Author: Maryem

As opposed to its counterparts, growing beetroots is believed to be one of the most complicated practices in the world of gardening. While there are a number of reasons for this, one cannot always be certain that the hard work they put in growing beets will reap perfectly.

One such indicator pops up when beets, defying the laws of gravity, start growing above the ground. This problem is not only prevalent with beetroots but can also be commonly seen in plants like radish and turnips.

When such an abnormal activity sets its course, one is bound to be confused. One explanation of the beets growing above ground is that it is part of a natural process that shows that your plants are fully grown and are ready to harvest. Other reasons might be soil texture and temperature inconsistencies, inadequate water, and light amongst many others.

If you are too confused about the inverse growth of your beets and want them to yield happy results, the following article is for you. Here we discuss in detail the reasons for this event and other troubleshooting solutions for your beets. 

Why Are My Beets Growing above Ground?

While it is true that beets require a little faith to grow, it is also true that if the right practices are followed, it is not that difficult to have a perfect beetroot produce that you can enjoy with your meals.

Beets growing above the ground can stem from different reasons, the most common of them being that it is ready to harvest. It comes as a huge sigh of relief for those who identify this as a natural process, but if the reason includes improper growing conditions, then you must act quickly or the plant can die.

Also Read: Why Are My Radishes Long and Thin?

Tough soil

One such example of improper growth condition is a soil that is extremely tough for the beets to breathe in. Soil that is filled with gravel and is tightly compacted doesn’t leave the beetroot seedlings with enough space to grow. Thus, they seek comfort by sprouting above the ground.

This is a problem because they cannot achieve the adequate nutrients required for growth above the ground, thus leading to sudden death of the plant.

To curb this situation, one should consider mulching and weeding the soil regularly. Make sure to prepare your bed well in advance before planting beets and not to step on that bedding as it can lead to a compacted soil.

The soil should be organically backed with enough compost, devoid of all the small rocks and gravel, and a well aerated texture that allows enough room for the beetroots to facilitate nutrient absorption.

Check this out: Is Chicken Manure Good for Tomato Plants?

Harvesting beets

If you feel that the soil in which you are growing your beets is solid enough and requires no moderation according to the requirements that we have listed above, this means it is finally time to harvest your beets and your plants are conveying you with the idea of the same.

Harvesting beets the right way is very important since it is the final stage before you can finally consume them and a lot of your hard work depends on whether or not you harvest your beets with the right technique.

Here are some quick, easy, and extremely useful tips to get the best out of harvesting your beets:

Usually, the month in which you harvest your beets depends a lot on when you started growing them. But, if you are a beet-lover and have been into the gardening business for a long time, then it will not come as a surprise to you that beets grow to their fullest potential in cold weather months. This makes the onset of spring the best season for beets to harvest.

If you have missed the early spring months, your next best bet would be to give a chance to the months of fall. Harvesting beets, or any other plant, in the right season helps you extract the best out of them.

Another important question that many beet gardeners have in mind is when is the right time to harvest it. One, is what we have been talking about all while long, that is, when they start growing above the ground. Generally, many people prefer to harvest beets when they are small (rough 2” in diameter), as opposed to when they are fully grown.

Small beets are sweeter in taste and offer the same health benefits as compared to fully grown grocery store beets. Beets can be enjoyed when harvested at any stage of growth.

However, if you are not a fan of the sweetness they offer, you can harvest the plant at about 4” in diameter. That’s when they have a neutral taste. Do not wait for the plant to grow bigger than this before harvesting, or you might end up with nothing to harvest.

Also Read: How Often to Water Cabbage?

Many people are confused between harvesting beetroots and beet greens and often end up making the wrong decision, either by harvesting one before the other or doing the jobs simultaneously. As long as the roots are concerned, you can harvest them in any order, either before or after the greens.

It is the beet greens that one has to take extra caution about. These delicate beet parts are the main source of energy for the roots. If you want to harvest them prior to the roots, do not take all the greens together. This can cause harm to the rest of your beet plant.

Instead, you can carefully prune and harvest one or two beet greens from each of your plants to maintain the constant flow of energy from the rest of the greens to the roots.

It is useful to harvest your beets only when you are ready to consume them. This is because if you harvest the roots and wash them only to keep them away in the corner of the kitchen, the excess moisture will cause the rotting of your prematurely harvested beet roots.

It will neither be safe to consume or just simply store for later use. Brush off the soil or excess dust of your roots immediately after you harvest them to avoid any further health problems after consumption.

With all the considerations carefully followed, it is difficult to engage in premature harvesting and pruning of the beet plants.

But, if at any stage you feel that you have engaged in the act a bit early, you can really not do much about it.

In fact, if it’s any consolation, it does not ruin your plant progress and you can still include them in your meals as it is.

Finally, after harvesting the beets successfully, it is important to store them right so that you can use them as and when required. The easiest way to do so is to place them in a vejibag and keep them refrigerated without exposing them to moisture. This goes well for about 4 weeks. Do not try to extend this stay or they will go bad.

Also Read: Why Are My Spinach Leaves Curling?

Conclusion

Now that we know what all can cause your generously grown beet plants to show an upward growth, we should also keep in mind that one should not forget the general practices that are key in taking care of a good produce in the future.

If you are facing issues with maintaining the health of your garden plants, checkout our other helpful articles to aid you in nurturing a beautiful backyard or house garden. Happy gardening!

It’s frustrating for a grower to make the time and effort to develop radishes just to discover that the origins are long and skinny when it’s ready to collect. Even so, there are particular reasons why radishes develop in this manner, and also there are methods to avoid it.

So, why are my radishes long and thin?

Due to the hot climate, poor soil, and competition from other seedlings, radishes will sprout long and thin. Radishes could become long and thin when there is excessively quite enough nitrogen within the soil.

Let’s look more closely at why radishes become long and skinny in these circumstances. Then we’ll take a glance at certain strategies for avoiding these issues and preserving your harvest.

Radishes rely on soft soils to broaden and deepen thick origins into bulbs like a root crop.

Watering

Do Radishes require a lot of moisture in addition to all the above? Radishes require water, and not excessive amounts. Radishes will prosper in a well-drained seedbed. Retain the soil moist however and not drenched. Before watering, make sure the soil isn’t totally dry.

Overcrowding and competition

Radishes become long and thin due to overcrowding and competitive forces.

Competition with those other crops (along with neighboring radishes!) is yet another reason why radishes develop long and thin. Plants will start competing for nutrient content and moisture when there are too many of them in one place.

Also Read: Why Are My Spinach Leaves Curling?

Spacing

Radishes are among the most rewarding spring crops for gardeners. It only takes 3-5 weeks to gather radish seedlings after they have been planted. What a great example of immediate satisfaction! They thrive when planted in April (through initial May) when home farmers are eager to go out into the vegetable patch but the weather is also too cool to sprout summer crops.

It’s critical to ensure proper spacing when straightforward seeding crops such as radishes. Remember to check the seed parcel for appropriate seed separation distance suggestions; the radish layout can vary from 1-3 inches based on the variety.

Some farmers go to extraordinary lengths to place one seed every other inch or more in their vegetable patch; however, most growers will simply scatter the seeds throughout the vegetable patch and thin them out once they’ve sprouted.

Thin the plants before the root systems become plump, which usually happens before the seedlings get their 2nd series of foliage. Plants could become underdeveloped and roots could become tiny and disfigured if you do not really thin your plants and the roots develop too close around each other.

Also Read: Why Are My Radishes Growing Above Ground?

Bolting

Bolting Radishes Because of the Hot Temperatures. Radishes are considered a cool-season crop. The ideal temperature for expanding radishes, as per Clemson University, is 50 to 65 ° Fahrenheit (10 to 18.3 degrees Celsius).

One’s radish crops could bolt if the heat rises much higher than this. Overcrowding can be an issue if indeed the crop bolts to seed before actually forming a useful root. Put another way, the plant may be exposed to even more direct sunlight, especially during the hottest hours of the day.

Radishes require sunshine to grow but favor the cooler, damper conditions of summertime and autumn over the blazing hot forceful summer heat. Strive to provide some shade and protection for sunny harvests, with around 6 hours of daytime or afternoon shift sun to be ideal.

Also Read: How Long Does Horseradish Take to Grow?

Why Are Radishes Not Growing Bulbs?

For the grower who desires radish pieces for their salad, radishes which do not form bulbs are useless. Extreme heat is by far the most prevalent trigger of radishes beginning to grow just greens. The radish seedlings bolts and seek to set seed when the weather gets warmer.

Planting too densely and not thinning 1–2 inches among plants causes a lack of growth. If the seedlings are brushing against one another in bed, they would then detect that there isn’t sufficient room for them to grow, and then they might go to seed.

Lack of development in radishes can also be caused by a lack of sunshine. Radishes can tolerate some shade, particularly as the weather warms up, however, and they require numerous hours of bright sun to fully mature.

One of several lengthy, slender radishes, such as ‘white icicle,’ could be a better choice. This radish species produces a lengthy root that takes up little space than round worldwide radishes. It may take several days for them to reach maturity, but you won’t want as many of them.

