Plants dying - expert advice needed - PLEASE HELP!!!

[Chuck]

$26/5-gallons.

Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kelsey Gallegos]

I hired another gardening consultant today. The prognosis is in. Phytophthora is the culprit. He found it with a soil probe.

 

[Chuck]

I hired another gardening consultant today. The prognosis is in. Phytophthora is the culprit. He found it with a soil probe.

Phytophthora is caused by too much water. I find his prognosis very interesting, especially with a soil probe.
http://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdiseas...s/diagnosis-and-control-phytophthora-diseas-1

 

[Kelsey Gallegos]

Phytophthora is caused by too much water. I find his prognosis very interesting, especially with a soil probe.
http://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdiseas...s/diagnosis-and-control-phytophthora-diseas-1

Chuck,

Yes, that was his prognosis. Even though the soil is well draining, daily watering is still too much and allows the fungus to grow. Take a look at this picture. Notice the grey band about 1 inch below the surface. That's the Phytophthora.

 

[Chuck]

So, is you soil different from your neighbors or were you just watering too often? Sorry if I seem a skeptic about this but did he test the grayish stuff for fungal growth? This really makes no sense to me.

 

[Kelsey Gallegos]

So, is you soil different from your neighbors or were you just watering too often? Sorry if I seem a skeptic about this but did he test the grayish stuff for fungal growth? This really makes no sense to me.

I'm on the same watering schedule as my neighbor, but I think the difference is that I have about 1 inch of bark mulch, so my soil isn't drying out like his is. He has some of the same issues with other plants in his back yard, he is likely also over watering.

 

[Kelsey Gallegos]

Chuck et. al.,

Something I noticed after applying the molasses, my roses bloomed like crazy. They have been slow to bloom all year, producing the occasional flower here and there. I don't know if it was coincidence, time of year, or the molasses, but that's what happened.

Note also the timeline of events: At Time = 0 I applied molasses, at Time = 1 days I cut the water off (still off at day 7), at Time = 6 days I treated the soil with an agriculture grade ($800/gallon) chemical that kills phytophthora, at Time = 7 days Roses blooming like crazy.

My assumption is that it was either caused by drying out the soil, or the molasses, or the time of year. I don't see it being a time of year considering the temp is still right around 100 degrees.

Any thoughts on why this could be?

FYI - I spread molasses on 1/2 of my lawn to see if there was any effect. So far there is no effect.

Thanks,

Kelsey

 

[BlueLotus]

If your soil is grey, it's dead because it's been exposed to the sun. Try to mix some organic compost into your soil along with your molasses treatment. You should consider used some ground cover for your plants. I personally like red clover because it's a nitrogen fixer and makes nice mulch when it gets to tall. Otherwise, try planting a creeping plants to act as ground cover.

 

[Kelsey Gallegos]

If your soil is grey, it's dead because it's been exposed to the sun. Try to mix some organic compost into your soil along with your molasses treatment. You should consider used some ground cover for your plants. I personally like red clover because it's a nitrogen fixer and makes nice mulch when it gets to tall. Otherwise, try planting a creeping plants to act as ground cover.

It's grey from 1" to 2" below the sod. I don't see how it could be "dead" from being exposed to the sun while it's at least an inch underground. It's been tested twice. The grey is phytophthora.

 

[BlueLotus]

It's grey from 1" to 2" below the sod. I don't see how it could be "dead" from being exposed to the sun while it's at least an inch underground. It's been tested twice. The grey is phytophthora.

Ah, I didn't read that in the original post. I just figured it was when the soil was exposed and the brown soil is when you added compost or other additives. If it's phytophthora, and you have a couple of grey spots in the original post, you have a drainage issue. You'll need to fix the soil to improve drainage and minimize compaction.