what wrong with my garden

   / what wrong with my garden #11  
Take them samples of the plants themselves. That will be key.
 
   / what wrong with my garden #13  
post some pictures of your garden and harvest so we can see whats going on.
 
   / what wrong with my garden
  • Thread Starter
#14  
Thanks for the replies so far, I will try to post some pics this weekend. I'm starting to think it is some kind of fungus. I was picking some beans and noticed some of the leaves dying on the end and kind of a brown powder on them. Could this be what's causing the problem in the whole garden?
 
   / what wrong with my garden #16  
Just recently found this site and saw this thread today. As a Master Gardener and Georgia Certified Landscape Professional, may I say that I agree with several of the previous posts.

1. ALWAYS give as much information as possible and ask specific questions, i.e. what is causing the tips of my beans to die with a brown powder? There are so many variables in horticulture success.

2. That said, it seems that your biggest problem is soil moisture management. Try going to a local garden store and getting a moisture meter. They range from $10 to over $100. Just in case the directions are vague, as they sometimes can be, do a calibration test of sort as follows:
Take a pot of the garden soil and thoroughly saturate it. Then test it with your meter. This will show you what reading you will get for totally wet soil. I follow that up with a container of appropriately moist soil. That is, soil that will ball up when squeezed but will easily crumble and not stay in a mud ball. See what that reading is. Now you have two standards to go by and should be able to, from a practicle perspective, to gauge what you garden soil moisture level is. You may need better drainage, you may need better structure.

3. The suggestions for utilizing your local extension office are excellent advice. You do not have personal opinion but rather the benefit of information from a university. Just for asking, is that where you got your soil test done?

4. Fungus does not usually leave a powder (notwithstanding mushrooms, i.e. puffballs) and mold on plants is white.
 
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   / what wrong with my garden
  • Thread Starter
#17  
Sorry I haven't replied, football practice started and I haven't had time time to do anything. I'll count this year as a learning experience and try to do better next year. I had the soil tested by the extension office and the test came back good. I think the I the moisture thing was the problem and I planted some things too close together and that caused some of the problem. I can pay extra for a more complete soil test and I will this fall. I am going to cover the soil with black plastic after I till this years garden in. I will plant further apart next year and see what happens. I was also think about fertilizing the soil before I plant next year. Am I missing anything? Thanks for the rplies! TC
 
   / what wrong with my garden #18  
TC

Your soil test from the extension service is as good as you need. As far as covering the soil with black plastic, consider this- try using clear plastic and solarizing the soil. This is not the same as sterilizing but serves a similar purpose. Do a search on the process and you can make a decision from there. If you do use either plastic, let the tillage break down first before covering. It will need oxygen and will suffocate if covered. Cover for a few weeks before planting to kill any weeds, fungi, etc. I always work some fertilizer into the soil when I till it during preparation. For most soil I like something like a 5-10-10 or a 5-10-15. The 10 and 15 help with root developement and overall vigor. One note: The middle 10 (phosphate) can build up in soil. It does not readily move hence it takes a while to get to the root zone if you just broadcast it over the top. It also does not leach out as quickly as nitrogen which is why you can get buildup, even to toxicity. Seen those commercials for "phosphate-free" detergents?
 
   / what wrong with my garden #19  
There is/was an old saying:

"A dry summer will scare you to death, and a wet summer will starve you to death".
 

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