If you would like to completely avoid this situation, start growing edible-podded radishes, which are radishes cultivated for their crunchy, zesty seed pods, such as ‘rat tail.’ The plants thrive in warm temperatures, are resistant to pests, and do not form bulbs.

Also Read: How Often to Water Cabbage?

Tips for Radishes That Aren’t Growing Bulbs

If your radish harvest isn’t continuing to produce bulbs, you’ll need to take a cultural as well as situational approach to this issue. Just choose a garden bed that is subjected to the light source for the majority of each day and not during the hottest part of the day. For bulb creation, 6 hours of sun in the morning or afternoon is adequate.

Organize the bed by fertilizing this to a depth of approximately 8 inches in organic manure or sand, if the soil is heavy (20 cm.). Avoid over-fertilizing the soil with nitrogen, as this will only encourage leafy tops. Sow seed directly on the soil’s skin, with only a light dusting of concealing earth.

The planting schedule is also a component in the complete absence of bulb production. Plant seeds as quickly as the soil is usable. Sow consecutive crops till the late spring, and yet avert sowing in warmer months because radishes may not produce and those who do are ruptured and bitter.

Sowing

Radishes should be planted in a bright location. If radishes are sown in far too much shelter, or if they are shaded by neighboring vegetable seedlings, they will expend all of their energy on generating bigger foliage.

Radish plants, such as carrots, are mainly grown for one‘s roots. Even though the ground must be rich in natural matter, it must not be packed. If your ground is clay-like, add some organic material to soften it up and enhance drainage.

If your ground lacks organic compounds, add a few inches of weathered compost or all-purpose fertilizer (quantity on the package) to the intended site as soon as the ground is effective. Before planting, one grows a bed to eliminate any rock formations or dirt clods.

Rotate crops every three years. In other words, seed radishes just every 3rd year in much the same location. This should help to prevent maladies from wreaking havoc on your plant.

When Should You Plant Radishes?

Sow seeds four to six weeks well before the typical deadline of your last frosts for a spring plantation. Local frost dates can be found here. Radishes can also be planted in the fall. Radishes can be planted later than just about any other root vegetable in late warmer months or initial fall and yet still yield a harvest. Sow seeds four to six weeks before the first winter of the season.

How to Plant Radishes Seedlings to Grow Delicious Radishes?

Another advantage of radishes seems to be that they could indeed be managed to grow in small spaces, raised beds, or containers. For a good root length, every radish requires 1-2 inches of garden area.

Plant those very shallowly – no more than 1/4 inch underground.

Plant radish seeds as follows:

– Arrange seeds two inches off in a row.

– Row spacing of 2-3 inches.

– Plant seeds a quarter-inch deep.

Cover the seeds with soft soil. Radish tops will begin to appear in the next week or so. Following that, we’ll go over how to prepare for the crops so that they grow wonderful radishes.

Growing Advice for Radish Plants

Take into account the six suggestions below to maximize radishes yield:-

Avoid using fresh compost, organic materials, or nitrogen-rich fertilizers when gearing up the soil. An excessively rich soil will promote lush greenery at the cost of crisp, flavorful roots.

Thin the radish seedlings to three-inch distances when they are approximately two inches in height. If the roots are not trimmed, they will become shriveled and inedible.

Compost nourished with wood ashes should be used to mulch the veggies. It does not just stop root maggots, but that also aids in soil water retention, which might make the difference between ideal and dreadful radishes.

Use water cautiously. Radishes might well bolt if the ground is much too dry, becoming pithy and odorous to taste. If the root systems become too wet, they will divide and decay. Don’t let the soil dry out, and also don’t hold it in a slushy mess.

Radishes make excellent companion crops, especially for attracting aphids, flea beetles, as well as other insects ahead from chilies, squash, cukes, or other veggies.

Harvest. When vegetables are fresh and tasty, pick them. Spring radishes should be no larger than 1 inch thick. Cold weather radishes and daikon could be picked up as needed until the first cold snap, but also be prepared to secure them from the elements by covering them with straw mulch or organic manure.

Spinach plants have recently grown in popularity due to the ease with which they can be grown and the benefits that home grown spinach plants provide, be it medicinal or of nutritional value.

However, one drawback of growing spinach plants is that they attract a number of pests and diseases to themselves, making their care difficult and extremely troublesome. Diseases and pests are often detrimental to the health of your spinach plant, and can also be a major reason for its sudden death.

To prevent this, the first step that you can take is to look into and identify the potential symptoms that your plant has been attacked. One such symptom is the curling of the spinach leaves.

Cucumber mosaic virus is one of the most common bacteria, caused by cucumber beetles, that leads to sudden change in the shape and texture of your spinach plants, which is usually prevalent as curling.

However, there is more to it than just the presence of cucumber mosaic virus, which we will discuss in the following article. If you want to get greater information about your spinach leaves curling, keep reading.

Why Are My Spinach Leaves Curling?

If your spinach plant leaves have started to crinkle and curl inward, it certainly indicates the presence of pests like aphids and cucumber beetles that are widely responsible for spreading diseases like the cucumber mosaic virus.

• Spinach plant is inherently vulnerable to many plant diseases, making it a very delicate plant to take care of.
• Apart from the presence of pests, bolting is another very rare cause of your spinach plant leaves to curl inwards.
• Bolting leads to stunted growth of the plant and is often a result of underwatering or too much water stress.
• Apart from this, one should also avoid exposing the spinach plant to too much direct sunlight during summers or it can lead the plants to blot and eventually die.

Also Read: Why Zucchini Plant Leaves Turning Yellow?

How to Stop Spinach Leaves from Curling?

Spinach plants are very delicate and require the right blend of care to function optimally in the long run.

To keep spinach plant leaves from curling, one has to do nothing different than taking care of all the environmental aspects like light, water, nutrition, temperature and humidity.

However, since we know that the primary reason for the curling of spinach plant leaves is the presence of the cucumber mosaic virus, our first intervention strategy should aim at eradicating all the possibilities of inviting the virus to the plant.

Once your plant is infected, there is nothing much you can do about it, since the virus seeps deep into the plant roots making them weak and unable to absorb nutrients for growth.

Therefore, prevention is actually the cure when trying to get rid of the cucumber mosaic virus.

Maintaining a very stringent aphid control mechanism is how you can take the first step towards getting rid of the cucumber mosaic virus since aphids and cucumber beetles are its only source of infection.

Identify the weeds growing in your garden, not only around the spinach plant, but the entire garden, and remove them with care. Weeds invite aphids and harbor their growth, thus increasing the risk of your plants actually getting infected with the virus. 

Another very convenient tip to keep your spinach plants from catching the virus is to purchase plants that have been de-infected in the nursery and are substantially virus free. Virus free plants eliminate all the possibilities that your leaves or any other part of the plant will ever get affected by the presence of aphids or beetles.

Check this out: Should I Cut Off Yellow Leaves on Tomato Plants?

Propagating the right way

If you propagate your spinach plants or other vegetable plants, wash the tools properly and disinfect them both before and after using. This minimizes the spread of this virus dramatically as we often use the tools without washing, thus exposing our plant’s health to great risks.

Try changing the method of propagation you use on your plants. It has been found that vegetative propagation methods increase the chances of the virus commuting from one plant to another.

Instead, try using seed propagation to keep all the potential sources of risk away. It is comparatively easier and safer.

Important tips while gardening

When working in your house garden or backyard, always make sure to use clean gardening gloves.

Our hands can be a very powerful source of transfer from an infected plant to a healthy plant, and more often than not, we might not even be aware of it. If possible, try changing your gardening gloves after every second or third use.

Either discard them or wash them before reusing. This small change can help you witness a lot of improvement in the shape of your spinach plant leaves and the stunted growth.

Also Read: Is Chicken Manure Good for Tomato Plants?

This is important

Once you see visible signs of this virus on your plant, quickly separate it from the rest of your plants and get rid of it. The virus takes no time in spreading from an infected plant to a healthy plant.

Taking Care of Spinach Plants

While curing the curling problem of your spinach plants is one important aspect of taking care of it, we cannot stop at doing just that. In order to make sure that your plant stays in the best of its health, one needs to follow other potential steps towards achieving a healthy spinach plant yield.

Here are some of the easy and most important tips to keep in mind if you want to get a good spinach plant produce every season without any extra hassle:

• The first step for growing the right and tastiest kind of spinach is to understand where you will plant the spinach.
• To keep your spinach in good condition throughout, it is ideal that you plant them at a place where the sun exposure is maximum and the soil supports a thorough drainage system.
• If you are worried about overexposure to the sun, you can look for a place that is partially shaded by other plants.

Spinach plants should always be grown in the winter season under optimal soil temperatures, that is, not crossing the 70 degree mark.

As the spring sets, you should start preparing your garden with enough drainage facilities to plant spinach.

Also Read: How Often to Water Lemongrass?

Excessive exposure of spinach plants to sunlight can cause bolting. This is something we have already observed earlier. So, it is ideal to expose them to partial sunlight at least 6 hours a day in winters.

