bean & tomato leaves turning purple/dying

Question: I am growing beans and a tomato in 'self watering' containers I've used for several years.  I topped them up with compost, all purpose fertilizer, and lime before planting.  The beans have been struggling for a long time with leaves turning yellow, some turning almost completely purplish, eventually turning brown and dried up, and now some of the few green leaves look bleached out.  The tomato which is near the beans had been apparently unaffected until a few days ago when it wen downhill fast.  An ornament plant about 15 feet away also has purple leaves that appeared suddenly.  The first two photos are the beans, the third is the tomato.  What is wrong?  And, if it is a pest/disease, will it live in the soil?  How do I deal with this?

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 12, 2023, 10:43 AM EDT
response: Hi Cindi, thanks for the question. This appears to be neither pest nor disease.  This looks more like a phosphorus deficiency probably due to a high pH.  Adding more phosphorus will not help.  What was the reason for adding the lime?  Did you also lime the ornamental? Phosphorus uptake can also be influenced by temperature. Getting your soil tested (Home | MSU Soil Test) would answer the problem of pH.  Check out the following link: Understanding soil pH Part I - Vegetables (msu.edu) I hope this is helpful.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 12, 2023, 7:27 PM EDT
response: Thank you for your quick response.  To answer your first question, I treat the containers as DIY EarthBoxes.  The instructions on the EarthBox site say to add fertilizer plus 1 pound of dolomite each year.  I did this using Espoma Garden Lime which, from the label, appears to be virtually identical to what EarthBox sells.  I did this the prior 2 years without problems.  As for the ornamental, I planted that in the ground and gave it nothing more than water.   My soil pH is naturally alkaline (hydrangeas turn pink, lavender thrives).If the pH test confirms your diagnosis, is there likely anything that can be done this year to help the plants or are they done for?  I'd hate to lose the tomato - it's a Sungold.Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android  On Wed, Jul 12, 2023 at 10:43 AM, Ask Extension<<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 14, 2023, 8:53 AM EDT
response: Hi Cindi, Calcium can time (perhaps a year) to take full effect on soil pH. The calcium should neutralize the acidity of the peat in the planting media. Continual additions of calcium not taken up by the plants could build up over time and slowly increase the pH.  The pH of the compost may also play a role.  There is also another problem that has recently come about in the area.  The ozone and air pollution from the Canadian wildfires can also cause similar symptoms but there appears to be no way to fix the problem.   Fixing soil pH can be done but is rather tricky.  Sulfur is likely the best way to do this but is very slow.  Aluminum sulfate is quick but can cause other problems.   Check out these links: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/facts_about_soil_acidity_and_lime_e1566 Changing the pH of Your Soil | Home & Garden Information Center (clemson.edu) Lowering_Soil_pH_with_Sulfur.pdf (msu.edu)