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MGOLD86

MGOLD86

Sooo, I am one of those who plan forever and then am always changing things up to make it "better". This is my first year planing a vegetable garden and I am trying my best not to over do it. I have a couple raised beds and have went through some trouble getting my plants going. First off, I planted (initially) 1 May. That wouldn't be too bad but in NC we were still getting 30 degree nights. But anywho, I replaced my stunted cayenne plants and added some others once the weather started to warm up. So here I am now, hot weather (85-100) and losing leaves.

These are my bells, pablanos, and Italian Sweets.
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Here is a top view of them. You can see the leaves curling.
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One more of the left bed
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On the left are the Jalapenos. They have been loosing leaves. I just put in the hab and it seems to look decent. It is a little lighter then I would hope. Behind it is the serrano and cayenne.
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This is one last pic of the right bed. You can see where the Jalapenos lost the leaves.
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I used a 50/50 mix of topsoil and organic compost in the beds. I also threw in a bag of black kow compost. For fertilizer I used tomato-tome in the holes and then sprayed a folliar spray of Neptune's Harvest Fish formula. I water every 2-3 days with a soaker hose (6" emitters) for 30-40 minutes.

I have been dropping leaves since I planted and I am worried that something is wrong. I am going to test my soil tomorrow when the samples I took dry out and maybe that will tell me something. But from what I have read you guys are leaps and bounds ahead of any soil test kit from the big box store. I appreciate any input that will keep me in line. Thanks for the help!
 
DudeThtsBad said:
Try looking up your issues on this link
http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg57_000.pdf
its pretty helpful.
Click to expand...

haha i was just at that site:P as well as a few others im leaning towards the nasty Wilt diseases Verticilium more than Fusarium...

you can also contact your local extension HERE
Onslow County
4024 Richlands Hwy
Jacksonville, NC 28540

(910) 455-5873 Phone
(910) 455-0977 Fax

good luck i hope you get things figured out and your season gets better for you.

*edit for ext link and contact info*
 
Might be the heat, mine react in the beginning of the season... later on they get tougher and it's not a problem. I hope thats all it is for ya.
 
too wet

did you use a "lining" under the soil in the beds?...if so, can/would you tell me about it...
 
AlabamaJack said:
too wet

did you use a "lining" under the soil in the beds?...if so, can/would you tell me about it...
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I did not use a lining under the beds. I dug up the grass and loosened up the dirt, then put the bed on top and added soil. The soil is always moist when I dig down about 2 inches plus. From the pictures I have looked at of Verticillium it doesnt seem to fit. But a lot of the pictures were of extreme cases. If it is that they are too wet should I just not water them for a few extra days and see if that does it?
 
MGOLD86 said:
I did not use a lining under the beds. I dug up the grass and loosened up the dirt, then put the bed on top and added soil. The soil is always moist when I dig down about 2 inches plus. From the pictures I have looked at of Verticillium it doesnt seem to fit. But a lot of the pictures were of extreme cases. If it is that they are too wet should I just not water them for a few extra days and see if that does it?
Click to expand...

I would think your root structure is deeper than 2"...you need to know how wet it is at the functioning part of the roots...they need air and if your soil is sopping wet down there, then yes, let it dry out a bit...

***tip...if it is too wet and nothing is done about it, when the temperatures start to rise, you will get root rot****

if it's not too wet, then I have no other ideas...

Wet soil + high temperatures = root rot
 
Yesterday when I dug down to get a soil sample to test i went about 8 inches and it was moist but not wet. So I am hoping I can just let it dry out for a few days and they will bounce back.
 
MGOLD86 said:
Yesterday when I dug down to get a soil sample to test i went about 8 inches and it was moist but not wet. So I am hoping I can just let it dry out for a few days and they will bounce back.
Click to expand...

OK...so I am stumped...but it sure looked like they had wet feet to me...

next......
 
So I just tested my soil and I think I am in for a battle...I only have the color coded pH kit and it looks like 7.5-8+. Also, the nitro levels say High. I dug down to where the soil meets the dirt and it is moist but not wet. It clumps but I can break it apart easily. There also is dirt sticking to the shovel. I am at a loss....I guess it is a little tougher than I thought. But if anyone can help me through it, it is you guys. I appreciate any help.
 
