23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
In my area, we've been having problems with this sort of contamination for at least 5 years. None so far this year but it's very early in the growing season for us. Warm weather crops aren't in as yet.
When you obtain the manure, you can -- and should -- ask about any herbicides used on the farm or by the farmer.
But you need to know that some farmers won't have a specific answer because they have hired a pest control company/person to do their spraying for the crop/pasture. Even so, the farmer can request that info.
Okay, I first saw the info about managing soil where contaminated OM was used in WSU info about clopyralid contamination. (Clopyralid & Aminopyralid are very similar herbicides in their action & persistence.) http://puyallup.wsu.edu/soilmgmt-old/Clopyralid.html .
I don't see it now, but as I recall, the gist was to irrigate & cultivate actively through the season. Growing a "grass" (corn) would do the same thing and, IMO, make better use of the water.
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I thought I was well informed about contaminated OM, but I hadn't come across some which has been added to this thread.
So, here's a plea to PLEASE include URLs for the info you're turning up. Doing so helps us all.
Hard to say without a picture as there are different patterns of yellowing and they mean different things. I will say that putting potatoes out in Albuquerque just 3-4 weeks ago sounds rather late. Admittedly though, New Mexico is not conducive to potato growing but it is fun to keep trying.
Many tomato growers do advocate preventive spraying for fungal diseases. Chlorothalinil or Daconil is considered most effective, but I am nervous about using it. So I have used actinovate, neem oil and serenade with some success to slow down early blight. I haven't had problems with other diseases, so I don't generally use fungicides on anything but tomatoes.
I couldn't understand why I've had luck with planting onion at the end of May and I didn't think there would be that much difference between our zones, but I found out the reason why.
"...the US zones are based entirely on average minimum temperature, and the zones are not subdivided. The Canadian index is far more complicated, and is based on a complicated mathematical formula that takes into account snowfall, wind, rainfall, the warmest month, etc."
From a different site
"The hardiness zones are informative: the extremes of winter cold are a major determinant of whether a plant species can be cultivated outdoors at a particular location; however, the USDA hardiness zones have a number of drawbacks if used without supplementary information.
The zones do not incorporate summer heat levels into the zone determination; thus sites which may have the same mean winter minima, but markedly different summer temperatures, will be accorded the same hardiness zone."
Of course I am also in a slightly cooler zone so I am sure that is the biggest factor now after hearing you say it's way to late. The ground is still frozen in April here half the time. We just had 0c temps on Friday, last year had snow on Mother's day and killing frost on Sept 1st, year before frost at the beginning of June. The old couple I buy my hay from said they never do seeds and almost plant in June because they've had frost in middle of June here. Luckily I haven't seen that yet, and hope I never do. I was devastated enough to go from middle of October frost dates for a 5b zone to early September for 5a. It was a shocker that first gardening season for sure. We do also have a bit of a micro climate here with a almost 50 foot elevation level between the upper and lower garden so that could be part of the reason since this is the first year I've had onions in the upper garden we'll see how they'll do. So far the sets have grown 8 inches in about 2 weeks with three frosts in that time.
With all that jibber jabber said, I'd still much rather prefer a pearl onion to bitter carrots. Only reason I put some seeds in now was for the livestock. I guess it's a preference thing though.
My indeterminates are more than five feet tall and (with regard to the trellis they're on) sort of going off the rails. So I will top, and look forward to getting more suckers below, although there isn't a lot more room down below, as the plants are very full. As to limiting production, I regard it as a minor sacrifice in keeping the plants somewhat contained.
1) pruning tomatoes allows better air circulation leading to decreased disease instance 2) pruning tomatoes allows available light to all leaves on the bush 3) pruned tomatoes fruit 2-3 weeks before unpruned 4) pruning allows for continuous fruiting (ripening) through the season, as opposed to a large flush at the end of season 5)pruned tomatoes tend to grow larger and sweeter
Fine gardening 2012 December- "A properly pruned and supported single-stem tomato plant presents all of its leaves to the sun. Most of the sugar produced is directed to the developing fruit, since the only competition is a single growing tip. The result is large fruits that are steadily produced until frost. If more stems are allowed to develop, some of the precious sugar production is diverted from fruit to multiple growing tips. Fruit production, although slowed, never stops. The result is a nearly continuous supply of fruits throughout the season. In general, more stems means more but smaller fruits, which are produced increasingly later in the season. (This is much less applicable to determinate plants, due to their shortened growing season and better-defined fruiting period. Therefore, determinate plants require little pruning. See "Indeterminate vs. Determinate," below.)"
I'm wondering why there would be 2,4-D residue on these leaves in the first place. If you collected the fallen leaves months afterwards, how would 2,4-D get on them if they were on the trees when it was applied? Yes, it could volatilize/drift up into the trees, but that could happen if anyone within 1/4 mile sprayed and you would never know. 2,4-D is one of the least persistent herbicides, it degrades in most soils within a month to almost undetectable levels. It's half-life is very short. The general recommendation is to wait at least 7 days after a 2,4-D spray directly to the soil before seeding that same area....since it can temporarily reduce germination. I wouldn't be concerned at all if I were in your situation, but you can worry if that's what you like to do.
Sun damage. Tissue dried out. Perhaps a brief episode of an extra bright and/or extra dry, day.
Agree, definitely sun damage.