Sunlight is very important for spinach to make its food and it should not be barred from receiving the light because of the potential fear of bolting.

It is ideal to keep the pH of the soil neutral when growing spinach. Unlike most of the vegetable plants, an acidic or alkaline pH level of soil can damage the plant in the long run.

Additionally, when growing spinach, the soil should be nutritious, organically rich and silty loamy to facilitate appropriate drainage. These soil properties help prevent the condition of root rot in plants.

Spinach needs water to grow to its full potential. Too little of it can cause plant death, but overwatering can result in the soil being soggy, which can slow down the growth process.

To know the right amount of water required by your plant, keep the range not more than 1.5 inches per week.

You can increase the amount in summers by half inches to prevent the plant from going into the bolting stage.

Another pro tip is to engage in several watering sessions than just one dedicated watering day in a week. It allows the plant to slowly absorb all the nutrients and speeds up the growth process.

While it is true that spinach likes to grow and flourish in the winter season, a very heavy frosty weather can seriously damage the plant. Therefore, you should take special care that the temperatures don’t go beyond the 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit range.

However, one thing that the plant isn’t too fussy about is its humidity levels. If the soil needs are adequately met, humidity is not an issue while growing spinach.

Use nutrient supplements like nitrogen rich fertilizer, soy meal, and fish emulsion in moderation to give an adequate boost to the health of your spinach plant.

Conclusion

Now that you know everything about why your spinach leaves curl and what you can do to prevent and terminate this situation, here is a bonus tip that will help you identify the symptoms better.

Spinach plants come in a variety of different species and not all of them can inform you about their condition by curling their leaves. In some spinach plants identical illness symptoms are visible and should be identified so that treatment can be started in due time.

If you observe that certain leaves of your plants have started to turn yellow or have developed unexplained brown or grey patches underneath the leaf skin, this is another cue for the presence of the cucumber mosaic virus on your plant.

Rest assured, with the tips mentioned above, your spinach plant will always stay in the best of its health and continue to yield amazing and delicious produce.

Squirrels appear to always be out in front of gardeners with regards to the harm they inflict on our bloom and vegetable beds. Seldom does anyone single technique accomplish total squirrel control, however with some diligence and a multi-pronged methodology you can place a damper on the devastation these rodents unleash in the scene.

About Squirrel

Squirrels are particularly dynamic in pre-fall and harvest time when they stock up for winter. They don’t rest so their underground storerooms are fundamentally significant winter stockrooms. They have a significant instinct for hoarding food, which assists them with surviving. Dark squirrels stash food by burying it in a spread style around their territory.

Albeit North America is home to a few types of squirrels, it is the rural area smart dark squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, that gives gardeners (and individuals who feed birds) the most sorrow. How did the sharp critters find those blossom bulbs, at any rate? For what reason do they scour a few boundaries and let others be?

The normal squirrel accumulates oak seeds, pinecones, nuts, bark, natural product, berries, organisms, and insects, however, isn’t above stealing bird eggs and bulbs. Once in a while, they will even ruin your blossoms only for entertainment purposes!

Check this out: Should I Cut Off Yellow Leaves on Tomato Plants?

Issues Brought by squirrels in the garden

Creature sweethearts are enchanted by the aerobatic moves of squirrels and find them brilliant.

Be that as it may, when a gardener enters their vegetable garden to find their corn wrecked and their tomatoes dispersed over the ground with precisely one nibble out of every, they are anything BUT enchanted.

Squirrels are a steady wellspring of disappointment for any vegetable gardener and as far as one might be concerned, everybody is always looking for new, and regular, ways for keeping squirrels out of my garden. Red Squirrel in a bowl.

Also Read: How Often to Water Lemongrass?

Ways to keep Squirrel out of the yard

Here are some tips to keep squirrel out of the yard :-

1. Give them a drink: If squirrels are munching on your tomatoes or other delicious organic products or vegetables, they may simply be parched. During the growing season, furnish the squirrels with a dish of new water… and the squirrels will most likely pass on those tomatoes for you to reap.”

Assuming you just choose to allow them to run their course (in a real sense) in your yard or garden, it additionally points out that they will eat fallen seed that won’t grow into weeds, assist with trimming trees by keeping branches clean, and might add some humor.

2. Squirrel Repellents: There are numerous squirrel anti-agents available, however, the majority of them depend on predator urine or hot pepper. Hand-crafted plans may likewise include garlic or onion, vinegar, or peppermint oil.1 Repellant might have some achievement being utilized related to different obstacles, however, gardeners should be watchful about reapplication. Wind, water, and daylight will make repellants separate rapidly. Repellants additionally have the disservice of repelling the gardener.

3. Stowaway or move their food. Be constant about cleaning up fallen nuts, oak seeds, and berries. Make the cycle quicker and more straightforward with a helpful nut finder. These food sources can be moved to an area where squirrels are gladly received, like a back corner of your yard. Additionally, keep garbage bin covers safely shut also.

4. Squirrel Fences: Fencing has a ton going for it as an irritation rejection gadget for any creature, however, fencing can likewise be costly and unattractive for bigger regions. Confine is a more precise term than a fence, as no fence can keep out the nimble squirrel. Even though squirrels can beat an exceptionally solid obstruction with their digging and gnawing, a floating column cover is surprisingly powerful as a hindrance in the vegetable garden. Squirrels try to avoid the feeling of walled area, which would forestall their capacity to sprint away from a predator.

5. Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper: Some gardeners depend on sprinkling a blend of cayenne pepper, red pepper pieces, paprika, or different combinations of zesty seasonings around the foundation of the plants. Stunt squirrels into thinking your product is anything but a delectable treat after all by dusting a couple of the organic products in the hot combination, too.

6. Utilize normal predators: Use a squirrel’s regular predators for your potential benefit by attracting falcons or owls by placing raptor roosts or owl settles close by. However, this approach isn’t suggested assuming you have little creatures in the yard that you might want to keep there.

7. Netting in Action: Protect ripening organic product by swaddling it with plastic bird netting. This treatment continues to snack rodents (squirrels, chipmunks, mice) under control, alongside birds and wood turtles, who love to nibble on easy pickings. Cut little bits of netting and fold it over coloring organic products. Store netting pieces in the garden cut to tomato upright.

8. Give them their food. Albeit a contested technique, as this might wind up attracting more, giving in to the little men may very well be a choice. Assuming you have an enormous region, make them their feeding ground that is well away from your garden beds. Utilize a squirrel feeder to take care of their sunflower seeds, peanuts, and feed corn. A few gardeners venture to such an extreme as to establish additional tomatoes to keep them fulfilled and away from theirs.

9. Get a Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder: If you like the sights and hints of spring birds, make a point to invest in a bird feeder with a confound hood that keeps squirrels from accessing the food. The astound of this DIY bird feeder, a mixing bowl hung topsy turvy, stops squirrels from getting into the food basin.

10. Get a canine. Most canines love to pursue squirrels. Set them on a squirrel watch and let them drive the squirrels off.

11. Seal Trash Cans: as well as removing any nuts and berries that might tumble to the ground and give a nibble to squirrels, additionally ensure garbage bins have tight tops and are covered around evening time.

Also Read: Is Chicken Manure Good for Tomato Plants?

What Plants Do Squirrels Eat?

Squirrels relish a considerable lot of the very plants that we do, including leafy foods, seeds, nuts, and berries. They will likewise deal with tulip bulbs, and even tulip blooms. However, there are many plants that squirrels find offensive. These plants have solid smells or flavors that squirrels loath. Consider adding onion, garlic, daffodils, Galanthus, lily-of-the-valley, geraniums, fritillary blossoms, goldenrod, and bleeding hearts in your beds, boundaries, and hanging bushels.

Lemongrass is one of the easiest plants to grow in your home garden. However, if it gets a little fussy and specific about something, it is the watering requirements that it demands.

Therefore, one thing that most people growing lemongrass are worried about is how often should I water lemongrass. While it requires a careful intervention to water your lemongrass plant, a short answer to the question would be to water the plant every day in summers or if you live in arid regions and reduce the quantity to 3 days a week in temperate environments.

As mentioned earlier, one requires a great deal of knowledge about watering lemongrass right. In the following article, we present a detailed account of how to do so along with some general tips to take care of your lemongrass plant while growing.

Watering Lemongrass

Watering lemongrass is rightly important due to its native relevance. Plants grow to their maximum extent if their natural environment is habituated correctly.

Belonging to the tropical surroundings, lemongrass is very specific about how you water it and usually expects a surplus when compared to other plants.

Another rationale behind the excessive watering needs of the lemongrass plant is the speed at which it grows. During the hot and humid weather conditions, lemongrass shows a drastic and rapid development. For this process, it requires ample amounts of water.

Besides the season, another factor that impacts the watering needs of your lemongrass plant is the soil in which you are growing it. If your bedding soil is sandy and loose, then you are expected to water your plant more frequently than if the soil is loamy or a bit silty.

Loamy soil has properties that allow it to retain significantly high levels of moisture. Consequently, the watering requirements of the plant are reduced.

