Sunday, June 14, 2009

Garden Q & A

Dear Reader,

Got any gardening expertise you can lend? (i can't wait til I'm a wizened old farmer!! with ALL the answers!)

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Question from Rachel of Los Angeles:

Help! My tomato plant! Doesn't look so good! It has all these yellow leaves (see pic). What do I need to do? Water it more or less? yikes
Gritty Pretty's from-the-hip answer*:

Container tomato plants have unique problems. They don't do well in a window or covered balconey, they like the hot sun overhead. Is the tomato inside? They need insects to help fertilize the flowers (or you'll need to hand pollinate with a paint brush). Is there anyway to move the plant somewhere with direct sunlight? Also, watering might be washing the iron and other mineral contents out of the soil. Do you have access to rusty old nails? You can spike the soil with ungalvanized nails (careful not to hurt the roots). And my favorite remedy for general health of the soil...You can pee in a cup and then add water 1 part pee to ten parts water. =) Also, after you water the plant do not touch it. it only likes being handled when the soil and leaves are dry.

Reader, do you have ANY ADVICE FOR RACHEL?

Comments are on.

4 comments:

Amy Beatty said...

pee in a cup, I will need to remember that. Some how I don't think I'll be able to forget it. Good advise!!

Becky said...

My pumpkin plants are looking equally sad. They are not inside but I don't know what to do for them. Boohoo.

GrittyPretty said...

Hi Amy,
yeah, strange but true. it's fun because when kids are over they know they are allowed to pee in the bushes.

Becky- i'm so curious what the trouble could be! are they transplanted pumpkins or are they direct seeded? Pumpkins go through shock when being transplanted and are more vulnerable. are the leaves being eaten or are they yellow? best wishes!

Jen said...

When I have problems I pick a small sample and put it in a plastic bag and take it to my local nursery. They usually know what to do.

Our area is having a really bad case of curly top this year, and I had over-fertilized and burned some of my plants. I do the plastic bag in case it's a fungus or something. Yours looks like a light or nutrition problem to me, but I'm not an expert. Good luck!