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Subject:  Leaves wilting

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Darren O.

Grant, MI

We've been having temps 85+ each day with sunny skies and all my leaves have been wilting during midday then bouncing back in the evening. Is this normal or too much fertilizer.

6/13/2007 12:39:20 AM

hoots dirt (Mark)

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

I think you are normal. Mine do it every day when it is sunny and hot but still grow like mad at night. A lot of more experienced guys here set up a misting system for the hot part of the day but I haven't advanced that far yet.

6/13/2007 2:41:37 AM

duff

Topsfield, Ma.

Sounds normal here also. Misting during the day (and a plain old sprinkler works too for short durations) or shade cloth tented over plant works too!

6/13/2007 7:45:37 PM

Darren O.

Grant, MI

This site is awesome! You guys are incredibly helpfull. Does the shade have any negative effects on the plant, or should I shade them with some kind of semi-transparent material?

6/13/2007 9:56:10 PM

Tremor

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Good shade cloth is rated for the amount of reduction you can expect. I would check with a local nursery producer to see what they use. Example 50%, 70%, etc.

You mentioned the possibility of too much fertilizer. Indeed high rates of fertilizer can cause wilting as salts accumulate in the soil. Have you used large amounts of fresh manure or synthetic fertilizer?

6/13/2007 10:35:20 PM

hoots dirt (Mark)

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

Tremor, if fertilizer is the cause of wilt will the plant spring back at night or continue to be wilted?

6/14/2007 6:09:09 AM

Tremor

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Slat induces wilting is virtually the same as any other wilt - once the stress is removed the plant will spring back up again. Having too much salt in the soil solution causes "reverse osmosis". Simplified, water is drawn toward salt. All soils that are capable of sustaining growth DO contain salts. This is a mandatory requirement of growth. So does the root system of all higher order plants. When the roots contain more salts than the soil then water moves into the roots (positive osmosis). If the soil solution becomes more saline than the roots then we have reverse osmosis. This is a horrible situation that at least causes stress & can easily cause death.

We've all seen yellow dog spots on a lawn that are surrounded by a ring of dark healthy looking grass. Well the healthy ring is benefiting from surplus Nitrogen but the dead center suffered from *BURN* which is the result of reverse osmosis cause by the surplus salts.

It's a matter of degrees just how much "PULL" a plant has. Salts, pH, soil structure, temperature, humidity & the amount of water in the soil all determine whether the plant has enough PULL to prevent wilting. Obviously genetics & other conditions of the plants vascular condition also play important roles in wilt resistance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

We can never know all of the factors that lead to wilting just by looking at a few pictures &/or soil test. As stated elsewhere; some plants just wilt whenever it's hot but still grow good fruit. Others don't wilt ever but grow lousy pumpkins.

6/14/2007 9:40:55 AM

Tremor

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

SALT - not SLAT

6/14/2007 9:41:10 AM

Boy genius

southwest MO

Get the nodes rooting, this will help... The bigger the network of roots in the ground to help wick water, the better. Lots of good sugestions here...

6/14/2007 12:24:35 PM

Milford

milford, CT,

Just my observation but...I agree with the rooting at the nodes idea. My plants got much hardier when the tap roots began to sink thgere teeth into dirt. My slowest plant grew almost a foot today ...I noticed that the nodes had set roots under them. My be a coincidence but I believe it is the reason the plant took off.

6/14/2007 4:10:12 PM

Darren O.

Grant, MI

I did put down some manure that was only mildly composted but not very much. Only about a 2" layer on top then tilled it in. Got some shade in the plants and that's doing wonders. Great advice. Thanks again.

6/14/2007 4:15:56 PM

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