Happy Friday GPODers!
27.07.2024 - 21:44 / theprovince.com / Helen Chesnut
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Q. Most of my vegetable plantings have done well this spring, except for the beets, chard and peas. The beets and chard germinated poorly, and developed very slowly. Germination was scanty also in the peas, which have become stunted and yellow. I am gardening at a new home at the coast.
A. For the beets and chard, in our coastal climate the most usual issue causing poor germination and unsatisfactory growth is a soil that is too acidic. In our climate the fall and winter rains tend to leach alkaline elements like calcium and magnesium out of the soil, leaving it acidic.
In the acidic to alkaline “pH” scale of 1 to 14, 7 is considered neutral. Lower numbers indicate the degree of acidity. Many nutrients are locked up and unavailable to plants in soils that are too acidic or too alkaline. For most plants, a just slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.5 is ideal. Beets and chard do not thrive in soils with a lower pH.
The same issue could be affecting the peas, which prefer a slightly acid to neutral soil. Peas can also be afflicted with a number of fungal diseases, wilting diseases among them. These usually afflict the plants at or just after flowering time.
Soil conditions, the variety planted, and watering issues all can affect whether and how peas grow. The plants need excellent drainage. Wet soils foster soil fungus diseases. Where a planting has had wilting problems, clean up all plant debris carefully and avoid using the same space for peas for three or four years.
Use enough lime to bring pH levels up to a neutral or just slightly acidic
Happy Friday GPODers!
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Happy Friday GPODers!
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What kind of fruit is this?
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