ItâÂÂs not just the critical 3 - Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium which plants need. There are 10 other nutrients required for healthy growth. Magnesium: when a plant has too little magnesium it loses the green sheen from its leaves. This is because magnesium builds chlorophyll, the pigment which makes plants green. Calcium: Causes Blossom End Rot when it is lacking and it is important in building cell walls. Sulfur: Is an important component of protein. It's an essential part of plant growth and deficiency can show up in yellowing leaves. But whereas with magnesium was first made apparent in the older leaves, sulfur deficiency is seen by the yellowing of younger leaves. Iron: Is used in the making of chlorophyll so more yellow leaves, as with sulfur, it affects the younger leaves. ItâÂÂs presence is affected by calcium. Calcium to Iron balance is important. Large amounts of calcium in a soil equals too little iron. Iron deficiency is more prevalent in alkaline soils. Manganese: Essential for chlorophyll formation. So again yellow leaves but the older ones affected first. Zinc: It aids in moisture absorption and in the production of chlorophyll. A deficiency is indicated in tomatoes by small, narrow leaves with black spots in yellow areas and plants may be stunted. Boron: It is the most widely deficient minor nutrient in vegetable crop soils. It is needed in protein synthesis, and increases flower set, crop yield and quality. Boron: In combination with adequate phosphorus, boron increases pollination, fruit set and seed development. Copper: Most soils are deficient in copper. Some gardeners believe that copper is toxic to plants and should be kept out of the garden. In fact, too much copper can be toxic to roots and leaves, but a small amount is a necessary component of plant growth. Copper should not be applied before having the soil professionally tested. Your "good amended bagged soil" will deplete rapidly as the plants use it up. Plants need to be periodically fed to replace the nutrients and minerals used up with growth. A good fertilizer will contain these trace elements and are usually marked on the bag as containing the minor elements. Most bagged fertilizers are correctly proportioned with the minors for the plants you are growing. Look for it -- such as 'tomato' fertilizer.

Lou

If I had to guess I would say it is getting too much water and/or the potting mix is too dense. What brand of soil did you use? When you had to carry the bag of soil was it very heavy for its size? I am just guessing though from what you said.

Once I did get a diseased plant from the store. The variety was alleged to have lots of disease resistance and I was excited to try it out. It developed a visible fungus/rot where the stem came out of the ground and it died:( I have never before or since had any problems with soil fungus.

IMPE, most box store veggie transplants tend to weaken & die easily. The plants I grow myself from seed almost always fare better over time.

Hi Lou. Thanks for the detailed explanation about necessary nutrients. The thing is, I rarely had a problem with tomatoes in past years. I haven't used Miracle Gro on these lately and when I did in the past, the plants grew wonderfully.

Amberroses, you may be right about the dense soil. It seems to stay very moist, maybe too moist for a week or more. I have peat and stuff mixed in, but guess it needs to be less heavy.

Carol, I usually have good success with bb store plants, but not always.

Thanks guys, for your commentaries.

Sheri

The best way I know of to get the micro nutrients is to incorperate leaves into my compost. The trees pull the micros up from the deep subsoil for us.

I'm with Amber, if it's doing that poorly turn the contanier sideways on the ground and pull the container away from the mix so you can inspect the the bottom of the mix for a wet, soggy cespool, you have nothing to lose...sure sounds like your mix is staying wet too long.

Tom

Cap, do you have a compost tumbler or do you have a pile?

Tom, that sounds like a good way to inspect for soil that's too wet. By the way, the okra seeds you sent me over a year ago and that I planted last spring are tall, thriving plants constantly producing more okra. Delicious, especially fried. They were the Baby Bubba variety. Maybe, when these plants finally fade away, you could send me some more seeds? I'll swap you some kinds that I have or even pay you for them. Thanks.

Sheri

Too late Sheri. Cathy doesn't really like okra and we've decided to just stick with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash because our garden is so small. I shipped everything else to Silvia because she's our "mother earth" distributor ;-) I know I sent her some Baby Bubba and Little Lucy seeds, drop her a line.

Tom

"Cap, do you have a compost tumbler or do you have a pile?"

Hi Sheri. I'm working with piles now because my big green tumbler rusted out. I hope to repair it with stainless steel sheet that I have aquired. Just waiting for my neighbor who has a plasma cutter to help me make the parts to size. Hopefully my $400+ tumbler will live for a while after that.

On the okra, save a large pod or two from the plants that you have. I have been growing my Crimson spineless for several years from my own seed. It helps to cut some stem off with the pod and just let it dry in the house. When it's dry it will sound like a rattle snake's tail when you shake it!

IMHO - I don't think shaking a rattlesnake's tail would be a wise idea. Call me 'crimson spineless'

Lou

Call me 'crimson spineless'

I see what you did there!

~dianne

"Bunch of Jolly Jokers" said Sergeant Schultz

Thanks anyway, Tom.

Cap, if you save seed from the okra will it remain true to type? If it's a hybrid, I don't think it will.

I believe that Crimson Spineless is heirloom so it seems to work fine. It seems that the more seasons you save seed the better adapted the plants are to your area. Maybe all in my head but that's how I like to think of it.

I agree that with a hybrid you would not know what to expect.