If you cannot water your plant every day, you can enhance its moisture retaining ability by adding a rich layer prepared with organic mulch. Adding mulch can seem a little expensive initially, but it offers other benefits like slowly releasing nutrients for the soil to absorb, thus fulfilling its feeding requirements.

When to water lemongrass?

Generally, it is recommended to water plants either early in the morning or early in the eveving (that is, post afternoon). The right time to water plants remains the same for each variety. Fortunately, lemongrass doesn’t follow a very different rule here and watering it in the early hours provides it with maximum benefits.

One of the simplest tips to help you stay right on track with the watering needs of your lemongrass plants is to never allow it to dry and become cranky. This will straight up lead to your plant dying. The soil should stay fertile, moist, and nutrient-rich at all hours of the day. A simple finger sticking test should be an easy way to identify when your lemongrass requires water.

Another tip to take into consideration while watering your lemongrass plants is to irrigate the plant deeply till the water reaches the soil. It helps improve the moisture retaining ability of your soil and keeps it moist and fertile for a long time.

Also Read: How Long Does Lemongrass take to Grow?

Watering lemongrass in containers

While lemongrass is usually grown in the open garden, most people prefer to grow them in pots and containers of different shapes and sizes to add variety in their garden. When the plants are grown in containers, their watering requirements change dramatically.

One of the most important ingredients to ensure that the plants grow to their fullest potential in containers is a blend of organic compost with potting mix. Bedding your containers with the right mix of ingredients is important for keeping your plants healthy in the long run. This also prevents you with the trouble of repeatedly changing the potting mixture to suit the needs of the plant.

When your plants are grown while being confined to the boundaries of a container, it leaves little room for them to breathe. To allow the constant ventilation and aeration between the roots of the plant, drainage holes are mandatory. Create big holes in your container to prevent root rot and other issues that could arise from a boggy soil.

Additionally, most containers have wide side openings that facilitate the quick evaporation of water from the soil. Therefore, the watering requirements of lemongrass kept in containers increases as compared to those that are grown independently. So, if you water your regular plant once every two days, water your plant growing in a container once each day. You can adjust this frequency by sticking a finger and checking the texture.

Another way to deal with the evaporation occurring in containers is to add a layer of organic mulch over the potting mixture. Besides lowering the rate of evaporation, it also enhances the ability of the soil to retain moisture. Finally, you can go for a container with comparatively narrower side openings, but with large enough space to grow plants.

Check this out: Is Chicken Manure Good for Tomato Plants?

Lemongrass leaves turning brown

It is impossible to end our discussion about watering lemongrass without talking about one of the most common problems that it gives rise to, the leaves turning brown.

If your lemongrass plant is slowly turning brown without an unexplainable reason, it is probably because of the issues with proper watering and feeding.

When the plant doesn’t receive an adequate amount of water, it loses its ability to circulate nutrients and facilitate their absorption.

Therefore, if the leaves of your plant have started to turn yellow or brown, this is a sign to start watering them systematically. To speed up the recovery process, you can also feed your plant with a dose of nitrogen fertilizer at least once every month. It largely covers up for nutrient deficiency.

Key Takeaways

To summarize, watering lemongrass once every other day is recommended during every season. The plant loves to grow in moist soil and the roots tend to rot in soggy soil, so it is also important to do a quick finger check before watering your plants to avoid the issue of overwatering.

It is also desirable to create holes in the container in which you grow your plant to ensure proper aeration and drainage mechanism. Rest assured, your lemongrass plant will very smartly try to convey to you its deficiency needs, and if you have the right knowledge, you can allow proper growth conditions for it.

Also Read: Should I Cut Off Yellow Leaves on Tomato Plants?

Taking care of Lemongrass plant

While watering is one of the most important considerations to keep in mind when growing a lemongrass plant, one cannot dismiss other fundamentals, as they help in the holistic and sustainable development of this exotic species.

Here are a few quick and general tips to take care of your lemongrass plant and make sure that it stays in the best of its health for as long as it can:

Sunlight

The lemongrass plant is a tropical inhabitant. Like its watering needs should suffice with the demands that are originally met in its native habitat, similar is the case with sunlight.

The lemongrass plant grows best when it is exposed to roughly 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Note that 6 hours is the minimum duration and it significantly increases during the cold weather. In such seasons, you can also arrange sources of artificial light to meet with the optimal lighting requirements of the plant.

If your plant is devoid of complete sun exposure, it can become an attractive hub for pests and turn significantly sparse. This can further contribute to its deteriorating health, also resulting in stunted growth.

Soil Type

The lemongrass plant is also particularly specific about the type of soil in which it thrives. While it is easy to grow them in any kind of soil, choosing the most appropriate fit eases your burden and facilitates better progress.

Generally, a nutrient rich, organic, and loamy soil with slits is preferred to grow lemongrass. This need arises from the fact that this kind of soil retains moisture for a long time, thus meeting the water needs of the plant as well. This kind of soil is both commercially available and can be made using easy ingredients like leaf mold, manure, and compost. Mixing these soil amendments is an ideal solution to growing the best kind of plants.

Apart from being organic in nature, these additives are also nutrient rich and enriching in their texture.

Also Read: Best Soil for Sweet Potatoes Growing

Temperature and Humidity

Hot and humid climates are the hometown of lemongrass plants and it constantly seeks comfort in such an environment. Therefore, to ensure that your lemongrass plant achieves the best growth potential, it is ideal to grow it within the temperature range of 50 degrees Celsius and above.

In winters, the lemongrass plant requires special attention. You cannot let your plant sit in temperatures that fall below 40. It is best to prepare a greenhouse setting with artificial light and a humidifier when the weather is cold.

If you grow tomatoes in your garden, then it should be easy for you to cater to the temperature and humidity demands of lemongrass since they are remotely the same.

Meeting the nutritional requirements

Feeding your plant rightly is another very important aspect of growing lemongrass that most people tend to skip. Watering it right and keeping it under direct sunlight will probably not work unless there is no food to absorb nutrients for.

Providing the right kind of fuel to your lemongrass plant involves the use of fertilizers and organic mulching. Fertilizers that are high in nitrogen concentration are ideal to use in lemongrass. However, they should be neutralized with compost before application to avoid the adverse effects of the chemical on plants.

Organic mulch, on the other hand, is a comparatively easy way out but requires a lot of financial assets, making it unaffordable for a huge population. Slow release fertilizers are the most suitable pick for lemongrass since it saves you from the time and energy that comes from feeding it every now and then.

If you feel the need to add some trace nutrients to your lemongrass yield, try mixing manure tea into water and spray it on your plants for maximum effect. Not only does it ensure that your plants are watered right, but it also provides essential nutrients which might have otherwise gone unattended.

Conclusion

The native of Southeast Asia, this exotic lemongrass plant has been serving exquisite features in many international cultures for a long period.

It is also one of the most celebrated plants of the species because of the excellent medical and insect- repellent properties. To make sure that you are reaping the maximum benefits of lemongrass, it is helpful to understand its watering demands and other general requirements that help it to strive sustainably.

With the tips given in the aforementioned article, you can remain assured of the quality of lemongrass that’ll yield in your garden. Happy gardening!

Tomato plants demand a lot of patience, care, and knowledge to grow to their fullest potential. Providing your plants with good quality manure and compost is one of the best ways in which you can do that. Recently, the popularity of chicken manure is growing and this has posed a very serious question to all the plant lovers, “is chicken manure good fertilizer for tomatoes”.

While it is true that chicken manure can be a benefactory addition to your tomato plants, there are often a few dimensions to it.

In the following article, you’d be familiarised with why chicken manure is good for your tomato plants, what are some of the other fertilizers for tomato plants and tips to use them and how can chicken manure be used as a good compost option for other vegetable plants.

Is Chicken Manure Good for Tomato plants?

Chicken manure has recently been into limelights since scientific evidence about its benefits have started circulating. They are easy to access, and easy to apply, making them one of the most beneficial and effective manure for plants.

But, as we all know, tomato plants come with their own set of expectations and demands, and whether or not the nutritional profile of chicken manure suits them is still a big question.

Can you use chicken manure on tomato plants?

Long answer short, yes, chicken manure can be used to grow tomato plants, but only when certain considerations and prerequisites are kept in mind.

Unlike other animal manures, chicken manure offers a very high rate of nitrogen, making it the best for tomato plants. When compared with the ratio of potassium and phosphorus, the concentration of Nitrogen is double, making it an ideal addition in the growth of tomato plants.

As mentioned earlier, one of the most important considerations to keep in mind before adding chicken manure to your tomato plants is that it is properly composted beforehand.

Exposing your tomato plants directly to chicken manure can create a lot of undue pressure on it. It takes a little while for tomato plants to adapt to a new environment and while a high range of nitrogen might be good for them, providing them this quantity suddenly can hamper the growth.

When used directly, your tomato plant can suffer from conditions of burns and dryness and symptoms like yellowing of leaves, or sudden death of the plant can occur.

