What are your daytime temperatures? Are you hardening off your plants before transplanting them? What type of soil mix are you using in your buckets?

Rick

I don't think not fertilizing would help anything. Why not contact your local agricultural center to find out how and when is the right time to grow them.

ricman... daytime temps are over 100, however this problem has existed regardless of temperature... I keep the seedlings on a open porch in a plastic tub... Thanks

Zackey... With 2 growing seasons in Las Vegas I should be able to get something to grow! But I get nothing. I did contact the University Master Gardner's program, but they gave me some bad, useless advice...telling me to water every 2 weeks! As it is, if I wait 3 days the plants dry and shrivel! I have started using compost now but they didn't seem to think it was important. I am reading now that nothing grows here without compost. Thanks

Ok...Its supposed to be 95 this weekend here in Oklahoma. I am putting up 40% shade cloth to help out. May I suggest you check out Larry Halls Rain Gutter Grow System on YouTube. He has many videos on this system. It has been very successful for me.

So sorry you got bum advice a the ag center. I am a master gardener too, but I research my answers through the University of Florida before I make a recommendation. We aren't supposed to give our own opinion. I can't think of any where that you would only water ever two weeks! We have two growing seasons also. Or maybe three. Only me and my neighbor seem to be the only ones still growing tomatoes. I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with. Most people have yanked theirs out when it gets this hot. Compost and mulch will be a big help to retaining water along with deep watering. I always learn by experimenting. Been growing plants in pots and some gardening for 40 years and I'm still learning. Our best crops were grown in a garden called a hugel. Google it for the heck of it.

Ricman... looks like a nice system, but I am disabled and poor, have no one to build it.... We have not had rain here since 2/28!

Zackey... Tomatoes? You are lucky... I am in a rented house with a sandy yard, no trees, some fence shade, that's why I built the burlap cages for the buckets. One day a couple of weeks ago I looked at an empty bucket and noticed the plastic was melting! June here has always been the worst, it starts to cool off in August.

I googled University of Arizona vegetable gardening. It recommends planting tomatoes from Jan-April depending on your elevation.

Thanks Zackey... At this point I don't care about the planting times as nothing is growing since April. Since the weather here will be in the 60's-70's through November, this is my last chance until March 2015.

Here is the new batch of seedlings 7-12 days old... I have never had any experience with worm compost and used it like potting soil and now I see that it is very hard when it dries out, but somehow the plants have come up and faster than potting soil only...
BTW: In January and February, it is much to windy and cold to start anything outside and I have been told that these triple pane windows don't allow the right kind of light through, but it is worth a try anyway.

Seedlings Dying... :(

I'm not a vegetable expert so my ideas might not be helpful, but from looking at the last photo (closeup of tomato seedlings) I'm wondering if part of your problem is "damping off" disease. Basically I've read that its safer to start seeds in a soiless mix to help avoid damping off problems. Also lots of water and poor air circulation contributes to damping off.

If I was having this problem with seed starting I would buy a small bag of seed starting soil (not compost or potting soil ) and try again. I would also either space the seed containers farther apart or use a small fan on low setting to provide occasional air circulation to help reduce chances of damping off disease.

Hope that helps

TYG