Yellowing bed

[Heidi]

We went to the allotment on Saturday (in between rain storms) and most of it is going great guns, but one bed is looking a little yellow.

It has a row of baby sweetcorn down the middle, about 8 Black Valentine Dwarf French Beans planted either side trained up canes and then 3 courgette plants (2 one side, one on the other side).

Its meant to be a 3-Sisters bed, but the beans outstripped the corn in size so we put the canes in to support them.

But the whole bed - all the plants are somewhat yellow.

Another allotment holder said he thought it was lack of nitrogen, but all the other beds of a similar nature (another 7 beds) look fine and green.

Is it lack of nitrogen in that part of the plot or something else? If its lack of nitrogen, what is the best thing to replace it? We've had so much rain recently (still are!) that a non-water based feed would be better, any recommendations?

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm pretty new to all this, but I'd say that it sounds like it's lacking in something....so if it were me, I'd give it a general purpose feed to give it a boost, and make sure it gets a good dollop of horse doo at the end of the season.

[Snadger]

All the plants you have in the bed are susceptable to cold and damp as they originally hail from foreign climes! The beans fixate there own nitrogen so it shouldn't be nitrogen defficiency. I would think that once the weather warms up (like a winters day here today!!) they will pick up, or failing that cover them with fleece temporarily! Just a thought!

[nick the grief]

When I first saw this I thought it was an incontinece problem

It might be all the rain we're getting at the moment ! they are ether drowning or the trace elements are being washed away, try giving them some pelleted poo (chicken or other) that may help but I guess they'll perk up once we get to summer

[Heidi]

Thanks for the advice.

Think we will be nipping to the garden centre at the weekend and getting some of the chicken poo pellets or something, as we're forecast to have more rain over the coming week and weekend, so want something that isn't just going to wash away or further drown our plants!

Will see if it makes much difference.

[Vegmonkey]

Maybe the sweetcorn are crying?

[mrs potato head]

A couple of months ago we had simular prob. Very helpfull chap at our local garden recomended Crystalized seaweed. Very easy to use. With the seaweed and a drink of nettle tea palnts really perked up!.