Also Read: Should I Cut Off Yellow Leaves on Tomato Plants?

How to use chicken manure for tomato plants?

• To ensure that your tomato plants get the best of the chicken manure that is applied on them, it is important to know how to prepare your chicken manure before administering it to the plants. Here are a few easy steps to do so:
• Collect your chicken manure and the related bedding ingredients
• The initial step is to collect the chicken manure and other bedding ingredients. It will help you in staying determined with the process of using composting chicken manure and using it for tomato plants. Some of the easily available bedding options that one can opt for, include shavings, sawdust, leftover peels, and straws.
• Next, dump the manure and bedding preliminaries into a compost bin. This marks the end of the first step. You Can change the quantity of your manure and compost mix according to the size of the bin.
• Check the manure ratio and take steps to balance it
• The next important step is to check the ratio of your chicken manure. Usually, the ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio of chicken manure is believed to be 30:1. In most cases, this is not present naturally, and one might have to take measures to balance the ratio. Now that we are using a blend of compost and manure, it is important to take the nutrient consistency to that of 2:1 waste to bedding.
• To make sure that you get the desired ratio, always make sure that the bedding ingredients are wet and the blend is left in the compost bin for upto three days exposed to appropriate sunlight. A temperature above 160 degrees would kill the good bacteria present in compost, so it is important not to let that happen.

Engage in the process of curing your chicken manure

The last step can also be seen as an extension to the preceding step. The process of curing is used to balance the manure ratio by leaving the cure for a good 50-60 days and letting it turn completely brown. After this, your compost will be ready to use.

Also Read: Tomato Branches Curling Down

How can chicken manure benefit the growth of your tomato plants?

Once you have composted your chicken manure and applied it to the relevant parts of your tomato plants, it is now time to understand how this will benefit the growth of your plant. Here are a few benefits that composted chicken manure offers to your thriving tomato plants:

Composted chicken manure acts like a soil improvement ingredient by ways of slowly releasing macro and micro nutrients into the soil.

When the chicken manure is composted, it no longer remains the highest in nitrogen concentration, thus providing your tomato plants with a balanced ratio of all the macronutrients including potassium and phosphorus.

Composting chicken manure increases its proportion of organic matter, thus offering natural water absorbing and holding abilities of the plant. By doing this, you reduce the risks of dehydration, drainage, and soil erosion.

If your tomato plant is suffering from problems like broken and dry leaves, then adding chicken manure can treat your plant completely. It acts to increase the airflow of the soil, thus reducing soil leaching and improving the overall soil composition.

By composting chicken manure, we increase the amount of organic food that is a source of energy for soil microbes. Soil microbes act to increase the soil variety naturally by speeding up the breakdown of organic nutrients, thus also easing the process of nutrient absorption. Soil microbes are also responsible for making food readily available for tomato plants, making composted chicken manure an excellent source of nutrition, food, and energy.

Also Read: How to Turn Green Tomatoes Red in the Fall?

How much chicken manure is enough to be used on your tomato plants?

Now that it is widely understood that tomato plants require chicken manure to have a healthy breed, we cannot overload our plants with it, hoping that it would yield some results. It is neither healthy nor recommended.

To know the perfect amount of chicken manure that your tomato plant needs, one needs to assess the health and prevalent condition of the plant.

Since your plant requires a balanced nitrogen phosphorus and potassium ratio, one should take special care to apply the fertilizer only sparingly. That is, not too much should be used in one go. A good average is to apply the manure 2-3 times in a week.

If you have trouble in finding out the exact quantity required by your tomato plants, you can make statistically relevant measures by drawing a plot of roughly 100 square feet and using approximately 45 pounds of manure and not more than that. Not only is the amount safe, but it is also economically readily available and affordable.

Are there any health risks of using chicken manure on tomato plants?

Everything comes with a cost, and if you have to reap the benefits that chicken manure provides, you have to take some extra precautions to make sure that you are not hampering its growth.

When chicken poop is extracted, they contain certain bacteria that can be the source of potential disease to the tomato plants. In some cases, even fatal to one’s health. There are certain parasites that can transfer from the chicken manure to the plants in the form of the Cryptosporidium Infection, thus infecting the roots of your tomato plants directly.

One can follow certain safety tips like waiting for how the plant responds before reapplying the chicken manure, using gardening gloves before, during, and after the application of the manure, and washing tomatoes before consuming or cooking them. 

Some tips to fertilize tomato plants

If you cannot afford the easy availability of chicken manure at all hours of the day, you can follow other fertilization tips to excel in the process. Here are some of the most useful and easy tips to fertilize tomato plants:

Contrary to popular belief, one should fertilize the tomato plants even before they are planted into the soil. It helps accelerate the rate of growth of the tomato plants.

Cow manure is an excellent source of nutrition for plants and can also be used as an alternative to chicken poop manure.

Also Read: How Long Does Horseradish Take to Grow?

Conclusion

Chicken manure is often considered as the most underrated manure option to add to your garden plants. The nutrients and nourishment that it provides surpasses every other need. As mentioned above, there are a few considerations that need to be followed while fertilizing your plants with chicken manure, and you can see them thriving in just a few days.

In addition, you can also follow other tips to keep your tomato plants as young as ever.

Tomato plants are one of the most common houseplants for a variety of reasons, but with this comes the responsibility of taking their utmost care. Throughout the process, there can be a number of questions that pop up in one’s head.

One such common doubt that is asked by many home gardeners is “should I cut off yellow leaves on tomato plants or not?” Well, here is a simple answer. If you see the yellowing and dying of leaves soon after the first set of flowers of your tomato plant blossom, you can definitely cut it off.

However, this problem is much bigger to be answered in just a line and thus needs proper attention. Given below is a comprehensive overview of growing tomato plants with special emphasis on cutting off yellow leaves of the plant.

Cutting off yellow leaves on tomato plants

Before we dive into the details of yellow leaves on tomato plants, it is important to know the basics. Tomatoes come in two varied varieties, namely determinate and indeterminate.

Determinate tomatoes don’t really care much about the kind and process of removals. In fact, if anything, they do not even bother if the yellow leaves stay or go. However, an important note of consideration is that one should always remove yellow leaves off the determinate varieties if they are growing below the first set of flowers.

On the other hand, indeterminate tomatoes are ones that require special care while cutting off or carefully removing yellow leaves. The most eminent measure is to cut off the yellow leaves or suckers in a way that no wound is left behind on the plant.

The indeterminate variety of plants gains a huge benefit if the yellow leaves are removed and pruned. Moreover, they do not demonstrate any height constraints regarding the removal of yellow leaves.

Finally, all you need to know before cutting off yellow or dying leaves from your tomato plants is whether the variety of your plant is determinate or indeterminate. The rest will follow as mentioned above.

Also Read: Why Tomato Branches Curling Down?

Why are my tomato plant leaves turning yellow?

Often, the first step in curing a problem involves understanding the situations that stimulate it. All in all, there can be 7 broad underlying causes of your tomato plant leaves turning yellow. These are:

Overwatering

If you water your tomato plants way too often, then there’s a good chance that you are exposing it to problems like root rot, thereby making it susceptible to turn its leaves yellow and eventually die.

A fair way of knowing whether your plant needs water or not is to check the moisture levels of the soil before watering your plant. Make sure that the soil is not too soggy.

Also Read: Best Potting Soil for Tomatoes

Underwatering

Just as overwatering your plant can cause issues, underwatering often leads to your plant being deficient in nutrient absorption, thereby shortening its life. When your plant does not receive an adequate amount of water, it starts to drop the basic functions, and yellowing of leaves is one of them.

Compacted soil

If your tomato plants grow in a soil that is non-aerated, it doesn’t achieve the right amount of nutrients, thereby causing the leaves to turn yellow. A compacted soil does not give the plant enough space for root propagation, and limits the nutrient absorption. Yellow leaves on tomato plants indicate that you need to dig up your soil bed once in a few days to facilitate adequate nutrient supply.

Nutritional Deficiency

One of the most common contributors to yellow leaves of tomato plants is nutritional deficiency. After all, every cause that we have been talking about so long is indirectly related to problems in nutrient absorption. Nutrients help your plant to function effectively in the long run without any interference. However, sudden yellowing of leaves can mean lack of alkalinity, and other nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Also Read: How long can a tomato plant go without water?

Bacteria, Fungi, and pests

Bacteria, pests, and fungi exist to make it difficult for your plant to live. Tomato plants actually attract a lot of pests, making it difficult for gardeners to get rid of them. One of the most common fungal infections is the Septoria Leaf Spot that attacks the foliage of your plant, thereby making it weak. Fusarium Wilt is another common fungal infection impacting your tomato plants by directly attacking the root system. Infact, it is also the one responsible for fusarium root rot.

Inadequate Sunlight

A tomato plant, or any other plant for that matter, strives in proper sunlight that is not artificially induced. Exposing your plant to adequate hours of natural light helps it to prepare food and carry the basic living process. While too much sun exposure is also not recommended, keeping your plant entirely in the dark devoids it of its ability to produce natural green color of the leaves, thus explaining the yellow leaves.

