FAQ ( Genral Gardening Problems & Solutions )

Problems and Solution related to Gardening

Q1. What are the symptoms of Nitrogen deficiency?

Symptoms

• Unhealthy and small plants.
• Small and pale leaves; yellowing / chlorosis.
• The bottom leaves may appear burned and die prematurely; meanwhile the upper leaves of the plant remain green (sometimes confused with lack of moisture) growth and potassium in your plants.

IOA Recommendation

Add OGD 2/OGD 5 in Soil to increase the nitrogen.

Q2. What are the symptoms of Phosphorus Deficiency?

Symptoms

• Pale green leaves and purple or light brown on the edges or tip.
• Young leaves change to dark green and blue especially if they contain high levels of nitrogen.
• Decreased growth, the plants stay small.
• Plants are slow to mature, remain green.
• Low quality; crooked cob and distorted grain.

IOA Recommendation

Add OGD 1/OGD4 in Soil to increase the phosphorus.

Q3. What are the symptoms of Potassium deficiency?

Symptoms

• The edges of the leaves, particularly the lower ones are yellow or reddish; progressively the entire leaf withers and dies
• Reduced growth, the plants will be small
• Poor root formation
• Collapse of plant (weak stems and roots) especially with excess moisture
• More susceptible to pests and diseases
• Low yields
• Cob and small grains with characteristics of low quality and filling cob.

IOA Recommendation

Add OGD3/OGD6 in Soil to increase the potassium.

General Problem

Problem 1: My seed refuses to sprout

If a seed has yet to sprout, it could just be that it needs a little more time to germinate.

1. Is the weather ideal?
2. Check the soil.

• Is it too dry?
• Too wet?

If the soil is too dry, water it.

If it is too wet, the seeds may have rotted and replanting is necessary for any growth.

Other Major reasons:

1. Birds : Cover the garden with bird netting or some sort of container over the top of the seed.
2. Fresh seeds : Be sure to check the expiration dates on your seed packets.
3. Unhealthy soil.
4. Unhealthy seeds.

IOA Recommendation

Soil Treatment– To make your soil healthy use OGD 18.

Seed Treatment-To make your seed healthy soak it in OGD 19.

Problem 2: My young plants are wilting and dying.

Check the soil Dry soil could be the cause of seedlings wilting and dying. Be sure to keep the soil evenly moist

Do not overwater the seedlings. A fungal disease called Damping Off, which is most common in high humidity and warm temperatures, could be the cause.

Rotting roots and/or stems is another possibility. Again, be sure not to overwater.

• Add compost (OGD8) to the top of your soil every year.

Other Major reasons:

1. Old seed – Be sure seeds are no older than a year or two.
2. Cutworms– Check the base of the plants for cutworm larvae and be sure to keep the garden clean of debris, weeds and plant residue. Remove the dead plant completely.

• Root maggots, another possible cause of wilting/dying seedlings, occur when flies or moths lay eggs in the soil. Floating row covers will prevent this from happening to new plants.

This could also be caused by fertilizer or chemical burn– Use always organic fertilizer of IOA.

IOA Recommendation

Soil Treatment- To make your soil healthy use OGD 18

Seed Treatment- To make your seed healthy soak it in OGD 19.

Soil Amendment-To make your soil brittle and airy use OGD 8 in every 6 Months. It reduces the chance of soil compaction.

Problem 3: Small plants die after turning a brown color. (Leaves and stems may or may not have dark spots).

 Plant virus– Remove all infected plants and their leaves, stems, etc. from the garden and garden area. Remove all unwanted insects and weeds.

IOA Recommendation-

OGD 13-Spray in every 7 days to avoid any disease or attack.

OGD 20- To avoid the leaf curl. It is very effective in controlling the disease and repairs the damage of leaf tissue. It helps in straighten the leaves.

Fertilizer or chemical burn– Use always organic fertilizer of IOA

Problem 4: My plants look weak, frail, and skinny.

They may not be receiving enough sunlight-Put the plant in proper sunlight.

Do not overwater. If this is the cause, stop watering and let the soil dry out. A good watering practice is to water when the top three inches of soil is dry.

IOA Recommendation

Add OGD8 to make your soil brittle and airy. Use at regular interval to improve soil texture. It reduces the chance of soil compaction.

Too much nitrogen in the soil may be causing weak plants. As always, avoid too much synthetic fertilizing. We recommend organic fertilizer of IOA.

