer - I like the details. Now, should I pick off these burned leaves - does it matter? (It's not like they carry a disease, right?) Maybe just for aesthetic purposes.
What I think is still so confusing for this novice is how the different plants act differently. The tomatoes and herbs are fine. It just seems like the big leaved plants have been hit the hardest.
I have read about what plants are maybe better with others - but it becomes so overwhelming.
Lindy |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2005 : 10:41:51 PM
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Don't worry! Gardening gets easier the more you do it! You will learn quickly.
My personal preferance about the leaves would be to have them gone, but my boyfriend pointed out that the plant can draw back in some of the energy (sugars) that are in the leaves if you let them die naturally. If they are at all green...I would leave them as they are still producing for the plant and any pulling will leave a "wound" on the salk/stem/ ect that is more energy to heal.
Ciao
Alee |
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HorseyNut
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Allena
MO
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2006 : 11:45:40 AM
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| Your problem could be the compost and fertilizer but I wonder if you have a fungus problem? Here in the Miswest cukes, beans, squash are all sensitive to fungus the symptoms are similar to your discription. I have had some success spraying with 1 part apple cider vinigar and 3 parts water. This would explain why the other things are ok, although in fairness they could be better suited to your compost / fertilizer. Obviously since this was posted over a year ago my help isn't going to help you, but maybe someone else. |
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Garden Gate: Desperate Gardener |
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