Veggie/Sunflower herbicide damage - Ask Extension
My tomatoes , peppers, eggplant and sunflowers are showing signs of herbicide damage (curling, puckering, feathery leaves and stunted growth). The tom...
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Veggie/Sunflower herbicide damage #338672
Asked July 02, 2016, 10:36 AM EDT
My tomatoes , peppers, eggplant and sunflowers are showing signs of herbicide damage (curling, puckering, feathery leaves and stunted growth). The tomatoes are stunted, the lower leaves are getting bigger and tougher and the top leaves of the plants are curled up and sort of shriveling..they are starting to bloom, maybe because I fed them some Fox Farm Grow Big plant food! This year I got some llama manure for the first time..and I used a lot of it..thinking the more the better, etc. Is it possible to save the plants? Use seaweed/kelp to dilute the poison? How long will it stay in the soil? I'm so bummed. I have a friend who got some of the same manure and he's got the same problems.
Montezuma County Colorado
Expert Response
Yes, this is a common problem. The herbicide can remain active for many years. Try to remove as much of the manure as possible. Anything you can do to increase microbial activity to help break down the herbicide is also helpful: moisture, sunlight, organic matter (hopefully some that is not contaminated). When obtaining manure or compost, it is always best to check the source as much as possible for possible contamination. Ask questions of the supplier. Yes, it is possible for the plants to recover, but yield will be reduced.
Thanks Tom for the quick response! I'm wondering if I should trim any of the damaged leaves on these plants? There are a lot of Llama "beans" everywhere..I'll gather up as many of them as possible :( Is there a plant food or fertilizer that could help the situation?
Do not trim the damaged leaves. Avoid any additional stress on the plants if possible. I am not aware of any plant food or fertilizer that could help the problem. Adding soil microbes may help. I think there are some products on the market. Talk to your Garden/Nursery supplier.
Also, Dr. Phil Shuler has been doing some work on using fungi to remediate contaminated soils. His contact info is: Dr. Phil Shuler, Professor & Coordinator
Public Health Program
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Fax:<personal data hidden>
Email: <personal data hidden>
Good luck.