Problem 5: My partially or fully grown plants are wilting

Check the soil – If the soil is too dry, water thoroughly. A good practice is to water when the top three inches of soil is dry. If the soil is too wet, stop watering until it dries out and work on improving drainage by mixing in OGD 8.

Disease could have hit the garden. Keep the garden clean and continually remove all weeds. Two more specific possible causes of grown plants wilting include root rot or vascular wilt, which are both fungal diseases that affect plants.

IOA Recommendation

Spray OGD13 to avoid the pest attack and keep the plant safe from diseases.

Root knot nematodes are worms that can cause harm in the garden.

IOA Recommendation

Add OGD 18 in soil in regular interval and mix few drops of OGD 19 in water during irrigation.

Problem 6 : My plants are growing slowly and the leaves are light green or pale yellow

1. If plants are growing this way, they may not be receiving sufficient sunlight.

• Is your garden receiving six to eight hours of sunlight per day?
• Are your plants crowded?
• Are larger plants shading smaller plants?

Fix these issues if they are present.

2. Cold weather – Protect plants with floating row covers or hot caps can help keep plants warm.

3. Check the soil.

How is the pH?

The ideal pH for soil is 7.0. If soil is too alkaline, add OGD 8 to improve the pH.

Is the soil compacted?

Add OGD8 to make your soil brittle and airy. Use at regular interval to improve soil texture. It reduces the chance of soil compaction.

4. The soil may also have a Nitrogen deficiency.

Add OGD 7 or OGD 2 to increase the nitrogen.

5. Unwanted insects or diseases– If one side of the plant is turning yellow before the other side, this may be Yellow or Wilt Disease. In this case, the entire plant should be removed.

Leaf Problems

Problem 7 : The leaves and/or stems on my plants have green, yellow and/or brown spots/patches. The leaves are puckered and the growth is stunted.

Plant virus-Remove all infected plants and their leaves, stems, etc. from the garden and garden area. Remove all unwanted insects and weeds.

IOA Recommendation

Spray OGD 20 and OGD 13 in regular interval.

This could also be caused by fertilizer or chemical burn– Use always organic fertilizer of IOA

Problem 8 : The edges (also called margins) of the leaves on my plants look shriveled and brown.

This could be caused by dry soil-Try watering to see if the problem is resolved.

This could also be caused by fertilizer or chemical burn– Use always organic fertilizer of IOA

The garden may have a potassium deficiency. Test your soil and add ODG 3 fertilizer.

 Keep plants at an ideal temperature during cold weather.

Problem 9 : My leaves look distorted – they are curled and or/puckered.

It may due to virus

IOA Recommendation

Spray OGD 20 and OGD 13 in regular interval.

Problem 10 : The blossoms on my tomato or pepper plants are rotting.

Calcium deficiency – Add OGD 4 to increase the calcium in your soil.

Check the soil for compaction. Add OGD8 to make your soil brittle and airy. Use at regular interval to improve soil texture. It reduces the chance of soil compaction.

The plant may have a root injury caused by being planted too deep. This may not be curable at the moment, but be sure to plant at a proper depth next time.

Harvest Problems

Problem 11 : My plants are not producing fruit

Did you plant at the recommended time of year? The weather may be too hot or too cold for your specific plant.

It may be as simple as your plant is not mature enough yet. In this case, just wait a little longer!

Maybe your plants have not been pollinated. It is possible to hand pollinate by using a brush or simply shaking the plant so that the pollen will fall to other flowers.

The soil may contain too much nitrogen– Always use organic fertilizer of IOA.

Potassium Deficiency- Add OGD 3 to increase the potassium in the soil.

Problem 12 : My plants are producing fewer fruits than I expected. They are small and not very tasty.

The moisture in the soil may be uneven. Be sure to water evenly. At this point in the season, I would recommend add 0GD 8 to increase water holding capacity.

Potassium Deficiency- Add OGD 3 to increase the potassium in the soil.

Conclusion

Again, no gardener is immune to garden issues because we cannot control the environment, so do not be discouraged! It is important that gardeners keep a close eye on seeds, plants, and fruits in order to catch and resolve issues as soon as possible. This list is meant to help any and every gardener out there find, fix and avoid garden issues. We love gardening and we want everyone else to love it too, without being frustrated. Hang in there! Giving up is never the solution!