A normal stage

If you have successfully checked the boxes for the aforementioned causes, then the most probable explanation is that it is just a normal stage in the growth cycle of your plant. So, there’s really nothing to worry about. However, you can take a few measures to prevent this from happening again. Most of this includes taking regular care of your plant in terms of its water and sunlight needs, checking the plant for any signs of fungal or bacterial infection, and so on.

Read this: How To Hand Pollinate Tomato Flowers?

How to cure yellow leaves on tomato plants?

Now that we know what all can cause the leaves to turn yellow, let us turn to look at a couple of most effective solutions that you can apply to treat your tomato plants:

Dealing with deficiencies

If your tomato plants are receiving an imbalanced alkalinity profile, then it is advised to add in a little dose of fertilizer, taking proper care of not overdoing it. It is recommended to select fertilizers that are optimally balanced in the NPK nutrient ratio.

To make up for the calcium and magnesium deficiency, try adding in chemical or natural compounds containing calcium or magnesium. This inexpensive technique can work wonders in the long term.

Check this: Why Are Bottom of Tomatoes Turning Black?

Watering your plants right

It can be difficult to identify when your plants need adequate water and in what quantities, you can do so in a trial and error manner, thereby helping you achieve a perfect understanding of your plant condition.

The primary consideration to bear in mind while scheduling the watering time table of your plants is to check the weather. A lot can depend on whether the climate is cold or sunny. If the sun is shining bright outside, then you might need to water your plant a few times during the day. Otherwise, watering it once every 3 days will do the job.

Solve the issue of root rot

Root rot is usually either a consequence of overwatering or a fungal infection. In either case, you need to make sure that the soil that you have planted your tomato yield in is porous and properly aerated, thus leaving enough room for root propagation and nutrient absorption. You can settle or mulch your soil to keep it properly aired and in good condition to avoid rotting of roots.

Treating fungi and other bacterial infections

One should be aware of how to deal with fungi and bacterial infections since they are usually unpredictable. The primary step is to detect the damaged parts of your plant.The most prevalent indicator of a fungal infection can be spotted in the form of abnormally looking leaf spots and sudden yellowing or browning of leaves.

To begin with, carefully separate the affected leaves from the rest of the plant, while taking special care that no healthy part gets detached. Next, mulch your soil frequently. This can prove to be a gamechanger. It is also advised to get rid of nightshade weeds from your backyard, since they attract infections.

An additional and most useful tip is to always keep natural insecticides and pesticides in close reach and spray them once every month to keep the pests at bay. This will ensure that the insects do not enter the periphery of your plant at any given point of time.

Treating Fusarium Wilts

Fusarium Wilts actually cause a lot of damage to your tomato plants, besides the leaves turning yellow, and that is why they deserve a separate section. Maintaining the pH levels of soil close to 6.5 is one of the most sustainable approaches to deal with the problems of fusarium wilts. Additionally, cater to the macro and micronutrient deficiencies of your plant since an unhealthy plant is automatically predisposed to wilts and infections.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the presence of yellow leaves on tomato plants is not a narrow problem indicator and can mean a lot of things in a lot of situations. In order to make sure that you are dealing with the right kind of cause, having appropriate knowledge is a must.

To help you make this process easier, we have curated this small guide for yellowing of your tomato plant leaves. Now that you know all the probable causes with their treatments, there is no turning back.

Zucchini leaves are one of the most versatile plants that a home gardener and plant enthusiast can ever decide to grow in their backyard. If you are one of them, then you must be aware of the problems that come along with growing zucchini plants.

One of these is chlorosis, or the zucchini leaves turning yellow. While some people know how to tackle this situation, most of them remain aloof of the causes that contribute to these plant leaves turning yellow and the solutions that follow.

While there can be a lot of reasons why your plant leaves turn yellow, some of the most prominent of them arise from nutritional deficiencies of manganese, iron, and sulfur. Not many people are aware of this fact, making them turn a blind eye towards these important dimensions of their plant.

However, the answer to why your zucchini plant leaves have started turning yellow cannot be sufficed in a few lines, and requires a much in-depth analysis. Without any further ado, let us explore all the possibilities.

Why Zucchini Plant Leaves Turning Yellow?

Here are some of the most common reasons why your zucchini plant leaves have decided to turn yellow all of a sudden. Analyzing your plant problem is important since it helps you adopt a relevant treatment strategy accordingly.

Inadequate Sunlight

Inadequate sunlight usually has a lot to do with the lack of sunlight that is given to the plant, as opposed to the excess of it. When your zucchini plant does not receive proper sunlight, it becomes difficult for the plant to prepare food due to the lack of chlorophyll, required for photosynthesis.

On an average, a zucchini plant needs approximately 6 to 8 hours of sunlight to thrive and grow. It gives the plant enough time to produce chlorophyll and further food, thereby giving the plants their original colour.

Nutritional Deficiency

As mentioned in the beginning of this article, nutritional deficiencies contribute to yellowing of zucchini plant leaves to a great deal. Absence of nutrients like nitrogen, calcium, potassium, sulfur, and magnesium or the improper absorption of them by any part of the plant can have detrimental effects on the health of the plant.

Not only this, but a very slight chemical composition imbalance in the nutrient profile of your soil can contribute to chlorosis or yellow leaves of the zucchini plants. To get the most accurate profile of which nutrient is to blame for the underlying situation of your plant, a lab test is recommended.

Check this out: Is Cow Manure Good for Potatoes?

Improper watering techniques

Improper watering techniques include watering your plant either too much or too little, and this may be one of the most common mistakes that is undertaken by anyone. It is difficult to analyze the exact watering needs of your plant, but with experience and the right set of skills, one can easily achieve it.

Many people indulge in the practice of overwatering, thinking that it can curb the problem of under watering in their plants. However, the process of transpiration barres it from happening, therefore contributing to plant dehydration eventually.

Check this out: How Often to Water Cabbage?

Root damage

The root system is most important for any plant. A damage to the roots is directly observable in the form of yellow leaves of the plant. When the roots are damaged, they lose the ability to absorb adequate nutrients, thus making it difficult for the plant to survive. A key result is the dying leaves.

Some events that can stimulate root damage in zucchini plants include the recent transplantation of plants to a new location, or the rigorous digging of soil very close to the plant base.

A disappointing news is that root damage cannot be readily treated naturally. All you can do is give your roots enough time to recover and not stress it further. Patience is the key to bounce back from this issue.

Also Read: Best Soil for Growing Sweet Potatoes

Shock from transplant

Yellowing of leaves from a transplant shock is usually not a big deal and requires just a little time and patience to let the plant recover from the damage.

When you change the growing conditions of your plant suddenly, either from outdoors to indoors,or vice versa, it requires some time to adapt to the new environment. During its adaptation process, it cannot give sufficient attention to other functions of the plant, thereby resulting in some of the leaves turning yellow.

Plant disease

If you cannot spot any of the reasons from the aforementioned points, there are high chances that your zucchini plant has caught any of the following diseases, causing it to turn yellow. Here are three of the most common and dangerous plant diseases that can cause significant damage to your zucchini plant, yellow leaves being one of them:

The Cucumber Mosaic Virus is a common disease that is spread by a virus easily attracted to zucchinis. The symptoms of this disease can be easily picked up. The leaves will turn yellow, but in a splotchy way and the growth will be stunted for a long time, despite all the measures taken by you.

Fusarium Wilt is one of the most infamous diseases that has infected almost all the varieties of vegetable plants. It attacks the root system of the plant, thus weakening the entire plant functioning, and making the leaves yellow. An unfortunate ordeal about the fusarium wilt is that it is not affected by the cold weather and is almost always spread by the cucumber beetle.

If you are familiar with algae, then you would have also heard of the downy mildew. It looks remarkably similar to algae and gives its best shot in humid and cold weather. If the underside of your leaves display fungal pores and yellow spots, then it is highly likely that your plant is affected by the downy mildew. A good news with the downy mildew is that it is not always fatal and its effects drift away once the conditions normalize.

Insect infestation

We might not be aware of it but zucchini plants can sometimes become home to some of the most dangerous insects. They attract a host of insects, primarily because of their taste and odor. These insects do the job of eating up the leaves, thus making them wilted and yellow  brown.

Insects like aphids, squash bugs, spider mites, and squash mine borers suck the sap of the zucchini plants, thus draining all the important nutrients from it, and making it vulnerable to die.

How to treat yellow zucchini plant leaves?

In order to beat the nutritional deficiency of your zucchini plant, it is important to take into consideration a few remedial steps. These are as follows:

Treating the nutritional imbalances

Adding a well-rotted manure or compost is one of the most naturally proven ways to treat your plant for any nutritional deficiency. Adding a naturally prepared or commercially available compost will help your plant to fulfill its phosphorus and potassium needs. Adding compost allows your plant to absorb nutrients slowly, thereby making it a sustainable option to combat any deficiency.

While adding compost is an easy way out, making the pH levels of your soil balanced is another related way in which the nutritional problems can be treated. The ideal pH levels in which your plant thrives is 6.5 to 7 and adding a manure that is very well rotten can do wonders for your soil and the plant.

