Why are plants green?

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esbo said:
Yes I did not realise how much clay was in the soil at the time - big mistake.

I could try digging up the worst and sticking in some compost and replanting them. That can hardly make thing worse than they all ready are and it would improve the soil for the future, Sound like hard work though.
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Try adding a little bit of lime (only very small amounts) - it helps flocculate the soil. Adding peat or compost at the same time will reudce the overall change in pH because these things tend to be slightly acidic.
 
Heavy soil.
If you have cold winters, dig all the ground up in the winter and leave it in lumps.
Frost will break it down by making thousands of cracks in it.

When the spring comes, after a few dry days, break it into soil with a fork.
It's very satisfying.
 
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A guy from the same city as me (hence I assume the same soil) put wood ash and san in his soil and they did really well.


I have a load of wood I could burn but last time I did that my neighbour went nuts.

I will see what they look like tomorrow, that fertiliser may not have finished doing it's damage yet.
 
Yellow leaves is a sign of ill health.
Could be too little zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphate, or another 20 reasons.
To compensate for lack of individual nutrients, you would need to do a soil test.


Why don't you buy some general fertiliser with micronutrients?
They sell it in packets at Garden centres.
 
Captain Kremmen said:
Yellow leaves is a sign of ill health.
Could be too little zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphate, or another 20 reasons.
To compensate for lack of individual nutrients, you would need to do a soil test.


Why don't you buy some general fertiliser with micronutrients?
They sell it in packets at Garden centres.
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I had been trying liquid fertiliser but I don't think it helped.
Problem is that adds more water a well.
I also tried some ammonium sulphate and some Epsom salts neither seemed to help, both had to be added with water.
 
I have no experience with growing tobacco or it's particular needs, Esbo. It sounds as though you have inadvertently caused your plants considerable stress, which then also leaves them open to a host of diseases (or pests) which could also be contributing to some of the symptoms.

For two years I have been observing what I believe are spider mites in my front flowerbed, and those nasty creatures are being annoying. Weather has likely been working to their advantage as our temperatures vacillate widely causing stress to the plants. Poppies and pansies are usually almost foolproof to grow, yet they are the ones taking the beating, while my petunias are having no issues with the mites. (I start almost all of my plants from seed, to minimize the chances of importing problems from another location.)

Ants can be a problem because they pack in aphids and literally farm them for their sticky secretions, but wasps seem to discourage the presence of ants, and so I have overcome my nervousness of the generally benign 'paper wasps'.

The title of this thread relates to the color of most plants being green, and I personally delight in the many shades of green that nature presents. :cool:
 
Captain Kremmen said:
Yellow leaves is a sign of ill health.
Could be too little zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphate, or another 20 reasons.
To compensate for lack of individual nutrients, you would need to do a soil test.


Why don't you buy some general fertiliser with micronutrients?
They sell it in packets at Garden centres.
Click to expand...


I also found this

http://essea.strategies.org/module.php?module_id=74

6156378c3fbb3e2abf5e49882ac5843b.jpg



Small plots of tobacco in clay-rich soil are prone to nitrogen deficiency, turning the leaves yellow. This farmer is rotating his tobacco with corn. Note the sickly corn plants in the field in the background. What plant should be included in the rotation to restore nitrogen to the soil?
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But as I said I tried adding nitrogen and it did not seem to help. Some had what looked lie 'fertiliser burn.
 
Captain Kremmen said:
How much land are you trying to cultivate?
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Not much just about 50 plants in my garden.
I have certainly learned a lot (ie that I am a rubbish gardener - lol ) but then you learn by your mistakes. They just look so sickly I feel like pulling them up.


Anyway it has been raining so that won't do anything for the drainage but I think it's better they get rain than tap water. Oddly there is one plant which is a lot greener than the rest, looks very strange surrounded by very light plants. :D
 
Proteins normally decompose readily, but when bound to clay particles they become more resistant to decomposition. Clay particles also absorb enzymes that would break down proteins. The addition of organic matter to clay soils can render the organic matter and any added nutrients inaccessible to plants and microbes for many years, since they can bind strongly to the clay. High soil tannin (polyphenol) content from plants can cause nitrogen to be sequestered by proteins or cause nitrogen immobilization, also making nitrogen unavailable to plants.
 
esbo said:
Not much just about 50 plants in my garden.
I have certainly learned a lot (ie that I am a rubbish gardener - lol ) but then you learn by your mistakes. They just look so sickly I feel like pulling them up.

Anyway it has been raining so that won't do anything for the drainage but I think it's better they get rain than tap water. Oddly there is one plant which is a lot greener than the rest, looks very strange surrounded by very light plants. :D
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Sometimes people with poor soil use raised beds.


Raised bed gardens are the saviors of gardeners with poor soil everywhere. The basic idea of a raised bed is that instead of battling against poor soil conditions, you build above ground, where you have absolute control over the soil texture and ingredients.


http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/raisedbed.htm
 
Captain Kremmen said:
Sometimes people with poor soil use raised beds.


Raised bed gardens are the saviors of gardeners with poor soil everywhere. The basic idea of a raised bed is that instead of battling against poor soil conditions, you build above ground, where you have absolute control over the soil texture and ingredients.


http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/raisedbed.htm
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i am a believer in raised beds . Not only because it is easier on your back but you can get thick top soil way above the existing ground . Makes for good growing
 
OK, esbo, screw your plants. How about you give us that detailed take on why leaves are green and what is wrong with all the detailed, fulsome explanations you have had so far.

Or are we all accepting that you are just a despicable, narrow minded little troll, who not only won't answer , but lacks the ability to answer. Oops, did I say that out loud? mea culpa.
 
What's that got to do with containers?
Please stick to the thread Ophiolite! :mad:
We've settled the initial point. Ages ago. It didn't make sense.

If you haven't got any container plants, please go away.

@others
Do you think a potted plant on top of a table counts as a container?
I've just put an old round wooden table in my garden,
and put a potted plant on it
I think having raised it, it looks much nicer than it did on the ground.
What do you think.
 
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Ophiolite said:
esbo is fulll of shit and is therefore a container. Consequently my post is wholly on topic.
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How do you manage your anger ? Oh well I see. I get the feeling he was seriously frustrated with his plants not turning green and was hoping Yellow plants would be all o.k. too instead of dying . Frustration can be a real bitch sometimes . Flock of Bird . We don't need no swallows hea . Spit it out Man .

Eeeooowww . Your not a republican are you
 
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