Yellowing from the center

b54red · April 10, 2011

I planted a few tomatoes in containers 2 weeks ago and suddenly they are getting a very light yellow coming from the center and new growth. The yellow is like you see in a variegated plant, not the yellow of disease. They don't look ill so I assume I have either too much or too little of something in the mix. I was out of perlite so I used more bark fines than usual, probably over 60%. This just happened two days ago. The plants seem to be growing very good and the other container plants aren't doing this so I thought I would see if any of the experts here could give me a clue as to what is going on. Thanks.
Bill

Sun City Linda · April 11, 2011

I had the same exact thing happen to many but not all of my potted up toms this year. My brother, who writes for a gardening mag saw pix and thought my PH was out of whack and I should transplant all. 250-300 =( . Did not want to. I too, had used pine bark fines, first time ever. They looked a lot like pix I saw of iron deficiency as the new growth is what was effected. I did treat them with iron but never saw anything dramatic. Evenually, they outgrew it. I would love to hear comments from others. In the end, I thought it probably had to do with the bark, although I bought a brand which has been used on these forums. LInda

maf · April 11, 2011

Does sound like iron deficiency, but that is usually associated with alkaline conditions whereas bark fines are acidic. Waterlogging can also make the iron unavailable.

Not saying it is this for sure, but maybe worth looking into. Easy enough to add an iron supplement and see if it helps; the leaves will green up again if they are not too far gone.

Sun City Linda · April 11, 2011

It also occurred to me that I added too much dolomite lime, or not mixed it well enough so some pots got more. I think that would have made it too alkaline, and as my brother said ph balance off. Is that correct? LInda

b54red · April 12, 2011

I didn't add any dolomite, just a little basic slag and it has a little iron in it. The only thing that I did different was use a much higher ratio of pine bark. All other ingredients were the same as on my others which had no problem. If it is an iron difficiency I can easily fix that; but I am wondering if it could be something else. I am enclosing some pictures I took today of the two most affected plants and also my tables of seedlings which are showing some of the same symptoms. As you can see the plants look really healthy except for the color. I gave them a dose of fertilizer today but no added iron and will see how they look in a day or so.

maf · April 12, 2011

Bill, looks like iron deficiency from here. Compare to this picture. Too much phosphorus can lock up the iron, also too much of some other metallic elements. (Maybe there is something else which can give the same symptoms?)

maf · April 12, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

It also occurred to me that I added too much dolomite lime, or not mixed it well enough so some pots got more. I think that would have made it too alkaline, and as my brother said ph balance off. Is that correct? LInda

Linda, sounds like you hit the nail on the head.

b54red · April 12, 2011

My soil in some of my garden beds is a little too high in ph but the containers have had no lime added to them so it just could be a natural iron deficiency caused by too much pine bark. I have some chelated iron so I will add some today and see if it helps. Thanks all.

b54red · April 14, 2011

Well the iron supplement seems to have done nothing for the plants and now the really pale growth is starting to die. It is obviously the difference in the potting mix because it has only affected the plants which were either potted up or planted in containers with that mix. I also planted some little lime and lemon trees in containers with that mix and it hasn't affected them at all. At least so far.

I am now thinking maybe the bark was contaminated with something that tomatoes are very susceptible to. The pepper seedlings are not having this problem nor is the okra. Maybe it is just an iron deficiency and the tomatoes are more susceptible. I know that on my next batch of seedlings I will go back to the mix ratios I was using before.

b54red · April 20, 2011

Some of the plants that had very little of the bleaching of the tips responded to the iron and greened up but most of the plants had new growth that was too far gone and they all started dying from the growing tip. I took my clippers and just cut off the light colored growth and will see if any new growth coming out will be better. I did this with about 50 seedlings and the ones already in the containers. The rest of the plant that was still green has turned much darker as a result of the added iron; some of them almost look too dark. Are there any harmful affects from adding too much iron?

April 10, 2011	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Yellowing from the center I planted a few tomatoes in containers 2 weeks ago and suddenly they are getting a very light yellow coming from the center and new growth. The yellow is like you see in a variegated plant, not the yellow of disease. They don't look ill so I assume I have either too much or too little of something in the mix. I was out of perlite so I used more bark fines than usual, probably over 60%. This just happened two days ago. The plants seem to be growing very good and the other container plants aren't doing this so I thought I would see if any of the experts here could give me a clue as to what is going on. Thanks. Bill

April 12, 2011	#5
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I didn't add any dolomite, just a little basic slag and it has a little iron in it. The only thing that I did different was use a much higher ratio of pine bark. All other ingredients were the same as on my others which had no problem. If it is an iron difficiency I can easily fix that; but I am wondering if it could be something else. I am enclosing some pictures I took today of the two most affected plants and also my tables of seedlings which are showing some of the same symptoms. As you can see the plants look really healthy except for the color. I gave them a dose of fertilizer today but no added iron and will see how they look in a day or so. Last edited by b54red; April 22, 2011 at 01:52 PM.

April 11, 2011	#2
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	I had the same exact thing happen to many but not all of my potted up toms this year. My brother, who writes for a gardening mag saw pix and thought my PH was out of whack and I should transplant all. 250-300 =( . Did not want to. I too, had used pine bark fines, first time ever. They looked a lot like pix I saw of iron deficiency as the new growth is what was effected. I did treat them with iron but never saw anything dramatic. Evenually, they outgrew it. I would love to hear comments from others. In the end, I thought it probably had to do with the bark, although I bought a brand which has been used on these forums. LInda

April 11, 2011	#3
maf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: England Posts: 512	Does sound like iron deficiency, but that is usually associated with alkaline conditions whereas bark fines are acidic. Waterlogging can also make the iron unavailable. Not saying it is this for sure, but maybe worth looking into. Easy enough to add an iron supplement and see if it helps; the leaves will green up again if they are not too far gone.

April 14, 2011	#9
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Well the iron supplement seems to have done nothing for the plants and now the really pale growth is starting to die. It is obviously the difference in the potting mix because it has only affected the plants which were either potted up or planted in containers with that mix. I also planted some little lime and lemon trees in containers with that mix and it hasn't affected them at all. At least so far. I am now thinking maybe the bark was contaminated with something that tomatoes are very susceptible to. The pepper seedlings are not having this problem nor is the okra. Maybe it is just an iron deficiency and the tomatoes are more susceptible. I know that on my next batch of seedlings I will go back to the mix ratios I was using before.

April 20, 2011	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Some of the plants that had very little of the bleaching of the tips responded to the iron and greened up but most of the plants had new growth that was too far gone and they all started dying from the growing tip. I took my clippers and just cut off the light colored growth and will see if any new growth coming out will be better. I did this with about 50 seedlings and the ones already in the containers. The rest of the plant that was still green has turned much darker as a result of the added iron; some of them almost look too dark. Are there any harmful affects from adding too much iron?