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greenhouse problems

Started by Kansas, April 25, 2010, 06:26:56 PM

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Kansas

When I had this house built last year, I had a sunroom put in. My plan was to use it for starting plants for the garden, plus keep stuff like basil, cilantro, etc. year around for cooking, along with some hothouse tomatoes during the winter. I started a bunch of pepper and tomato plants late winter. They started out fine. However, many, if not most, look like they got hit with 2-4 D or something like that. The sunroom is all eastern red cedar for the walls and ceiling, except for the windows. I have central heat, so if there is anything that was used on the wood floors or walls in the rest of the house for sealant, that would also be put in the room through the vents. I am way back in the pasture, so I don't think it was spray drift-although I can't rule out someone airplane spraying for thistles. Still, the house is kept shut up tight.
Any ideas? can ERC cause problems? They didn't seal it in the sunroom, and you can certainly smell it. I do have a walnut floor in one room, but the flooring people sealed that. Trying to figure out if its something in the house that will wear off in time, or if I have another problem.

Don_Papenburg

Your growing medium might not have enough plant food  or it is out of balance.  Did it get a spike in temp on a hot sunny day when you were not there? Or cold some night?
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Kansas

I used a potting soil mix I got from the store. It is pre fertilized. After germination, every other time I watered, I used Miracle-Gro at a rate of one tablespoon to 3 gallons of water. It seems to hit certain varieties. The banana peppers look fine. The bell peppers look terrible. They sit side by side on the table in the sunroom.

Don_Papenburg

Well, Good thing you never paid for my advice.
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

Kansas

It was worth a try,Don. It sure has me baffled. I still think its some sort of enviromental problem in the house. When it warms up some I will open windows in the sunroom and see if that makes a difference.

Norm

You may be giving them too much nitrogen. It will show up as the growing tips being yellow or white. Starts need almost no fertilizer to grow. Can you post a picture of what they look like for us?

WDH

Norm, I was thinking the same thing.  It might be too much fertilizer.
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Kansas

That may be it. I will try and get some pics posted.

Ernie

Did you ever find out what the problem was?
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sandhills

I realize it's a year old thread but I'm with Norm, too much fertilizer.  It's worse than too little. 

SwampDonkey

Too much fertilizer or over watering. If it's too much water the roots can't take up nutrients too well. If there is no overhead light, and it's just light from a wall window then I find the plants get spindly and weak. When put outside they scald from the direct full hot sun.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Kansas

I didn't start any plants this year. Just too much going on. I do have a few other plants in there, and they are doing fine. I suspect it was indeed too much fertilizer.

northwoods1

I learned that very early on, with fertilizer more definitely is not better  :) another mistake I made was spraying the water/fertilizer directly on the plants. Some plants can not tolerate it on the foliage at all it only can be absorbed by the roots.

sandhills

While we're on the subject (kinda) my tomato plants have gotten a fungus the last 2 years and I think I read it here not long ago that you are not suppose to spray the leaves with water, anyone know about this?

Norm

If they were full grown it's part of the wet weather we've had the last couple of years. You can try a different spot in the garden and aggressively prune them to help dry them off after rains and humid mornings.  If they are starts then yes do not mist the plants as they are very susceptible to fungus diseases. 

thecfarm

Maybe not water at night,just first thing in the morning. Do you use cages or tie them up? I don't know if black plastic would be better or worse to have around them.I too would try a differant spot.
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WDH

I definitely have to rotate my tomatoes to avoid fusarium wilt.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

sandhills

2 different spots, 1 mile apart.  No my garden isn't that big I moved  :D.  Funny thing is I had cherry tomato plants within a few feet both years and they never got it, just the big tomatoes.  It's also just the tomatoes that are affected, not the plants, and I use cages on mine.  Thanks.

Bandmill Bandit

While over fertilizing will cause any number of issues it sounds to me like the age old problem know as damp off. Over watering. Affects some plant different then others but most are susceptible to it. the over watering drowns the little root hairs and then the plants cant take in nutrients. This is knowledge gained from watching and helping my wife in her green house for over 30 years.

I am not "allowed" in there without her permission and the generally get  delivered in the form of a yell when there is a problem she needs help with.

Do you have any idea what 30,000 lady bugs look like in a styro foam container packed with ice when you set it in an 80 degree green house and remove the ice?

You find lady bugs in the most interesting locations. Sure does look after all sort of pest problems though, all over the whole yard.   
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
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Norm

Now I know where all the ladybugs in my house came from! :D

My tomatoes have all done the same the last couple of years. The local garden show on the radio had tons of folks calling in with the same problems. Apparently the warm overnight temps and heavy dews are perfect conditions for fungal diseases. Further apart spacing and heavy pruning were recommended but I know just about the time I got ripe tomatoes they started dying.

Bandmill Bandit

yes norm we had the same problem and I can't remember what that blight is called. Moving large air volume helps but if the humidity is high you almost have to dry the air by heating it first so it can get to be a pain.
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

SwampDonkey

Pretty much any disease that hits the above ground parts of a potato will affect a tomato and I'm in a potato belt. But disease is taken very seriously, even garden diseased potatoes are to be destroyed by law and only certified seed or better is approved for growing. If coming from Newfoundland, you will be searched for potatoes and they will be seized.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

northwoods1

Quote from: Norm on April 19, 2011, 08:46:13 AM
Now I know where all the ladybugs in my house came from! :D

My tomatoes have all done the same the last couple of years. The local garden show on the radio had tons of folks calling in with the same problems. Apparently the warm overnight temps and heavy dews are perfect conditions for fungal diseases. Further apart spacing and heavy pruning were recommended but I know just about the time I got ripe tomatoes they started dying.

You have ladybugs down there too? I know what its like to battle 30,000 (more like 3 million) ladybugs from getting in my house that is for sure. They just swarm here in October if we get a warm day and they are looking to hibernate in the house. You can't even walk outside when they are really swarming, and they bite too :D

With the tomatoes I found that if you stake them and prune them to climb, as long there as outside I can say for certain, you can control that blight. I stake them on a pole about 5' high and tie them to it as they climb and just prune of the everything but the leader. If they are near the ground, when it rains the water splashing from the ground infects the leaves but if up high it can't get to them. And rotate planing areas also. Staking them to grow up is a lot better than letting them spread on the ground I think, easier to pick too.

SwampDonkey

You can thank your USDA for them Asian lady bugs to. They are not the native kind that know enough to find their own home. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Woodcarver

Fungal diseases are common in tomatoes.  Early blight is probably the most prevalent around here.

Cultural practices can help.  The fungus over winters in the soil.  Setting tomatoes out in a different area of the garden is  good, as has already been mentioned.  Mulch under the plants helps. Black plastic works well in northern climates.

Norm mentioned pruning.  Caging the tomatoes and pruning the lower leaves where the disease usually starts is a good practice.   Any leaves that show signs of blight during the growing season should be removed. Removing suckers and restricting the plants to two or three stems helps with air movment.

It's best to water in the morning so plants have a chance to dry during the day or  use a soaker hose to water.

Fungicides may help.  They are a preventative, not a cure.  Timing the application of the spray is critical.  I've used them a time or two, but was never certain that they made a difference.  We never succeed in eliminating early blight entirely, but we are able to control it so we get a tomato crop.
Just an old dog learning new tricks.......Woodcarver

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