New Garden...and MESS of problems...I think?

Ok, on a last minute whim (because a few friends were doing it), I decided to plant a raised vegetable garden. It's probably only about 10 inches above the ground, and we filled it with a mixture of soil and compost. I bought baby plants from a nearby farm that has gotten good reviews about their starter plants, and planted them probably 3 weeks ago. Since then, I've noticed a few things...and I'm not sure all of them are bad, but if you could help, I'd appreciate it! I don't see any obvious bugs sitting on the plants all the time...I have noticed little flying fly things flitting around the area as well as some sort of waspy-bug thing.

1. The 2 "jolly elf" grape tomato plants I bought have started to turn dark green with areas that look almost charcoal/black...the leaves FEEL the same as the normal leaves did. Some parts of the stems, also have kind of a dark charcoal-y color to them...especially in the areas where there is a "corner", meaning in the areas where a stem comes off the main stem. (See pictures labelled 1.

2. My squash plant (I believe it's the crookneck yellow squash) slowly started turning yellow and now recently, the edges of the leaves are circumferentially turning brown and dry. Again, the leaves feel normal. I feel like since I've noticed this, a couple other squash plants ( my zucchini's) are starting to take on a yellowish tint to their leaves. Pictures labelled 2.

3. One of my zucchini plants has a whitish color to the leaves. It almost looks like hard water deposits on the leaves, but when I touch the leaf, it doesn't feel like a residue...just feels like leaf.

4. I planted several boston butter lettuce plants, and they have never seemed to do very well...now they look kind of yellowed with brown wilting areas, and the leaves are kind of "pitted" looking.

Any advice???

Since you got plants from a local place, you might want to call them and see what they suggest. Hopefully it's a simple problem that is easy to fix.

ryduj - did you purchase the soil and compost? Or did you use what you had at hand? Have you given them fertilizer according to the label's directions?

Growing healthy vegetables starts with a healthy soil.

All pics look very hungry for nutrients. Don't worry about the white areas on the Zucchini. Some varieties do that.

First thing I would do is spray them with some seaweed/kelp/fish.

I bought soil and compost...

I have NOT fertilized it at all yet...hmm, maybe that's the problem. I thought the bag of soil I bought had "fertilizer" in it? Or, maybe the compost had stuff that was nutrients?? AUGH! Oh no....must go buy some fertilizer.

Any suggestions for fertilizer to use?

(And thanks for reassuring about the zucchini!)

ryduj - choices in fertilizers are almost as numerous as there are gardeners. We all have our favorites. There are organic fertilizers and what are referred to as chemical fertilizers. Those from recognized companies do a good job - just read the label and choose one that fits your style of gardening. There should be some reference on the label as to one that is good for vegetables.

Personally, I prefer to fertilize with about a quarter of the amount specified on the package every two weeks once the veggies are well established. I think fertilizer companies ask us to use more because they want us to come back more frequently and buy more.

With seedlings, I give them a hint of water soluble fertilizer every-other time they are watered to keep them growing at a steady pace and to prevent fertilizer "burn" and yellowing of the leaves.

The tomato looks okay to me. Some plants get darker green because they have LOTS of chlorophyll. My guess on the lettuce is that it is already too hot and dry...I'm pretty sure Butter types lettuce need cool weather to do best. For the squash, are you watering consistently? Is the yellowing on new leaves or on the older leaves? I've found that my squash sometimes yellows on the older growth, possibly due to heat or dryness.

Good luck with the garden! It's affects many people much like they say illegal drugs do--once you get started you can't stop and you just want more and more! : )

David

I'm not an expert, but the plants don't look too bad to me. Older leaves toward the bottom of many vegetables tend to go to tan or yellow and can be picked -- don't leave old dead leaves on the ground, it encourages pests.

If the lettuce hasn't bolted (gotten tall out of the ground), then it's still hanging in there for now, but it will soon be too hot. The leaves with brown edges are the older ones since they are on the outside of the plant. They probably got a little dry. You can just pick them -- trim off the brown edges with a scissors and throw them in your salad.

I don't know about the charcoal gray parts of the plant. I agree with graythumb -- a call to the nursery where you bought them might give you an idea. Or maybe look here: http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/diagnostickeys/TomLeaf/TomLeafKey.html

FYI, lettuce likes to grow in part shade(4-5 of full sun daily). Any more and it will wilt . My best advice is to put a piece of cloth on top of stakes surrounding the plant during the hottest and sunniest hours of the day(from 10 AM-4 PM) especially in the hot Texas sun. The squash most likely needs more water or fertilizer. Or it just might be the hot sun. You have a great garden. It is wonderfully simplistic. Good Luck!

This message was edited Apr 16, 2011 11:37 AM

The fertilizer worked! Woohoo...the yellowing has stopped and the lettuce has grown bigger and greener and not wilty. gardenboySD...my lettuce is in a full sun area...so, I gues they won't do great since it's aleady getting hot here. I guess I'll just pluck the leaves and have myself a baby lettuce salad one day....

Thanks for the help!!

If you haven't picked your lettuce yet, give it some shade by erecting a small hoop over it so that it will continue to grow.