Yellow Leaves

[Kugster]

I have read a few threads and they have mentioned a nutrients issue...not sure if that is the case here. Could this be from over watering?





Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful...tanks!

Oh yeah...some of the leaves at the bottom look a little rough (old?)..forgot to get pics of those.

 

[Brew-Happy]

Given that the yellowing is in the younger leaves eliminates most of the major nutrients for deficiency. It could be a sulfur deficiency, but your idea that it could be from overwatering is possible.

If you can, did some of the soil to a depth of 8in or so. If the soil seems extremely moist then it is over watering.

If the soil is dry or slightly moist, then the sulfur could be the problem. To fix this without changing your pH, sprinkle pellet gypsum around the base of your plants (~1/2cup or so) then water in. If you need to lower your pH, sprinkle elemental sulfur around the base.

Gypsum can be purchased in bags at most outdoor stores.

This is advice from general hort. background. It should apply to hop plants as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kugster]

I'll do that once I get home. Have them on a drip system...going 3x a day for 10 mins. I also live in AZ where it's been 100 degrees...a bit worried that they will be underwatered...probably should do a soil test too.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[ChrisS68]

Dang,
Now I'm more confused than ever. I have plants that look similar. I thought I had it nailed down to an Iron issue. From what I've gathered, it's just about impossible to over-do Iron. Would it make sense to do a foliar feeding with Iron, and if there is no improvement, then try Sulfur?
Is Gypsum the best/safest option? I know Epsom Salts are normally used for Magnesium. Being Magnesium Sulfate, are Epsom Salts any sort of source for Sulfur?
Thanks!

Chris

 

[Brew-Happy]

Epsom salts will work as well for sulfur. I just like to use gypsum because it has calcium in it, which plants need as well.

I would be surprised if you have an iron deficiency, unless you have a high pH. You can do a foliar feeding of iron and see what happens. Couldn't hurt.

You can also do a foliar feeding of epsom salts or gypsum. Both readily dissolve in water and can be sprayed with a pump sprayer. This will be a quick way of getting sulfur into the plant. This method also works some with tomato plants displaying blossom end rot of the fruit.

You can have your soil tested by your local extension office. Most times the fees is low (less than $10) and sometimes you can get one for free!

 

[david_42]

Definitely get your soil analyzed. Dessert soils can have some strange problems. In L.V., I finally just dug a trench and back-filled with real soil.

 

[Brew-Happy]

Definitely get your soil analyzed. Dessert soils can have some strange problems. In L.V., I finally just dug a trench and back-filled with real soil.

Yeah. That is definitely what some need to do. What is most common is raised beds filled with soil brought in.

I had a 4'X8' garden plot once that was too rich with clay and I amended with 300lbs of local compost! My tomato plant loved it

 

[Dig]

My vote is too much water. Over watering does exhibit general yellowing of the plant. When I look at your leaves I do notice green veins though. Over watering does present quite a few odd behaviors in plants, however if it is not the problem then it IS a micronutrient problem. The above advice should do the trick, but first I would water every other or every third day, not every day. It is 100 where I live too and the plant can handle those temps.

 

[Kugster]

My vote is too much water. Over watering does exhibit general yellowing of the plant. When I look at your leaves I do notice green veins though. Over watering does present quite a few odd behaviors in plants, however if it is not the problem then it IS a micronutrient problem. The above advice should do the trick, but first I would water every other or every third day, not every day. It is 100 where I live too and the plant can handle those temps.

cheers everyone...that is excatly what I am doing...going to every other day. I had originally started with drip @3mins/3x/day then bummped to 5mins then to 7 now at (was 10) because of the heat. We did have some good rain 2 weeks ago (no really) and was out of town for 10 days...had drip going almost the whole time. Had swmbo's rents sort it out. Just seems growth has slowwed quite a bit...yeah I know...1st year plants won't get crazy...guess I worry a bit too much about the kids! Soil is pretty good...use to be a regular garden...funny thing actually have some tomato plants popping up next to my nugget...never planted tomato...do have a pepper plant on other side of garden??:

I know the big orange home improvment store has a one time cheap soil test kit for like 3$...was also thinking of getting one of those "shade screen" things..they drop temp like 15 degrees but block over 50% of light...probably not too good of an idea now that I really think about it.

Anyways.....ROCK ON:rockin:

 

[Kugster]

well...they are dead!!! Maybe it was under watering...stopped watering just for 1 day and they all shriveled up and died!!! Crazy...I am doing ER watering to see if that helps...if not...DAMN!!!!! Live and learn...huh?

I'll take pics tomorrow...

 

[david_42]

Too late, but I drip irrigate my hops an hour every 2-3 days. Multiple brief waterings make for shallow, easily damaged roots.

