I have read through the data in the stickies and believe that it may apply to a problem that I am having.
I'm growing beans, peas and corn in containers, and the beans are no longer 'happy'. They are turning yellow, losing leaves and generally appearing to be less than content with their surroundings. This started right after a 'monsoon' that we had here in Houston, where we had some pretty heavy rains for about 4 days.
I believe that the beans are reacting to having wet feet, even though they have drainage. This makes me ask the following:
- Do you think that putting in a wick in the containers of beans might help a bit to pull some of the excess moisture out of the planters?
- How would you aerate a pot that is already well established with a plant that does not want to be transplanted (beans)? Stab holes in the dirt? Seriously, would that help?
Interestingly enough, the peas are thriving in the wet soil, but I think that's because they really like damp roots. The corn is growing high, so I'm not worried about that. It's just the beans that are annoying me.
Thank you, in advance, for any and all assistance you may offer.
Yellowing Plants - Too much water?
It does sound like your problem may be too much water,especially after all the rains. You could try shoving a wick through the bottom of the pot, it should draw out some of the moisture if you can get it deep into the soil. I've heard of others doing that but have never tried it myself. I also read on a thread recently where one lady takes thick terry cloth towels and sits the pots on top of the towels and she said the absorbent terry cloth will draw the excess moisture from the containers.
That's kind of where I was wondering if I should go, so thank you very much PlantladyLin.
What about aeration? Since the pots are pretty much soil and beans, I am not sure if just stabbing some holes in the dirt would be enough. Opinions?
I swear. Next time I'm putting pine chips in everything..... *grin*
Wicking works well on all but the soupiest of soils. You could also try partially burying the container & allowing the earth to do the wicking, or set the container in another pot that has several inches of soil in the bottom. These two strategies are generally referred to as pot-in-pot or pot-in-trench applications. Of course, it's better to start with a well aerated soil that has enough structural durability to insure adequate aeration for the intended life of the planting.
There is little you can do to improve aeration once the planting is established. Careful watering and removing excess water are about the best you can hope for until the next planting. Tilting the pot at a steep angle (45*) reduces the amount of soil occupied by the perched water table - the excess will drain. Try waiting until the pot stops draining & then tip it - you'll see a good amount of water exit the soil that would have remained had you not tipped the pot.
Al