Late last night I arrived home from my trip to the Pacific Northwest, delighted to see my boys. But as soon as the Bear and Tiger were tucked into bed, I snuck outside with a flashlight to inspect my other little ones: the tomatoes and coleus I planted before leaving on my trip a week earlier.
The coleus had become slug salad. Every plant has huge holes in it. Some are reduced almost to their skeletal forms.
So this morning, once I could see what I was doing, I scattered Sluggo across the bed, hoping that some can recover. (You can see the little pellets in the next photo.)
I do have a few more starts, but I’d planted the best, strongest plants.
As for the tomatoes? Even by flashlight, I could already see that their foliage was too yellow. By light of day, it’s now apparent that the potato-leaved varieties are most affected. I can’t spot any obvious insect pests. The few tomato plants that are still in pots look even more sickly, so I don’t think I repeated last year’s fertilizer-burn catastrophe. (Anyway, I only used manure and it seemed well-rotted, but it’s hard to be sure. I mean, it’s not like you can do a taste test on it!) Also, volunteer tomato seedlings in these beds appear a healthy green.
I’m thinking nutrient deficiency. (But why, with all that manure?) I tried dousing some of them with Monty’s Joy Juice to see if that helps.
In the meantime, here’s what they look like, in case any botanical medical detectives have a diagnosis for me! This one shows the characteristic yellowing of the potato leaves, plus some brown dryness on the far-right leaf:
Here’s similar yellowing on a regular-leaved plant. Oddly, a few plants have yellow leaves and purpling on the underside of the leaves, which I know results from phosphorus deficiency and should resolve on its own now that they’re in the ground. I’m really only worried about the yellowing.
Finally, here’s my strongest seedling – my prize Sungold, no less! – looking healthier than the first two but still mottled.
Oh, and all those silver maple seeds you see lying around the plants? They’ve sprouted into legions of trees in my absence. But that’s a mere nuisance that can be fixed with work. I’m not in despair over them. My tomatoes, on the other hand, make me want to weep.
Patron cat of Kittywampus (1985-2001)
This is sad, first the ants and now the slugs! We had a light frost the last couple of nights, too – can you believe it? I think the sungolds, black cherries and stupices all made it through! My turn being out West now. It was cool to see the Rockies as we landed.
Yeah, I heard it got cold. I don’t know if the frost actually reached my garden, but I wondered if that was part of the problem. I’m glad your plants are still hanging in there. Surely that’s got to be the last frost of the season? (The question mark is so I won’t jinx us.)
I had some spectacular views from the plane, too. Have a great trip!
Hi Sungold –
Too bad your tomatoes took a hit while you were away. Actually, from your photos they don’t look so bad. What I pay most attention to is the new growth, and that looks OK — nice and green. I’ve seen this kind of thing in my own starts, where the bigger leaves go yellow, and just assumed it’s just a little transplant shock. My guess is they’ll outgrow it. I’d give them a week or two before you start dousing them with anything.
As far as nutrients, if the soil’s cold there won’t be much nitrogen available due to not much biological activity. Of course cold soil usually means not much sun so the plants won’t be metabolizing much anyway. Only thing that gives me pause is the manure. If you wound up with the kind of “steer manure” that comes mixed with lots of sawdust (you have to check the bag), the sawdust will suck enough nitrogen to make the whole mixture nitrogen-negative for years. If that’s the case they may need some fish fertilizer or something like that, but I’d still wait a couple weeks and let them get their roots out.
Post some updates when you get the chance…
I don’t think the soil’s terribly cold. My squash and beans germinated quite happily in my absence, and that should be a pretty reliable indicator. But the last couple of nights before my return were in the mid to low thirties, so my ‘maters have every right to sulk.
You’re right that I could be seeing some transplant shock, and also that the new growth is looking better. But some plants aren’t showing happy new growth and I was too concerned (okay, panicky) to be patient. So, after consulting my friend who knows a lot more than I do, we determined they may have an iron deficiency. I drenched them with some Monty’s Joy Juice (which I think is unlikely to do any harm) and then added some iron (but made sure to measure carefully).
I think they look slightly perkier today, but that could just be wishful thinking. The weather is just about perfect for them (highs in the mid-80s) so they should have every chance to recover.
I’m with Euchalon on this – my suspicion is nitrogen deficiency caused by loads of sawdust (which inevitably comes along with manure). It looks like the Monty’s Joy Juice (which really should be a rank drink name) comes in different flavors. If the one you applied isn’t mostly nitrogen, I’d dose ‘em with some fish fertilizer too. And be patient.
As for the coleus: one of my friends pays his sons 10ยข for every slug and snail they collect from the garden.
I’m seeing more greening-up as the day goes along, so I think we’re gonna be okay. I might give them some fish fertilizer soonish anyway. And I will definitely offer a bounty for slugs.
Monty’s Joy Juice *is* a rank drink, isn’t it? Featuring Everclear and nitrogen, with some green Kool-Aid tosse in for flavor? Or is there a reason my memory is failing?