New Gardner - help, the leaves are turning brown!?
Question:Here's the history: I have a new raised bed with top soil and mulch. Planted are tomatoes, zuccini, yellow squash, radish, cuccumber, bush beans, peas, carrots, green and yellow sweet peppers. The zucchini and now 2 of the bush bean plants leaves are turning brown around the edges and within 2 days the entire leaf is dead. This starts from the bottom leaves. These plants are small - maybe 4-6 inches. The new growth looks good, but I'm afraid I'll loose them all within a week. The entire garden is on a drip irrigation that I water every other day for about 1 1/2 hours. I have found with a raised bed (and being on a slight slope) the water drains out easily. I can't imagine I'm watering too much, or is it not enough? I have also thought was the soil too rich for these particular plants and I need to add something? We live in Santa Fe, NM so cool at nights, 90 during the day. I recently mulched with straw to try and keep roots cool. Any ideas before I loose them all?
Answers:
likely not enough water and/or too much direct sunlight. The days are longest right now. Try to rig something with cloth or burlap to give them more of a shield from the direct sunlight.
Santa Fe is so dry, I'm thinking that your plants just aren't getting the humidity that they need. Brown leaf-edges are classic signs of low humidity. Since you're watering with drip irrigation, I suggest a LOT longer period of time for your system to run - possibly all the time that the sun is shining on them. You're right, it's going to be tough to over-water them with raised beds, but it makes it that much easier for the roots to dry out. I'd try at least doubling the time your irrigation is going; if it helps, add another hour and a half.
Good luck!
glub glub they can't swim. back off on the water, they are poaching in your raised bed. find a jug of super thrive and follow the directions. Carefully lift one or two of the plants that are showing signs of distress and see if the roots look wiry brown or black------thats bad. if the roots are white, cream and have some substance then they are probably ok. After the plants have become better established they will need water but no 4" plant needs gallons of water a day unless it can swim. Plants need to have a level of oxygen at their root level for health. You didn't say if you added fertilzer or other soil ammendments to your garden it is easy or go overboard on that type thing too when you are really trying to get things going. Mostly it sounds like you are loving them too death.
Don't get the leaves wet when you water if a leaf get's wet and the sun is out they will burn and the same goes for flowers water in the early evening or just at the steam.
find a place in that bed and dig down to see if it is dry. if it is then you will need to saturate the soil really well. Often time we think that the amount of water we are putting on our plants are enough when actually it isn't. I am not near NM, but I am in the south, and I water every morning, and in the evening. You may also need to fertilize your plants. I like to use and extended release fertilizer, along with something more immediate like miracle grow. Next year beginning several weeks prior to planting, put down fertilizer, and til it in to the soil. If you can find someone who has cows or horses.see if you can get some real stuff and til that in..
Consider a longer watering period, during the evenings:less will evaporate at this time of day, when it's cooler, so should get to deeper within the soil.
You could also consider increasing the depth of mulch. Gardeners fleece may be useful, to provide some shade to the plant, during the harsh daytime. It will allow enough energy from the sun for the plants to photosynthesize too.
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