24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

I've never heard of soil "going bad". I think it might have more to do with the weather. Did you let your tomato plants get below 60 degrees at night? Did you put a shade cloth on some of them that put a lot of weight on the plants? Did you spray some of the plants too hard with the hose? Did some get more/less water than others?
I know that personally, I had some tomato plants that I rested a shade cloth on because I was too lazy to put up stakes to hold up the shade cloth. Those tomatoes never recovered from that stress, while the ones right next to them (not touching the shade cloth) are now 1.5 feet taller than the over-stressed plants.
Veggie plants are like people - if you over-stress them early in life, they'll never recover.

Thanks, prairiemoon! Incidentally, I've been using those same cups for years, I just rinse them in a mild bleach solution and they're ready for the next season. So you really would only have to eat as much store-bought yogurt as you want cups, LOL
Love Johnny's for seeds. I've got some seeds dated 2010 that are still germinating like they're brand new!


Yes, the cabbage white butterfly had been laying eggs on my kale like crazy. Every time i look, there are fresh eggs. The caterpillar is green and camouflages well. Here is a big guy that I didn't notice until this plant has been almost completely eaten. Do you notice any of those small white butterflies around? If so, I bet that's what it is.


Emorems, my guess is that your seed potatoes were unhealthy to begin with. I've had issues when i've planted potatoes from the previous years' harvest. Compared to certified seed potato that i've purchased, my saved potatoes have produced very small plants and low yields. Sometimes the plants fail to emerge at all. Some of these plants that failed to emerge may have produced small tubers like yours, but i never dug them up specifically to check.
If i had a bit of room at the end of my potato row, i used to plant a few potatoes from the previous year, but i don't bother anymore. They never do well. Not sure if that's your issue or not, but next year you might want to purchase seed potatoes instead.
It's pretty late in the season, but Maine Potato Lady still has some varieties of potatoes available. It's not ideal to plant this late, but if you tried an early season variety you might get some sort of crop.

Depends when you planted them, They might still be growing an you just dug them too early,Too much water may have made them mushy, I always use my potaotoes that are left over from the year before with no problem, But I do cut my potatoes so there is only 1 or 2 eyes and also fertilize with 10-10-10, Potatoes usually or done growing after the plants have flowered and die off.

I direct seed only what has to be done that way because the risks are so high. With cukes I start seeds in containers and direct-seed a few more plants when the seedlings go out. That extends the harvest a bit.
Don't know what your summers are like, but I'll wait until mid July and start a few more cuke seeds so there will be fresh cukes for fall salads.

I am confused!!! Why are you trying to fix a problem when you don't even know that the problem exists??? As I mentioned before the first step is to check the PH of the soil. The results of that will tell you if you have a problem or not. A lot of home remedies don't work especially if you don't know for certain that you even have a problem. Then stick with the proven remedies to fix the problem.
Hans
Here is a link that might be useful: Muscadines And More

I agree totally, Hans. Note I said 'you have to lower the pH if it is not low enough naturally.'
Nancyjane - you need to get your soil tested to see if it will suit the Blueberries. (Raspberries tolerate a wide range of pH) Either that or look at the kinds of plants which grow happily in your immediate area. Do Rhododendrons, Camellias, Kalmias and heathers thrive? If so you probably have acidic soil.
Home made concoctions of oak leaves will not acidify soil to any appreciable extent. Nor will pine needles. Trying to alter the pH of a bed full of alkaline soil is a massive job. I'd just grow them in containers or a raised bed where you can replace the native soil with an Ericaceous mix. But ONLY if the native soil is tested and found to be alkaline.

What dill said. Check with you local county extension for planting dates. Seed packages are not accurate at all for planting dates. I would think where you are, late October/Nov planting would be about right. They won't do much in the winter but as soon as there's more light and a tad more warmth, they'll produce over and over.
Kevin

Do a Gardenweb search for Chilli Thrips. It's a fairly new invasive pest working it's way up from the Gulf. It hit me for the first time this year in the Highland Lakes area. Many of the big box store starter plants were even showing CT damage around here a couple weeks ago.
Here's a recent thread on them...
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pepper/msg0511302622994.html?27

Sunni, I think what you are looking for is called a Japanese Red. I grow them every year here in Florida with great success. I order my seedlings from tatorman.com, and have never been let down. The seedlings are shipped out around mid April. Hope that helps...Farmer Joe in Florida..

Hello!
MeriClone Labs is open again after a hiatus. Please visit our website to see our available varieties.
Evan William
MeriClone Labs
Here is a link that might be useful: MeriClone Labs Sweet Potato Plants

I think it works because that plastic is slippery and they perhaps cannot climb up. Before I did that, bunch of my small plants were eaten up and I thought it was cutworm until one morning I caught the slugs in the act. I have several seedlings still intact for few days now.

Yeah the wind snapped off one of my only two watermelon plants and I need to replace it with a store-bought one. They come 4 to a pot, and it kills me to have to snip off 3, but like was already mentioned, if I try and separate them, all 4 might die. Cucurbits are not like lots of other plants that can be roughed up and survive.

Raptor666: I have separated them before without problems. I in fact look for pots at the store that have more than one in it but they should not have grown too large so the roots are not wrapped around.
Here is how I do it: Cantaloups and watermelons are generally sold at the seedling stage with just one or two sets of true leaves. Water the pot well so the soil medium (which is usually peat moss or some thing else really porous and falls apart easily) is well soaked. Take the plant out of pot. I take a thin sharp nail or similar wire. Poke the ball vertically and just separate those roots. If the roots are already going around in the pot then first take a sharp blade and make a few vertical cuts only on the outside of the root ball so to divide those wrapped up roots. Plant each one individually directly in the prepared garden soil.

You can't burn any plant with 2-7-4 unless you apply it abusively. But even organic fertilizers can harm plants when used inappropriately.
Does that makes it ideal for pumpkins? No. It is low in nitrogen for pumpkins. Normally they need a nitrogen rating of at least 5 or more. It is high in phosphorus for many plants although pumpkins do appreciate extra phos. Not that it will hurt other vegetables but it is just wasted phosphorus which can run off and contaminate any near by sources of water. Pumpkin recommendation unless trying to grow giants is 5-10-5.
Does that mean you "can I just toss it willy nilly around the vines/roots as it's organic?" No. You side dress the individual plants per the label instruction amounts but you may need to feed it more frequently. In other words you increase the frequency, not the amount used at one time..
I can't find a copy of the instruction label to read anywhere so you'll have to check yours.
Dave

A funny story. last year I grew one pumpkin plant in a 5 gallon bucket and thought I was doing a pretty good job. Until I took a trip to the local dump and saw a HUGE volunteer dark green pumpkin plant with huge green pumpkins on it, growing out of the yard waste/compost pile :-/ I was obviously under fertilizing my plant. Not that it would have ever gotten that big, but my main thought was 'definitely not enough nitrogen on my plant.'


Assuming you are aware of the issues associated with using something with those high ratings then the standard Miracle Gro All Purpose Water Soluble Plant Food (green and yellow box) is the same thing as the old Peter's formula was. They have always been carbon copies of each other.
Dave
I have been using the Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Food for years with great results, Just use according to directions.