Monday, June 27, 2011

Dear Mark: yellow leaves, finicky plants and soil

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the emails and comments. This site is new and already experiencing lots of activity. I'm sorting through the questions and will post as soon as I can.

Here is a question from Brenda who is having trouble with her plants. This is a good topic for discussion because some of us are experiencing the same problems.
I have a question on my garden soil. My plants are just not growing this year. They also have many yellow leaves on the bottom. My broccoli all sprouted with yellow flowers before they came to a nice big head. Also can you send me a listworkshops on gardening? - Brenda 
 Thanks for the question Brenda. You are not the only gardener experiencing slow growth this season. The problem has less to do with soil and more to do with the weather.





According to Rosie Sherry, URI Master Gardener Coordinator, this season's wet weather is to blame for stubby plants.

Ominous clouds above the city / Mark Scialla


"This year we had cool, cloudy weather," Sherry said. "We didn't get enough sun and when we did, it was a hot drought."

With not enough sunlight plants can't photosynthesize and grow. The gardens at Roger Williams Park also had a slow start. Many plants were small and looked pitiful, but grew rapidly over the weekend as the sun emerged from the clouds.

This finicky start to the season may have disrupted your broccoli's growth as well. All hope is not lost for your begrudged Brassicas. Those yellow flowers were little florets, but bolted in the hot and dry spell we had. Remove the flowers and the plant will send out new florets that might have a chance.

The yellow leaves occurring on your plants should also be removed. If the leaves have spots on them your plants may be suffering from the beginning of a fungal infection.

"First, clean up," Sherry said. "Get the leaves out of there! The second line of defense, once you've cleaned the plant, is to protect the plant."

Sherry suggests an organic fungicide such as Bordeaux - a mix of copper and sulfur.

Leave only the healthy leaves on the plant and trim the rest. This will signal the plant to grow new leaves that may be stronger. When you water, pour it deep into the roots and avoid hitting the leaves as the splashing water will spread spores.

No spots, you say? Your plants could be experiencing a nutrient deficiency, but it is most likely the weather. "Yellow leaves without spots is probably a function of cool weather and lack of sun," Sherry said.

Getting a soil sample is always a  good idea and should be done at the beginning and end of every season. This is a good time of year to feed your plants with fish emulsion, but make sure the soil sample is taken before the feeding to ensure a proper reading.

There are many factors in the garden we can't control. Weather is one of them. We can only take preventative measures to ensure our garden flourishes, and damage control in the event it doesn't. Condition your soil wisely, keep the plants clean, recognize disease early, have patience and hope for decent weather.

 As for workshop dates at the RWP community garden, check out the events calendar section on this blog and you will find all our scheduled workshops. Or email me - msciallari@gmail.com to be added to our announcement list.





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