Your going to have problems with the maters unless you get some cages or something to contain and support them. They'll crowd out the peppers pretty quick when they're that close to them.

As far as your problem goes. I think it's your soil mix. It looks like it's to heavy and is compacting up not letting the roots breath. It will make them act just like they do when they are to wet, and the plants look just like that.
If the "Top soil" in your mix was the bagged kind from the stores, it is more like mulch than actual topsoil. At least all the brands I have tried have been. I add in Vermiculite, peat, local sandy dirt, and compost to any of the "Topsoil" I buy now. I also add Alfalfa and seaweed now and it really loosens things up.

Good luck with them, I hope you get it all sorted out. The one thing I've learned about gardening, is that you never stop learning.
 
Some common problems are planting too early, too much fertilizer, not enough hardening of the plant to conditions prior to planting. You may have not filled your raised bed enough with good draining soil, so drainage hitting the soil pan under it.

I'd cease any additional ferts and attempt to flush the new soil bed mix with just straight water. Drench it as much as it can take a couple of times. If the bed mix won't drain very well, it might not work. It might still be the best option.

Also maybe consider buying a bale of Pro-Mix BX and use it to top up your bed boxes by an inch or two. Peppers don't mind if they get buried deep, this might be a good way to get a good draining neutral mix into your bed. Use a garden fork and work it in the soil but avoid spading the area around the root systems.

Good luck! They might just grow through this..... :cool:
 
Thaks for the tips, I think I'll look into getting some better draining soil to throw on top but as far as my mix, I think I'll have to wait until next season to try again. Right now I really don't have a choice without ripping all my plants out and changing soil.

What about adding pearlite to the soil? That may help with drainage. If so, at what ratio and what is the best way to work it in if plants are already present? I don't wanna disturb the roots too much.
 
Perlite is great stuff, but I don't think you can add it now. It likes to float to the top. Its a great one for next year, though.

Luckily, the Pro Mix BX I mentioned has some perlite in it already. After looking how tight you planted, you're right-- you don't want to dig too much to disturb roots. The Pro Mix would still work great as a topping, regardless, IMO.

One other thing to consider is possibly getting some additional shade onto the plants while they are weak. Especially if you get another extreme heat wave and it is the blistering direct sun type. Shade cloth is great, but even a table might do some good in the short term. It depends how much direct sun you get in that area, though.

Game on.... :cool:
 
MGOLD86 said:
I just tested my tap water and it is ph 9+ so now I am lost. Any ideas?
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You can add some white vinegar to the water. Test to see how much it takes per gallon to get the ph down to ~6.5 or so, and then add that much each time you water. There is also a product called PH Down (phosphoric acid) that you can use. Different water sources have different buffering capacities so there's no simple chart or formula to find out how much to add based on starting PH and volume, you'll have to experiment.
 
Pummice and turface are much heavier than perlite and can definitely be added and sprayed in with a strong hose nozzle.
 
ok... first can I ask how often to you water and for how long, also what is the surface area your raised beds i.e. width x length (too me it looks too dry)
during summer where I live in Australia the summer weather gets very hot and dry, (I water my plants every day so that the soil is damp even at the surface)
also I think you may have some nutrient lock out due to the high ph in the soil and tap water you are using.

Lowering soil pH: (to make it more acidic)

If your soil needs to be more acidic,
Adding sawdust, composted leaves, wood chips, cottonseed meal, leaf mold and especially peat moss, will lower the soil pH.
or you could also add organic matter as compost, green manures, and animal manures, without including lime or dolomite,
can be enough to adjust the pH of slightly alkaline soils because organic matter produces hydrogen ions as it decomposes.
Manure from cows, horses and sheep can be used more liberally on alkaline soils.
It has been calculated that 2–3 kilos of manure per square metre of bed area will reduce soil pH from 8.0 to 7.0.
Manures release hydrogen ions as they break down, replacing calcium ions on the charged sites.
Elemental sulphur, sometimes sold as flowers of sulphur, will assist organic matter in reducing soil pH in more alkaline soils.
Elemental sulphur is available from produce stores, and some nurseries.
For soils with a sandy structure, apply at 35 g per square metre, or 100g per square metre for clay soils.
Test soil after one month, to see if further applications are necessary.
 
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