How am I killing these plants?

[travisch]

you could eat the peppers if it produces any. 2,4-D was actually used as a growth stimulant years ago by many green houses. Its actually a growth stimulant to such a degree that it kills by rapid growth.
I know what your thinking....DON'T do it.

 

[thepodpiper]

I agree, it was used as a growth stimulant but I would bet it was not used at the strengths that are used to wipe out plants and weeds and at those concentrations used for killing the very plant that you hope to eat from it is not recommended. I have to be honest though, i did eat from those very plants and I'm OK...................I think ...

 

[AlabamaJack]

excerpt from the internet..

"2,4-D is a synthetic auxin, which is a class of plant growth regulators. It is absorbed through the leaves and is translocated to the meristems of the plant. Uncontrolled, unsustainable growth ensues causing stem curl-over, leaf withering, and eventual plant death. 2,4-D is typically applied as an amine salt, but more potent ester versions exist as well."

 

[Hinky]

Interestinger and positiver...

I spoke with the Cooperative Extension Service at length and told him the ENTIRE scenario, from the poly barrel I use as a water holding tank to the types of pots I use to the soils to the... like I said, everything. INCLUDING the Weed-B-Gon used out on the lawn. Then I took in a representative sample of the mad pack of mutants for him to look over- what was once a very promising adolescent 7 Pot. His conclusion? A lack of micronutrients primarily caused by reusing pisspoor soil that had not been reenergized. He discounted the possibility of 2,4-D poisoning for a few reasons-

• The use of Weed-B-Gon was when the plants were either in the greenhouse or in the house, the plants weren't outside.

• The gardenhose attachment used to spray Weed-B-Gon and the like doesn't allow for the weedkiller to aerate to the point that it's harmful past a few yards, let alone into houses and the like.

• Plants are now starting to exhibit this behavior that had not in the past, while the weedkiller has not been used for months. If it were weedkiller overspray, there would be greater uniformity in time and amount of deformity.

I'm fairly confident he's correct in his diagnosis- he said it's a fairly common occurence. I don't know if it's a local thing caused by the cost of good soil ($17 for 2 cubic feet) or if I'm just a cheap bastard. He offered to keep the mutant 7 Pot and nurse it with some micronutrients, I'll get back up with him in a couple weeks when I get back home from work and see what happens with it. If it works, great- I've got a few that are showing this mutation that I'd really like to overwinter and get back up and running- the CES Master Gardener said that if I were just growing for the summer I should just shitcan the lot as it'd be too late now if I were only growing for the summer, but since I keep things running through the winter it'd be worth the time and trouble to work them back to good health and that he's successfully brought plants back from this condition before.

Now then- after this season, ALL soil in the greenhouse is getting dumped. While I'm at it, I'm going to spray down the entire greenhouse with a bleach solution and scrub out all my pots as well- might as well knock the hell out of all the bugs while I'm up.

 

[wordwiz]

Do you have electricity running to the GH? If so, have you considered hydro?

As for the soil - you would be amazed by what some good compost will do. I had a plot that was about 900 square feet. It would grow anything, and I mean anything, including weeds. The ground was a bare as a newborn's butt. Last fall, I sowed wheat there - it managed to grow, probably because wheat will almost grow on a sidewalk. This spring, I mowed it and added the blades to a new compost pile. Tilled the roots in, as well as about a yard of compost, some which had not finished decomposing. Sowed beans, peas and carrots in it and they are going like gangbangers. Even weeds are flourishing in areas I didn't plant.

Dollar to dollar, there is nothing I have used that compares to wheat - especially when it also makes compost. I spent about $8.00 for enough to cover 1000 sq. ft. and the rest of the garden is showing the benefits also.

Mike

 

[Hinky]

Mike-
I've got gas and electric plumbed in to the greenhouse. I guess if I piss off the old lady bad enough I'll at least have somewhere to crash- the wifi even reaches out there!
I'm already doing hydro, but I still use lots of dirt as well. As for composting- up here it's almost impossible and DEFINITELY a fulltime job- there is no good/cheap source of compost fuel such as what you mention and it's rarely warm enough to get a good compost pile going anyways. Basically, all the good stuff that makes soil good stuff pretty much has to be bought and it's pretty expensive, to the point that the $17 per 2 cubic foot REALLY good shit is worthwile to buy outright. Not much wheat grown in Alaska

I'm just going to add yet another item to my spreadsheets- soil gets used for two grows and then gets tossed.

 

[Josh]

you could eat the peppers if it produces any. 2,4-D was actually used as a growth stimulant years ago by many green houses. Its actually a growth stimulant to such a degree that it kills by rapid growth.
I know what your thinking....DON'T do it.

I agree, it was used as a growth stimulant but I would bet it was not used at the strengths that are used to wipe out plants and weeds and at those concentrations used for killing the very plant that you hope to eat from it is not recommended. I have to be honest though, i did eat from those very plants and I'm OK...................I think ...

excerpt from the internet..

"2,4-D is a synthetic auxin, which is a class of plant growth regulators. It is absorbed through the leaves and is translocated to the meristems of the plant. Uncontrolled, unsustainable growth ensues causing stem curl-over, leaf withering, and eventual plant death. 2,4-D is typically applied as an amine salt, but more potent ester versions exist as well."

Thanks for the info guys.