Hi, I have a problem with my silverbeet. The leaves (outer mostly) seem to develop this yellowing and brown spots on them. I read somewhere it might a fungice? Would that be right at this time of year? I have attached a picture which shows the problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated on what it is and how to resolve it. Thanks in advance :-)
I think there might not be enough nitrogen. Cow manure is OK. I believe it is less potent than chicken but more potent than horse. Last winter my silver beet went all yellow and I put this down to the ground being too wet, and not enough picking! The leaves went yellow as you describe, and the stalks went brown - almost like rotten. I stripped most of the leaves off the plants, just leaving the core young leaves, then weeded and tilled the soil around the bases. The new growth was lush green after that...I guess all you can do is try something and then watch what happens...Good luck!
Hi Paul, thanks for that. So does that means i have too much nitrogen? My mother has made a lot of cow manure liquid fertiliser on her farm and has a large tank of it which she waters down...can I use that? I previously had not heard of people using cow, mostly heard of chicken or horse. Was not too sure. Do you think it would be okay? Guess I should really get a soil testand see whats going on.
Thanks heaps for your help, I do appreicate it.
Heidi, the brown spots usually mean the roots are not happy - either too wet, too dry or malnourished.
Based on the yellowing it looks like malnourishment. Try some liquid fertiliser. Silverbeet are a hungry plant! If you break off all the yellowing leaves from the plant it should recover pretty quickly in the new growth. Failing that, plant some new seedlings, preferably in an area where you've previously grown feeder (nitrogen fixing) crops like beans.
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Thanks heaps for your help, I do appreicate it.
Based on the yellowing it looks like malnourishment. Try some liquid fertiliser. Silverbeet are a hungry plant! If you break off all the yellowing leaves from the plant it should recover pretty quickly in the new growth. Failing that, plant some new seedlings, preferably in an area where you've previously grown feeder (nitrogen fixing) crops like beans.