Why is my garden turning yellow?

I first noticed my pepper plants turning yellow. Now my tomato plants seem to also be turning. My cucumber plants stopped growing and died and I swear my watermelon and canteloupe has stopped. Any thoughts?

I'm trying to post pics but unable to figure it out at the moment. Any tips?

Not quite sure if this will help, but when my plants looked like they seemed to stop growing, I used fertilizer and all went well again. I double checked the moisture level of the soil and that was fine, so I assumed it was the soil (Mel's Mix). You can get a soil test kit and quickly test your MM to see what it may be deficient in. I opted to just buy some veggie fertilizer, then switched to organic EB Stone tomato and veggie fertilizer when I found some of that. Good luck!

I wondered about that. It looked like the plants just ran out of steam which would indicate lack of nutrients to me too. But then I thought, that can't be because of Mel's Mix. Is it possible to use up all the nutrients in Mel's Mix?

Nutrients don't last forever. That's one reason why when you pull a plant and replant, Mel says to use scoop of fresh compost with it. I believe that if you take some time and fertilize over the next few weeks all should be good. I wouldn't try to do it all at once. Too much can burn.

Do you have a recommendation for a good fertilizer for gardens?

For a quick liquid fix, Miracle Grow (all purpose) should help to spring them back, or any good liquid fertilzer. For working it into the soil for the longer run, it depends a little bit on how you want to do it. Some people plant the same thing in the same box and never change, other people rotate their crops. The reason why I say this is because let's say you have a "corn" box, the corn is going to suck every last nutrient out of the dirt, soil, or mix. Which will probably need a bit more help than peas, which actually help improve the soil (this is why some farmers grow multiple crops and use rotation to help improve the soil naturally). Or, for tomatoes, they love potassium and nitrogen. When I used to grow in the ground, I would just till a few things of rich compost and a general fertilizer to help out. So, it might help if you do a little research if your not going to rotate, and fertilize with more specific things if you want to, otherwise, all purpose is just fine.

Planting in the beds is new to me, I'm not using Mel's Mix, but dirt, compost, container mix blend that I researched online for self-watering containers. I still plan to use a general fertilizer and compost at the end of the season before I plant some fall crops. There are some good fish and algae based fertilizers that are suppose to be really good (forgive me, I have other things on my mind and can't think of the names, but I'm sure some SFGers can help with that =) ), I haven't used them, but intend to try it out with 3/1x1's I have as a test before I go full force on my 3x3's.

But, I would at least start with a good liquid fertilizer right now to help before it's to late.

Great. I have some all purpose miracle grow liquid fertilizer. The next time I fertilize I'll put some on there. THanks.

I started watering any yellowing plants with some room-temp. leftover coffee, and those peppers, eggplant, and tomato plants really, REALLY bounced back. Now, everything's growing a nice dark green color, and all the yellow leaves that fell off of the peppers are growing back.
If there wasn't any leftover coffee, I would just run the brew cycle again with the old coffee grounds.
Works great!
Here are some pictures to document the process...
(I didn't feed them coffee everyday, but almost.)

June 9 (notice tiny jalapeno plant in the L-shaped box, across from flowers)


June 13


June 19

Wow, that's interesting. What is it in the coffee that they like?

I've heard that it's rich in Nitrogen.

And here is a picture I just took of how it's doing today - just wonderful!
Also, notice how the eggplant right beside it and the two tomatoes in the back have also grown much greener, and many more leaves because of their coffee diet! :-)
disclaimer: the pepper plant near the back of this picture was a purchased transplant from a store, and was just planted into the SFG recently.
June 28

If you are close to a Starbucks, you can get used coffee grinds for the garden. I also had what I'm calling a weak Mel's Mix and have been fertilizing with 1/2 strength Miracle Grow clone (15-30-15) two or three times a week. I'm watering several times a day due to the hot dry weather, so figured a bit of a boost wouldn't hurt. I also put rabbit manure and coffee grinds out for a slower feed. Plants have picked up quite a bit, but unfortunately, I'm afraid it was too little too late as most have stopped setting fruit due to the hot weather. But at least this should get them through the summer for a fall crop.

Does really hot weather cause the plants to taper off from producing fruit? I've also heard you can over fertilize and it will do the same. Anyone run into that?

In consistent high heat they can stop producing. However, for tomatoes, I've not ever had that happen. It has happened for my mother-in-law though. And yes, over fertilizing can have adverse affects if it's too much. Just like humans, too much of a good thing can be bad. If you feel you might over water with liquid fertilizer, then only do it once a week or maybe once every two, and include a slow release fertilizer into the soil so that you won't have to worry about over kill.

Just read the directions carefully, and if you think it might be too much, then use less, you can always add more but you can't remove what's already in (unless it's stakes ).

I really need to start doing "preview" before "send."

Its been very hot and its rained A LOT. Its raining now and has been for several days. I'm hoping its not too late but I got a liquid fertilizer from Lowes and am waiting to apply. I'll also try a slow release fertilizer. Thanks.

The fertilizer I chose is the miracle gro water soluble tomato plant food with a 18-18-12 analysis. It says its good for the entire garden and had higher content than the other all-in one type fertilizers.

Miracle grow is my go to for fertilizer personally. Just because it's what I've grown up with and I know it works. Are you using the Mel's Mix or a different combination of stuff?

I used mel's mix and my compost consisted of 6 different individual composts. My plants rocked but when they started turning yellow its like it all ocurred at about the same time. It makes sense to me that the plants have run out of nutrients. That really seems to be the likely suspect.

If it's been raining so much, you might want to take a gander at some slow release fertilizer instead of the liquid. Your mix might not be able to hold that much more water unless you let it dry out a little bit first, so it will be more of a splash and go type application with the liquid, which may or may not work. If the rain breaks long enough, you can go and work the pellets into the soil to at least have the rain start helping a bit more.

So yesterday I decided to put some coffee grounds out around 1 tomato plant and my 3 pepper plants. I didn't have a lot to spread, I only make a half a pot of coffee a day as I'm the only one who drinks it. I did not put it in an even layer, I literally took 1 scoop worth of wet grounds and just dusted them around the plants as best I could. All I can say is WOW. It truly is like an over night success with those four plants.

My 1 tomato plant has brand new growth on three of the vines, and it's not a small amount of growth, it's a lot. It's gotten a lot bushier just over night. My 3 pepper plants have actually turned more green in the leaves, I have brand new growth on my sweet banana pepper plants, but my mariachi hot pepper plant is the biggest lover of it all. I shot out almost a whole new BUSH and has flowers on it now... on this new bush. It always kind of covered it's square, but it's gotten at last 3 inches taller and covers it's square entirely now.

Tonight I put coffee grounds around the rest of my tomato plants, in the same manner. I am totally amazed, so this to me is a definite thing to try. (I fertilized the day before the coffee grounds, and I never, never, NEVER have seen these kind of results so quickly) So, this might really help with the yellowing.

Do they look jittery?

Chopper wrote:Do they look jittery?

me:

my plants after coffee:

martha wrote:

Chopper wrote:Do they look jittery?

me:

my plants after coffee:

They just may get addicted to the high they are on. Might start creeping towards my door.

Coffee! Who'd a thunk it! I'll try it this weekend. I always make a couple of pots on the weekend so I'll give it a try. I have fertilized the garden. I also took an extra step with my peppers suggested by some other reading. I sprayed them with an epson salt/water mixture and they seem to be respondiing well with new green growth. I have high hopes that this is the answer. The tomatoes need a shot in the arm so maybe the coffee is the ticket.