Nitrogen deficiency

[MarcH.]

Ok I planted 14 tomato plants a couple weeks ago. Most of them have taken off except for a couple. Last year I bought 3 tomato plants and planted them in a hole and put wood chips around them....when I pulled them up in the winter I didn't take them up and they got worked into the soil in those spots. The new plants I put in in those spots are stunted and have slightly yellow leaves on the top middle. Seems pretty easy to put two and two together here.

I've just got some Texas Tomato Food all purpose fert yesterday and put it on everything and will see how the runts react.

My question is whats a good way to add some nitrogen to those runts organically?

[Sun City Linda]

Yellow leaves "on the top middle" sounds like iron deficiency to me.

[RayR]

A picture may help but I agree with Linda that is sounds like an iron deficiency. N deficiency would show in yellowing of the oldest leaves first.
You didn't say what kind of soil you are growing in but deficiencies of nutrients like iron commonly occur in high PH soils, soils low in organic matter or soils with excessive phosphorous, manganese, copper or zinc.

A Liquid Fish Hydrolysate + Kelp is a great fast acting organic fertilizer that contains a full range of macro and micro nutrients. A granular organic fertilizer like Espoma Tomato-Tone, Dr. Earth or similar is good for a time release fertilizer.

[Worth1]

I think the wood chips mixed in the hole may have jacked the PH up in that area.
Just a thought.

Worth

[MarcH.]

Originally Posted by RayR

A picture may help but I agree with Linda that is sounds like an iron deficiency. N deficiency would show in yellowing of the oldest leaves first.
You didn't say what kind of soil you are growing in but deficiencies of nutrients like iron commonly occur in high PH soils, soils low in organic matter or soils with excessive phosphorous, manganese, copper or zinc.

A Liquid Fish Hydrolysate + Kelp is a great fast acting organic fertilizer that contains a full range of macro and micro nutrients. A granular organic fertilizer like Espoma Tomato-Tone, Dr. Earth or similar is good for a time release fertilizer.

The soil is pretty low in organic matter but the hole I put it in had some good soil mixed in with the native. Maybe the roots are into the bad stuff already.

I have fish+seaweed liquid..will probably foliar feed in a week since I just added the texas tomato food all purpose. I planted them with Dr Earth's fert but its higher in phosphorus so switched out for now to let em grow. Maybe I'll just wait it out.

But yes, newer leaves are yellow. Will keep an eye on em see how they do.

[Gardeneer]

Wood chips (uncomposted mater) suck the Nitrogen, depriving the plants. That is why most won't recommend any such wooden mater in the root grown and top of beds. This is especially true if you use synthetic fertilizers. JMO


EDITED:
PS: For drainage and aeration I mix in pine bark. That is different from wood chips. Also mulch with pine nuggets.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by MarcH.

The soil is pretty low in organic matter but the hole I put it in had some good soil mixed in with the native. Maybe the roots are into the bad stuff already.

I have fish+seaweed liquid..will probably foliar feed in a week since I just added the texas tomato food all purpose. I planted them with Dr Earth's fert but its higher in phosphorus so switched out for now to let em grow. Maybe I'll just wait it out.

But yes, newer leaves are yellow. Will keep an eye on em see how they do.

I found this Fact Sheet that may help you.
Desert soils tend to be very alkaline so amending the beds with organic matter (compost) every year plus some elemental sulphur will lower the PH of the soil over time.
It would be a good idea to test the PH if not a full soil test of your beds and get recommendations locally for a course of action.