Jane MacDonald

Excellent informative replies, thank you everyone!

Anthony Saber, I also questioned the results and have no idea if the lab is reliable. I followed the directions, taking soil from 4 areas even though it’s only a 4x4 bed. Because this planter bed holds different soil for the fairly new persimmon, I couldn’t mix soil from other beds. Our water is alkaline, plus we’ve had a long wet winter and spring. Many plants in other areas of the yard are showing signs of chlorosis so weather and pH are definitely a big factor.

I’ll research adding sulfur / copper sulfate, and get a leaf test done. In the meantime, is there a leaf spray I should attempt for immediate treatment?

I started a thread previously regarding a yellowing young persimmon tree. Lab results are in & I need your wisdom to fix these many problems!

It’s a 4x4 raised bed for a young persimmon, filled 3’ down with plain bagged soil mixed with native sandy soil (zone 10).
Last year I added a bag of potting soil on top, as the dirt had settled.  A week or so later, I realized it had fertilizer added, so I scraped it all off and replaced with a “plain” bag of “topsoil”. No other additives or fertilizer at the time of planting or since (2 years total in ground). What went wrong?

I have 100 gallons of rainwater to help the ridiculously high pH, but it won’t last all summer.

Edit: I’m moving this question to the fruit tree forum in a new post.

This is bad! I need some quick intervention!! Help me out soil gurus! Ok I’m overly dramatic but see my laboratory tested results and you’ll get it!

How do I fix these problems??? I have not fertilized this area lately. Last year I added a bag of potting soil on top, as the dirt had settled.  A week or so later, I realized it had fertilizer added, so I scraped it all off and replaced with a “plain” bag of “topsoil”. The planter box was originally filled with unfertilized soil, mixed into native sandy soil. What went wrong?

I have 100 gallons of rainwater to help the ridiculously high pH, but it won’t last all summer.

Bravo everyone! I never noticed the cranesbill on some of the flowers! Hunted for the seeds, and interestingly, although I have many bees and hummingbirds, very few flowers develop seeds. If so, only one seed per flower. I’ve included a pic of 2 seed pods, one showing the split. This has been a really fun dive; I’ve learned so much, and now I’m tempted to try hand pollinating to gather more seeds.

Skandi! I think you’ve solved the mystery! Thank you!!

It is not a vine, and clumps into mounds about 2 feet wide. The flowers are about 1” across. I’ve included a pic of one “arm”. The entire plant doesn’t last the whole summer and dries out here in my SoCal yard. Sorry I guess it’s not perennial but annual by self seed according to the feedback!

Pops up every year in the yard and I’ve not been able to ID online by image. Would love to know what it is and how it spreads as I don’t remember seeing seed pods on it.

Stacy, thank you for that warning. My seedlings are in a small planting bed against the house. A concrete curb about 6” deep partitions this area; on the other side is decomposed granite. I wouldn’t mind them reseeding in the bed but beyond would be a problem.  Do you anticipate the tubers growing deeper than 6 inches, and sprawling under the curb? I could catch stray seeds that fall onto the DG.

My FIL brought back some 4’oclock seeds from Italy. I planted them along the house and every single one is growing! I’ve read they’re perennial from tubers but in So Cal, do they remain bushes with leaves year round?

Thank you for the thorough and informative answers! I was secretly hoping to avoid going knee deep into the intimidating journey of soil tests and the like, but this is my husband’s dream tree so I’ll forge bravely ahead, and order those tests. Im sure I’ll be back with a million new questions! Thanks for the support!