Plants dying

[Fert1]

I have done some container growing the last couple of years with pretty good success. This year everything seems to be dying early. The plants are turning brown from the bottom up. Is it the extreme heat that is killing them?

I have been watering them daily,and they don't always look all that extremely dry to me. They are in the largest pots I could find. The fruits we have harvested so far have all been plenty large and juicy. They do not look water-deprived. I am not really doing anything different than what I did the last couple of years, but something is wrong. Ideas anyone?

[dustdevil]

Too much water can be the kiss of death. A photo would be helpful.

[mjc]

Something that can help with container grown plants...'water' the pots...space them out a little more so the pots have decent circulation and periodically spray the pots (not the plants or the soil in the pot, but the outside of the pot) during the heat of the day...

Also using lighter colored pots will help some, as will mulching around the pots. Piling up a mound of straw around a pot will cool it down considerably.

Placing the pots on concrete/asphalt will also heat them up...raising them on wood (shipping pallets work nicely and can usually be found for free in most areas...check local businesses and Craigslist) will cool them down, as will placing them on a bed of wood chips/bark mulch, grass or bare dirt.

Portable or movable sun screening can also help...

Many of those suggestions will not only help keep the containers cooler, but can reduce the need for watering them, too.

[Fert1]

Dustdevil, I thought the leaves turned yellow, not brown, from too much water.

Mjc, The pots are on my deck, which is wood, but our recent temps. have been in the 97-103 range daily, which may still just be baking them. It's probably too late this year, but maybe next year I can pile some straw around them. If I can find a chance, I will attach some photos, but it may be a few days before I can find the time to do that.

[platys]

I killed an innocent paul robeson with too much water + MG moisture control potting mix. It started wilting on the bottom, and worked its way up.

In contrast, when my plants in containers need water, the top will often seem to wilt first, and then go all over. They'll also dry out on the blossoms.

A moisture meter has helped significantly.

[Fert1]

I see no wilting on the top nor the bottom. The leaves are just turning brown from the tips inward, and from the bottom of the plant upward. They are brown, dry and crispy.

[mjc]

You may be able to take some cuttings and pot them...if it isn't a disease problem. Tomatoes root easily.

[Fert1]

I probably could do that. I just wonder if there would be much point this late in the season.

[dustdevil]

You need to experiment with the amount of water and shading from excessive sun or you might be in the same boat next year. Also, disease is possible if you used the soil from last year in the pots.

[mjc]

Originally Posted by Fert1

I probably could do that. I just wonder if there would be much point this late in the season.

When is your first frost date?

You've got plenty of time...and cuttings tend to grow and produce faster than seed grown plants.

[Fert1]

I did not use the same soil. I knew better than to do that.

[bohica]

I never had any success growing in containers until this season, I used the container mix "recipe" that I came across, I have to apologize to the grower who developed this, I cannot find the post anymore to be able to give the proper credit, but I did copy the mix:

5 parts pine bark fines
1 part sphagnum peat (not reed or sedge peat please)
1-2 parts perlite
garden lime (or gypsum in some cases)
controlled release fertilizer (if preferred)
micro-nutrient powder, other continued source of micro-nutrients, or fertilizer with all nutrients - including minors

Big batch:
2-3 cu ft pine bark fines
5 gallons peat
5 gallons perlite
2 cups dolomitic (garden) lime (or gypsum in some cases)
2 cups CRF (if preferred)
1/2 cup micro-nutrient powder (or other source of the minors)


Small batch:
3 gallons pine bark
1/2 gallon peat
1/2 gallon perlite
4 tbsp lime (or gypsum in some cases)
1/4 cup CRF (if preferred)
micro-nutrient powder (or other source of the minors)

This is the first time that I have had proper drainage, I always thought that I needed to fill the containers with a growing medium that retained the water.....
I water daily as needed, I feed once per week, I apply calcium and magnesium once per week and spray with Daconil or Fung-onil weekly.
Once I read the forums and realized that I was the cause of my sub par container growing experiences and followed the recommendations, I started having success.
My plants are beautiful, full and producing fruit.
**On a seperate note, my peppers plants that are growing in containers using the same mix are huge, loaded with fruit, three started to fall over and I had to stake them with rebar! The Peppers are normal store bought size, and the basil that I planted using the same mix is enormous, huge plants, we have picked unreal amounts of basil, what a difference it has made.
This is proof positive that you never stop learning, and that everyone here at Tomatoville should give themselves a pat on the back for providing growers of all ages and levels of experience with info that works.
Thanks for all of the help!

[bmerryman]

Originally Posted by bohica

I used the container mix "recipe" that I came across, I have to apologize to the grower who developed this, I cannot find the post anymore to be able to give the proper credit

The recipe is from "tapla" at another forum's container gardening section.

[Tomatovator]

Holly, I had a siimilar problem earlier this year. I decided the plants were root bound and the potting mix was too compressed. I took a 3/4" bamboo pole and poked it into the pots all the way to the bottom in about 15 to 20 places. I rocked the pole back and forth to loosen the soil and to aerate the roots (I know it damaged them some as well). It seemed to work and within a week or so all 4 of the plants I tried it on began growing again and look healthy now some 5 weeks later.

[hasshoes]

hard to say without pics. Hopefully your soil disease didn't make it's way over---- some of these things are VERY contagious. Can you snap a cell phone pic?