Watering your plants right

A common belief is that zucchini plants are intrinsically made of water so they might need more water to thrive. To the surprise of our readers, this is far from being true. Zucchini plants need only 2-3 cm of water once every week and not more than that. This is similar to the watering needs of most other house plants.

On the other end of the scale is underwatering. Not giving enough water to your plant results in withering and dying of plants, thus making them yellow. Do not overcome this situation by watering them immensely. Start in moderation and stay in moderation. Nothing more than 1 inch per week.

Further, many people water the plants from right above the leaves. This should be avoided if you are not looking for active invitations to fungal diseases and bacteria. Instead, drip irrigation is almost always supported. This method not only ensures that water reaches straight to your root system, but also helps in its wastage.

Provide adequate sunlight to your plant

One of the simplest ways to treat your plant for yellow leaves is by exposing it to 7 hours of direct sunlight every day. To do so, make sure that your plants are not rooted in a shady region of your garden. It can make things difficult for you at a later stage.

If you are growing your zucchini plant in a greenhouse or indoors, then it is important to install sufficient artificial lights to make up for the natural light deficiency. You can also make sure to pot your plants near a window, where the sunlight exposure is optimum.

Treating transplant shock

A transplant shock is generally considered a reflex of the plant towards new growing conditions and there is not really much that you can do about it.

However, you can certainly reduce the after effects by making sure to not transplant zucchinis until they are completely matured and hardened. Doing this can minimize the shock since it becomes less taxing for mature plants as compared to the amateurs.

Treating damage from insects and diseases

It is not easy to treat your plant if an insect infestation or disease has already made their way to it. But, you can try the most efficient methods like attracting beneficial insects that will eat up aphids and spider mites, thus reducing your problem.

Another way of getting rid of the disease damage is to spread pesticides on your plants after removing all the rotten and damaged parts of the plant. It is important to detach and discard them in a way that they do not come in contact with other plants and infect them.

Using floating row covers is a natural way to keep insects and diseases away from your zucchini plants. These fine mesh sheets repel undesirable insects and pests, thus keeping them at bay.

Conclusion

While it is true that zucchini plants are the easiest to grow, the fact they come with a set of problems of their own is also true. Their leaves turning yellow is just one of these problems that requires immediate attention and treatment solutions.

With the points mentioned in the preceding article, it should not be difficult for a newbie or a professional gardener to figure out what they need to do once their zucchini plant leaves turn yellow.

Additionally, you can also look up to the general steps that will help in taking care of the overall plant in the long-term. With the right amount of time, energy, and equipment, your zucchini plants can thrive for as long as you want.

Cabbage belongs to the mustard species and thrives in chilly conditions like other similar crops. The crop features round, flat, or pointy heads formed of tightly wrapped leaves. A short, strong stalk or core runs through the middle of the head.

Cabbage has several culinary applications. It adds crispness and flavor to salads and dressings when eaten raw. You may sauté, stir-fry, fill, add to soups, incorporate into egg roll stuffing, or ferment cabbage to produce kraut and kimchi.

So, how often to water cabbage? Cabbage requires enough soil water. The most acceptable tops are solid, crisp, luscious, sweet, and occasionally spicy, but not sour.

The crops would have a poor consistency and an extreme bitterness when they cannot get steady rainfall or watering. The plant’s leaves and stems can brown and run dry, or it could fail to create a head. An inch of rain every week is sufficient.

If your ground is sandy, irrigate more frequently per week. One inch of water would moisten a sandy bottom to a level of 10 inches, whereas dense clay soil will be drenched to a group of 6 inches. To determine how deep down the ground is damp, use a trowel. Leave the water flowing if it’s just an inch or so.

How to Produce Cabbage at Home?

Let’s have a look at how to produce cabbage at the house –

Mix gardening mulch in a 2:3 proportion to prep the ground for planting. Place the seeds upon that garden bed and gently top with sand. Cabbage needs frequent watering.

The best solution is to feed your cabbage seedlings using a watering container or sprinklers. Ensure the soil stays hydrated, particularly while the plants are enjoying the sun.

If insects are an issue in your yard, you may wrap your cabbage crops with a composting sheet and platen cover. It will aid in the preservation of the soil’s humidity levels, resulting in speedier sprouting.

Cabbage doesn’t grow well in either partial or total shade. Whether you are starting the maturation inside, ensure to expose them to sunshine for six to eight hours every day. Maintain the irrigation schedule and unwind.

It will require 7 to 15 days for newly planted seeds to sprout. Keep the ground temperature at 20°C for maximum development.

Cabbage has to be transplanted to develop correctly. Schedule the transfer after four to six weeks of sprouting. Before transplanting your cabbage, ensure the seedlings are three to four inches tall and have at least 3-4 pairs of leaflets.

Also Read: How Often To Water Kale?

Soil Conditions for Cabbage

Cabbage grows best in nutritionally rich, well-drained ground. It also necessitates a sunny environment. When planting the seed or transferring young plants, it is critical to do adequate land prep.

Expert farmers recommend tilling the ground and applying fertilizer or well-rotted manure for transplanting or immediate sowing. Cabbage likes rich soils with a pH of 6 to 6,8 for most circumstances.

Keeping the soil continually wet is the typical technique to ensure healthy plants and high-quality crops. Before planting, growers must do a soil examination. You must speak with a local professional agronomist to develop a sound field preparation strategy.

Growing cabbage

It’s time to transfer your baby cabbage seedlings to their ultimate growth location when they have 5 or 6 leaf blades.

The procedure is straightforward: Give them plenty of water the day before. Place the seedlings in their original location so that the bottom leaves are all at floor level. ‘Puddle’ lots of water in the seedlings – this involves filling the area with water multiple times before applying soil.

Based on the variety of cabbage, the distance differs: Small varieties are spaced 30cm (1ft) across. More enormous varieties can be spaced down to 45cm (18in) away. Spring cabbages – plant at 10cm (4in) intervals in lines 30cm (1ft) apart, trim to 30cm apart during the late February/March.

During lengthy dry conditions, water plants generously once every ten days. When the crowns start to develop, liberal irrigation will considerably increase growth. Before they become too large, summertime and winter cabbages should be fertilized with a high-nitrogen solution.

Also Read: How Long Does it Take for Kale to Grow?

How to Start a Cabbage Plant from Seed?

You may get cabbage plants in garden nurseries in the springtime, but then you can grow them off the seed. To estimate the days to maturation, carefully study the seed packaging. You’ll sow seeds around Fifty to Sixty days well before the latest frost dates in your area.

Put 3 or 4 seeds in every cell approximately a quarter of just an inch (1/2 cm) deep after covering with seed-starting material. Cabbage requires a lot of direct sunshine to flourish; otherwise, the plants will get leggy.

Many of the plants are started under artificial light. Thin the tiniest seedlings to preserve your main plant when your plants have emerged.

Plants should be watered thoroughly after sowing and throughout the growing season. Cabbage is a strong eater that thrives on nitrogen, side-dressing every crop with a natural fertilizer 3 to 4 weeks following planting.

Maintain a well-weeded space so that plants aren’t fighting for resources with weeds. A little cover of straw or crushed leaves surrounding the planting space could benefit.

How Often to Water Cabbage from Seed to Harvest?

Cabbage grows best on the constantly wet ground. Although it will not accept lingering in damp, waterlogged soil, it does require frequent watering to develop green heads—water the cabbage weekly, soaking the ground with 1 ½ inch of water.

Water even more if your soil dries to a level of 3 inches. Spray in the mornings to minimize standing water on its leaves, which invites insects and infections.

Water needs range from 380 – 500 mm based on location and growth season duration. Plant transpiration rises during the plant growth period, peaking after the period.

If your neighborhood doesn’t get enough rainfall per week, you’ll have to feed your cabbage crops manually. You could use a water hose, pitchers, or a standard hose to complete the task.

If you don’t get any rain within your location, offer your cabbage seedlings a thorough, deep soak once a week. Because cabbage roots go far, this procedure is preferable to multiple brief washes. Maintain the water pressure moderate while watering cabbage crops to prevent damaging the plants’ soil.

It’s a great idea to concentrate your attention on the plant’s roots. Watering the crowns of the crops might promote the growth of bugs and illnesses.

Watering in the morning hours is also an excellent idea. Any surplus water accumulated on the foliage will be absorbed by the bright sun.

Also Read: How Long Does Horseradish Take to Grow?

Moisture at a Steady Level

Spread four inches of compost to the vegetable patch, drawing it away four inches from the cabbage plant’s stalk to keep a regular amount of water in the soil. Mulching reduces soil evaporation, maintaining it cold and wet as the temperature heats.

Inside the cabbage bed, you could also use plastic mulching. Gently poke a tear in the plastic & put seeds or plants into damp soil.

Adding Additional Nutrients

Cabbage is a robust feeder that requires frequent fertilizer treatments. One spoonful of liquid 10-10-10 fertilizer each gallon is needed. After seven to fourteen days, add 1 cup of mixture per plant.