 

[Kugster]

Well here are the pics...there still may be some hop(e)(s):cross:





I also put some burlap over them to lessen the suns effects! We'll see

 

[ChrisS68]

Hang in there Kugster! I wouldn't count those out yet!

Brew-Happy,
Thanks for all the info. I asked about epsom salts because that's what I happen to have on hand. I actually wonder if a lot of my problems don't stem from a PH issue. Heck, maybe it's just from all the rain we've been getting. Anyway I took some pics that I'm going to try to post and maybe y'all can help with the diagnosis.

Chris

 

[Aleforge]

Mine turned yellow exactly like yours did. Only on the new growth. And mine have completely stalled out! I suspected to much water since mushrooms are popping up around them......... lol.

I have not watered them myself yet though, but it has rained almost 3 times our normal amount this year. Not sure if to much water will cause them to stop growing or not though.

Good Luck to you, looks like they are still holding on, if you knew exactly why they are acting like that, I am sure you could bring them back!

 

[Kugster]

Mine turned yellow exactly like yours did. Only on the new growth. And mine have completely stalled out! I suspected to much water since mushrooms are popping up around them......... lol.

I have not watered them myself yet though, but it has rained almost 3 times our normal amount this year. Not sure if to much water will cause them to stop growing or not though.

Good Luck to you, looks like they are still holding on, if you knew exactly why they are acting like that, I am sure you could bring them back!

Mine stalled out too...AND had the mushrooms going? (before the incident) That's just plum crazy!

Yeah...I stopped the drip system and put some light shade over them...just let the soil dry up a bit and then hope they survive.

 

[ChrisS68]

Hey, I've been getting mushrooms too! Wonder if that's from the compost. That's one thing that makes me think too much water, but some symptoms I've been dealing I'm not so sure about. I was looking at some new leaves on my Crystal (or was it the Hallertauer) and the interveinal tissue is so light it's practically see-through! I don't know if that's from overwatering or not. Some things that I've been dealing with since before the rain include leaves curling under, and leaf tips underdeveloped (or not developing at all) and turning black and dying. I finally found some info that points to Calcium, or Boron of all things. I have a hard time thinking I could have a Calcium deficiency, given how I'm sitting on top of limestone and our water is really hard, though I guess it's possible. I know Boron is way out there, but from what I've read, Calcium and Boron need to be in a balance, and too much Calcium locks out Boron. Symptoms are supposed to be similar (curling leaves and black leaf tips, etc), but Boron also causes an abnormal amount of side growth to develop (witches broom). Could this be why some of my plants are looking like bushes?

anyhoo...

 

[Aleforge]

Mushrooms obviously indicate tons of moisture though. Even with the compost being used. I have not been watering them though, the sky has. And it wont stop. I think this week we are going to finally get a break with a bunch of sun. So I am going to leave them alone and hope for the best.

 

[Kugster]

Ok...have cut back the water to every other day and seems to not have really done anything...does anyone think it would be more benifical to cut off the bines and hope the crown will make it? (maybe the plant is trying to put too much energy into saving the bines?)

there does seem to be some little side arms at the bottom still alive but not much more.

I'll take some more pics.

 

[ChrisS68]

I dunno, but it seems to me that in your environment I'd be wary of not giving your plants enough water. Looks like they already got cooked when you cut back. Perhaps you should monitor the moisture in the soil to figure out a watering schedule.

Wanted to add:
I'm not sure what kind of flow drip irrigation has, but 5-7 minutes doesn't seem like the watering would be very deep, which might be why it dried up so quickly.

 

[Kugster]

I dunno, but it seems to me that in your environment I'd be wary of not giving your plants enough water. Looks like they already got cooked when you cut back. Perhaps you should monitor the moisture in the soil to figure out a watering schedule.

Wanted to add:
I'm not sure what kind of flow drip irrigation has, but 5-7 minutes doesn't seem like the watering would be very deep, which might be why it dried up so quickly.

well...the drip was more of a flow...my pressure in the irrigation system is a little high so they didn't actually "drip". I was watering 3 times a day and for the depth they were burried the soil was moist...not real wet...maybe try the opposit...lots of water. I read where another brewer had his die in june as well...maybe not the ideal growing conditions here??

 

[BigHops]

Your soil looks really tight and dry..I would grab a bag of Manure and small bag of peat Moss..Mix them together and dump on the top of the rhizomes (break the top layer up a little first)...give them all one solid heavy watering and walk away... The next day if it's hot again give them one short watering...if it rains skip..The idea is one good dose of water a day; you want the roots to crave some water before giving it up this improves root structure and growth..Set the drip system to the side for now...this is what I would do any way...

Also I wanted to add...in most cases when over watering is the problem, plant will turn yellow and choke/die from the bottom up. And lack of water plant will be starving and will die or wilt from the top down..It can be difficult to diagnose because new growth on hops can be light in color until they green up a bit..

Bighops