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Plants Yellowing and either dropping bottom leaves or in the case of new seedlings dying after a good start

Cabbage and broccoli plants that were transplanted were doing pretty good for a month or so have been dropping their lower leaves after yellowing and only the stock seems healthy. Seedlings coming up do good for the first 1" or so them they are yellowing and dying also. I checked my water

yesterday and PH, Ammonia were fine but the nitrate level was the highest I have ever seen it with

the API test kit. I mean it was dark red like blood. Can that kill plants? Even my 1" tomatoes that

came up so nice are starting to yellow. I thought yesterday it was a light problem but now I am not

so sure. This system is new but the water and the fish were brought indoors to the garage after the

first hard frost and it did well for at least 30 days. I have been adding about 8-10 gallon of water to it

from the house tap without a filter to take the chlorine out but I didn't think this should be a problem because it is a 300 gallon rubber maid stock tank. I still have to master getting pictures posted on the

web site from my computer but I will keep at it. Can anyone point me in the correct direction? Another

thing I have noticed the last few days since I put some oil on some of the plants for spider mites is that small worms have been showing up in the drain cycle water for a week or so. I poured some

worm tea from a worm bed I have made on and around a day Lillie that was infested with spider mites

without any extra water added to dilute it. I have never added worms other than what was brought in

from the grow beds out doors when I used the lava rock either.

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Permalink Reply by Steve R on December 12, 2013 at 1:58pm

Well extremely high nitrogen can kill plants. What are your water test results and what have you been using to raise or lower PH you can also cause this same result with a total lack of carbonates. It also could just be spider mites that are moving to your new little seedlings which in all honesty is what it most likely is that and your nitrates being sky high.