Use One tablespoon per sq foot of slow-release fertilizer over three months, scraping the prills into the ground. Water carefully before and after fertilizer application.

Fertilizing

The process of applying fertilizer and lime is to use the findings of a soil analysis as a direction. For further details on soil analysis, find your nearest OSU Extension center.

In the lack of soil analysis, it is recommended that two to three pounds of 8-16-16 fertilizer be distributed consistently over 100 sq feet of plant area.

Around two weeks before transplantation, mix the fertilizer into the ground well. To promote the foundation, apply a liquid starter fertilizer when transplanting. Prepare the fertilizer as per the package guidelines and add 1 cup of the initial mixture to each plant.

A side-dress nitrogen treatment of roughly 0.75 pounds of urea (46-0-0) for 100 feet of row once seedlings are well-established (two or three weeks after transplantation) is recommended to maximize production.

Cabbage Harvesting Techniques

Harvest when the heads have reached the proper size and thus are solid. Mature crowns that remain on the stalk may divide. Many green cabbage types mature in 70 days or less and yield 1- and 3-pound heads.

Use a sharp knife to cut every cabbage head at the base to collect. Trim any yellow foliage (maintain fragile green leaves for storage safety) and promptly transport the crown indoors or into the shadow.

Take up a plant (roots and everything) and place it in a humid cellar with near-freezing conditions. Remove the cabbage crown from the stalk, keep the green parts and roots in the yard, and gain two crops.

The plants will put up new ones, which you should pinch off until just four or five tiny heads are left. Pick when the crop is the size of a tennis ball (ideal for salad!).

To avoid illness, eliminate shoots and roots systems from the ground after harvesting. Just vigorous plants should be composted; any with pest infestations should be destroyed.

The potatoes (Solanumtuberosum), a South American species, became a global culinary mainstay. Producing your homegrown potatoes is a simple process. Although the potato plants require extra nutrition as the tubers grow, it flourishes in loose, naturally rich soils.

You may feed your tubers with a 5-10-10 fertilizer, or you could utilize organic fertilizers like well-composted cow dung and compost.

Potatoes are unquestionably one of our favorite veggies to raise. Nothing beats the thrill of discovering those enticing tubers! There are several methods for growing them, everyone with a set of benefits.

In this article you’ll know if cow manure good for potatoes.

If you want to produce your potatoes at the house, you’ll wish to use fertilizer to give them the nutrition they require to thrive. Do you want to know which fertilizers are ideal for homemade potatoes? You really shouldn’t look any further.

We examined the nutritional needs of the potato plant and some of the finest fertilizer solutions. The appropriate fertilizer proportion for potato plants generally contains twice as much potash and phosphorus as nitrogen.

All-purpose fertilizers with equal quantities of all three needs will also work. Nitrogen concentrations should be minimal when immature potatoes are growing to avoid the potatoes from being sensitive to illnesses.

Nevertheless, as the potato expands in size, more nitrogen is required. But we are here to examine things about manure and determine what works and what doesn’t. So let’s dive into it.

What is the finest manure for potatoes? Instead of planting a cover plant, most natural growers top-dress the ground using compost or well-rotted manure, like cow manure.

Compost assists the ground retain water, while well-rotted manure lowers the acidity and provides nutrients back into the soil.

Also Read: Best Soil for Sweet Potatoes

Planting

Potatoes can be grown from March through mid-June, although most growers choose to sow them around May. Some gardeners typically do not start until April to early May because of damp weather.

Growing soon and utilizing early types can provide an earlier yield, but it may result in some lost plants due to seed component decay.

Try sowing some few hills soon in the season for “fresh” cooking potatoes and even more later for autumn and winter preservation. In speaking, late-harvest with late-maturing types keep longer over early-harvest with early-maturing kinds.

Rows should be spaced about three feet away for convenient farming and hilling. In rows, put seed bits 10 – 12 inches off and top with Four inches of soil.

In some areas, deeper coverage is permitted on drier or sandy soils and not more than four inches thick on dense clay soils or even in rainy circumstances.

Also, ensure that sown crops are gently mulched to avoid water from sitting in the lines and suffocating the seed bits and emerging seedlings.

Consider increasing the within-row gap to 15 inches if you like bigger tubers. Put the seed bits closely together when the tubers were too huge. It is pretty unusual to see seed distances of six inches or fewer. Tuber size could also be influenced by variety choice.

Manure’s Function

It is challenging to sustain and enhance vegetable and potato crops’ soil conditions. Heavy machinery can create compaction, plant wastes are often small in these cycles, and sand particles generally have poor organic content values.

Fertilizer or compost could be used to restore degraded land. A mix of manure and wrap plants is advised to reduce expenses and increase organic inputs to repair soils. The dung is not new; it is a good fertilizer for land wherein potatoes will be cultivated.

To be utilized in the field without threat of scorching young or sensitive plants, dung should’ve been left to dry over the winter or passed sufficient period in a compost pile, in which it warmed up to a level of 135 – 160 degrees F.

These two methods will remove potentially hazardous germs and pathogens found in new manure while also lowering the harshness of the dung.

Check this out: How Often To Water Kale?

Creating Your Potato Patch

A well-decomposed mulch created from manure aids in lightening dense soils and the enrichment of sandy soils. Wear gloves, protective goggles, and a face mask to safeguard your body, eyes, and lungs.

Sift 1–2 inches of compost well over the field, then put it in 8–12 inches deep. Make a Six-inch deep hole in the enriched soil and plant the seed potatoes 12 inches spaced in it. Two inches of soil should be applied to the potatoes.

As the plants develop, continue to add modified soil until just the top 2 bunches of leaves are visible above the surface. The concealed stems and petals will establish roots and yield additional potatoes.

Raising Potatoes in a Limited Amount of Space

A potato tower is an option for cultivating potatoes together in a compact space. A vertical farming bed can be made out of a reed fence, chicken wire, or a pile of old tires. Fill the bottom of the mound with 4–6 inches of composting or modified soil.

Spread 4 to 6 seed potatoes using two inches of compost. Bring extra compost blended with straws to the structure as the potato plants develop, concealing all except the topmost leaves. The potatoes are prepared to harvest whenever the vines become brown and eventually die.

Also Read: How Much Sunlight Do Green Beans Need?

Is it possible to over fertilize potatoes?

No. Over-fertilizing potato plants are typically not a great idea since stress can cause them to become misshapen and over-developed.

When you over-fertilize your tuber plants, you might find that the foliage is folded up and pale compared to their standard green color. The most straightforward technique to avoid over-or under-fertilization would be to monitor the soil’s nutritional status regularly.

Can You Put Fresh Manure in Your Garden?

The advantages of employing dung as fertilizer are widely documented. Manure enhances soil characteristics, enables adequate drainage, and increases the soil’s water retention capacity. It is suitable for soft clay, compressed earth, tough pan soil, & sandy soil.

Manure is just an organic element that can boost the number of helpful microorganisms in plant soil. In addition to the earth, manure offers a gradual and consistent nutrient supply to the vegetation living in the ground.

Manure is a low-cost plant fertilizer, particularly for people who rear cows. But don’t go out to the field yet to gather cow patties for the yard.

When consumables are cultivated in fresh manure, dangerous microorganisms like E. coli or other disease viruses can cause significant infections in people.

Fresh manures can include high quantities of nitrogen, ammonia, and salts that can injure and scorch plants in combination with dangerous bacteria and weed seedlings. The easiest method to prevent all of these issues with raw manure will be to heat compost before using it in the yard.

It is advised that raw dung be composted by at least fifteen days at a minimal, constant temperature of 131 Fahrenheit to appropriately destroy the virus, weed seeds, and neutralize excess salts, nitrogen, and ammonium concentrations (55 C.).

Also Read: How Often to Water Sweet Potatoes?

Availability of nutrients

Therefore, how much compost do you need to use? If you bought packaged composted manure, the nutritional content and dose rate are listed on the packaging.

When you’re working with tubs of raw or old manure out of a nearby farm, the stuff of your own chicken house, or a contribution from a friend’s horse barn, estimating whether you’re applying excessively, too less, or just enough can be difficult.

The nutritional content of agricultural manure differs widely based on various circumstances. The decomposition and discharge of organic material in manure will determine the nutrient supply for plant development.

On average, dung will provide 70 to 80 percent of the phosphorus plus 80 to 90 percent of the potassium during the first year following application. Nitrogen accessibility is much more complicated to calculate since it relies on microbes to make it accessible for absorption.

Additional potato-growing advice:

Sow the potatoes 8-9 inches thick if you might not want to deal with hilling. The disadvantages are that the potatoes may take more time to grow, and your crop may be lesser.

Potatoes prefer somewhat acidic soil (5.8-6.5 pH). For best effect, add fertilizer or composts. A decent soil mix for producing potatoes in pots is mixing One peat moss, One part natural gardening soil, and 1 part cow dung.

If you want to keep weeding simpler (and then have the room), grow your tubers at least 2 feet away; thus, you can weed through them.