pecan seedlings - Ask Extension
To whom it may concern,I have some questions about container grown pecan seedlings. A few of the seedlings have developed black edges on the leaves th...
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pecan seedlings #206567
Asked August 13, 2014, 8:53 PM EDT
To whom it may concern,
I have some questions about container grown pecan seedlings. A few of the seedlings have developed black edges on the leaves that progressively gets worse. The leaf ends up dying. Some seedlings develop new leaves, some seedlings die, and some die but start new shoots at the trunk. I have treated for root rot with no results. The seedlings are potted in a mixture of 2 parts sand, 3 parts pine bark, and two parts potting soil. I sterilized the mixture before planting. Do you have any suggestions? I am at a loss.
I have some questions about container grown pecan seedlings. A few of the seedlings have developed black edges on the leaves that progressively gets worse. The leaf ends up dying. Some seedlings develop new leaves, some seedlings die, and some die but start new shoots at the trunk. I have treated for root rot with no results. The seedlings are potted in a mixture of 2 parts sand, 3 parts pine bark, and two parts potting soil. I sterilized the mixture before planting. Do you have any suggestions? I am at a loss.
Carter County Oklahoma
Expert Response
The browning leaves appears to be a salt problem. I think your basic soil mix is fine, but salts can accumulate in containers depending on the watering practices, fertilizer being used and quality of the irrigation water.
Do you know the salt content of your irrigation water? If not, have your water tested by an agricultural lab to determine what the electrical conductivity, total salts, and presence of chloride, sodium and other specific salts is.
Your potting mix is fairly coarse and will need to be watered with regularity during the summer for the plants to grow well. They also need fertilizer to grow and fertilizer is salt. Allowing the containers to dry significantly between waterings will cause water and salt stress. If you are using a liquid fertilizer or a slow release type, salts may be accumulating at times in the pots, based on how you water. When salt accumulation is suspected, water heavily using rainwater or distilled water to flush salt content out of the containers.
Your containers must also be designed with sufficient drain holes to facilitate salt leaching. Your seedlings will quickly overcrowd (roots) in these small pots, so I advise you to transplant individual plants to individual pots that are designed to drain well, which will allow you to water and fertilize regularly without consequence.
If your irrigation water is too salty, you will need to collect rainwater for irrigation in order to get better results.
Do you know the salt content of your irrigation water? If not, have your water tested by an agricultural lab to determine what the electrical conductivity, total salts, and presence of chloride, sodium and other specific salts is.
Your potting mix is fairly coarse and will need to be watered with regularity during the summer for the plants to grow well. They also need fertilizer to grow and fertilizer is salt. Allowing the containers to dry significantly between waterings will cause water and salt stress. If you are using a liquid fertilizer or a slow release type, salts may be accumulating at times in the pots, based on how you water. When salt accumulation is suspected, water heavily using rainwater or distilled water to flush salt content out of the containers.
Your containers must also be designed with sufficient drain holes to facilitate salt leaching. Your seedlings will quickly overcrowd (roots) in these small pots, so I advise you to transplant individual plants to individual pots that are designed to drain well, which will allow you to water and fertilize regularly without consequence.
If your irrigation water is too salty, you will need to collect rainwater for irrigation in order to get better results.
