Hey folks, hoping to get a little guidance on my maters. A lot of the older and somewhat older leaves aren't just turning brown but it's like their dying outside in. We have had a lot of intense heat lately and the last few days a bunch of rain. I do fertilize every 4-6 weeks but it's with a granular slow release from Burpee. The plants seem to be doing fine otherwise, putting on fruits. The new growth is very healthy looking at dark green. I'm just wondering if this is something I should worry about. Added a few pictures of the brown leaves and a few of the good looking new growth. One picture is actually of a leaf of a bell pepper plant. It has two leaves like that but the rest are fine. Thanks in advance!
Tomato blight or fertilizer or something else?
- Thread starter z28derick
- Start date
Are you overwatering? That can flush away the nutrients before the roots absorb them so the plant gets low nutrients and the leaf margins will brown like that.
What kind of potting mix are you using? Is that wood mulch on top of potting mix?
What kind of potting mix are you using? Is that wood mulch on top of potting mix?
If it was me, just my way of doing things, I would keep a close eye on moisture and put a little molasses in the water next watering. Also I'd only use rain water unless you are on a well. And I wouldn't use wood chips that are pine, cedar or any kind of evergreen.
Thanks for the replies. The wood chips were part of the garden soil we bought. It doesn't have as many as the pictures make it look like, they just settled on top after a few rains. I definitely don't over water, only every two days but we've had a lot of rain the last few days, or even this last week. I wouldn't thing the nutrients would wash away since it's a granular food?
I know rain can't be controlled but it can still cause over watering. It's been like that here too, rain at some point every day. I haven't watered my garden in weeks.
If it's slow release pellet food the rain moisture can cause it to release much faster so that can be an issue also. If it's a powder like miracle grow that you mix with water it will wash down into the ground from he rain.
I'm wondering if that's what happened. Though the pots and containers do have drainage so they never just sat in water.
I don't think nutrients cling to potting mix the way the do in soil (potting mixes seem to be mostly bark and coarse wood chips) so plant available nutrient washout is more of a concern. An organic source or granular fertilizer may lay in the pot longer but when it breaks down or dissolves into plant available form, it can flush out especially if you or the rain over waters the pots where it just keeps pouring out the bottom.