don't give up! We've all had our share of similar problems, but we learn from them, and it gets better. I have had problems this year, we adopted a dog about two weeks ago, and she has run thru my corn and torn down much of it. I am a bit upset, researching wireless fencing, etc, but enjoying what's still there. I get enormous joy watching my little plants grow. Good luck!

I agree with the above, some years are better than others and each year we get better and knowing what happens in our gardens and finding ways to deal with those events.

Cucumber beetles are extremely challenging in areas with a lot of them, but slugs are really easy to control in most places. Sometimes it's just a cultural change such as not using the same kind of mulch (if one is being used), otherwise sluggo (iron phosphate) is a control I use with no reservations whatsoever since it's harmless to people/pets and insects in general, but lethal to the slimy guys.

Anyway, I think we can all share your frustration and some years I get to the end of the growing season with a sigh of relief and consider tossing in the towel for some things, but then over the winter my batteries recharge and I can't wait to get going again, trying out some new ideas/plants etc.

Zone 7? You can probably replant the melons and still have time for a harvest. Now that you know about the cuke beetles you can go out a couple times a day and pick them all off. The same goes for squash bugs (Google em', eggs too) when they arrive.
Gardening is hard work no matter which way you go. Marymd7 put it well "gardeners need to learn to love the process as much as the end result". For me the end result MAKES the process enjoyable. Hard work resulting in a great bounty is pure joy.

Jon

When I first read this post, I thought, oh Man sounds like me.
I was wondering what kind of responses you would get. It is nice to see the words of ecouragement. Do not give up. You have started on something that, if you let it in, will become a life long love for you.
I lost most everything this year to very fast moving and acting powdery mildew and some mystery insects. I had so much time and energy and money into it too.
I was looking at the remains of my garden this morning, there are a few tomatoes still, and my wife asked me "How do you keep at it? Last year you lost so much and this year you lost a lot". I told here "because I love it" That sums it up for me. This is all a learning exprerience. It is something I always hope for, to learn something new each season. I love every aspect from learning about the Florida soil, er I mean sand, different varities, to seeding, planting, etc. Heck, I just learned about greenhouses this year. Learn what you can, and you will enjoy you harvest 10 fold. This website plays a big part in it. Use it, the people here are awesome and I believe everyone is so very helpful. I have veggie gardened for over 20 years in NY state, BUT this is only my second season with a garden in Florida and it so very challenging. It is like starting all over again. I am excited.

The bad news is that, like the folks above say, bad seasons do happen from time to time.

The good news is that gardening gets easier once you get going. Really it does! The thing is it takes a few seasons just to get to know your garden and its foibles, the local pests, the climate and so on. And if you haven't really gardened before you'll also be learning some basic botany, soil science and entomology. That's a lot to take in, no wonder you're exhausted!

I hope you can stick with it. Once you know what crops and varieties do best in your area it'll get less stressful. Still, sometimes you need to roll with the punches to preserve your sanity. I had to take a two year break in growing snap beans a while back because of a plague of spider mites (caused by a combo of hot dry weather, water restrictions and a ban on overhead watering) that overwhelmed the poor bean seedlings as soon as they emerged. But I was still able to grow things that the mites didn't really bother.

Every year is different, so every year some things will do great, others not so great...for me that's part of the challenge and the charm.

If nothing else you can pretend that the weeds are you boss, wife, hubby, nitwit relatives etc. Pull and take your anger out on the weeds and bugs.

Also you can now start looking for things that will make your next season better such as row covers to keep bugs off certain plants. Old sheer window curtains are wonderful to keep squash bugs and frost off your plants.

Replant the squash and start thinking of what to put in for a fall garden. You might do really well with some of the oriental greens, lettuces, brocolli. The season has really just started. Did I hear a loud groan from some where?

Don't worry, I'll definitely stick to gardening. It feels great toiling in dirt, it brings out the 7 year old in me.

But it has brought a newfound burning hatred for a particular striped yellow bug. Grrrr

You should get some floating row covers.
That'll solve a lot of what ails your garden.
The row covers are simply 6 foot wide strips of thin fabric that can be as long as 50 feet. The material allows plenty of light through for your plants to grow but keeps out bugs, birds and other rascals since they don't know what's inside.
Its the the best way to keep cucumber beetles at bay.
For crops that need pollination, just uncover during the day, or open the ends of short rows, so bees and such can do their thing and then cover up at night, when the beetles are at their worst.

Keep at it!

I'm new to organic gardening too, and learn something almost every day. Before, I only grew cukes and maters, with some wild flowers and a few culinary herbs. Can I do anything halfway? No. I expanded my veggie garden times ten this year, and also flower beds, types of plants, etc.
No more miracle grow, and a whole new approach to gardening in general. I feel your pain. There's nothing worse than planting a lot of seeds, only to have them washed away by monsoon type rains, black spot totally kill your rosebush, and bugs nibbling on all sorts of things except ferns! It's frustrating, but fascinating and fun. I'm learning so much, and having fun doing it! Have I lost a lot of time and money to weather, bugs, and newbies mistakes? yeah. Will I throw in the towel? No way! Even if I only harvest a few things this year, I'm still happy, and there's still more time! Next year I will have more knowledge, and after winter, the energy to do it all again.
Don't give up!

I agree with all the encouraging posts. Gardening - and organic gardening in particular - is an art and science and the more fundamental understanding you have of your garden, the better you will be able to maintain and nurture it. I've learned a lot this past year, as I've expanded my garden many times over and started using heavy straw mulch for the first time. My plants are for the most part very healthy, but I applied too much chicken manure in early spring and so hardly any seeds want to germinate out there. The water lines that run to my garden froze and leak now, too, so this whole year has been a great learning experience in how to conserve as much water in the garden as I possibly can. I know, though, that however this year goes for me, because I've been vigilant in sticking to organic methods, my soil will be much, much better next year and I will continue to learn. Last year most of my garden was hard, compacted clay that even weeds had a hard time with. Now it's all mulched over and even the compacted clay areas that have been under mulch for a while are starting to loosen and grow peas and melons. I've learned not only the drawbacks of having a giant apple tree shading part of my garden, but the benefits of better water retention, the birds and insects the tree attracts, and the availability of a different microclimate.

Regardless of the state of my plants, I also am infinitely amazed and curious about the processes of decomposition and know that at least my compost heap is generating some great organic matter to add to the garden later and the mulch in my garden is breaking down...all continuously improving the garden for next year and this year's overwintering crops. So don't give up! Let nature be your guide :)

I think that deciding garden organically is kind of like giving up any bad habit. Its very difficult in the begining, you have the craving to go back to the old ways, because they are familiar. New ways of doing things are always a little scary. As you learn to live in a new manner things get better and easier every day and after a while you wonder why you did not do it sooner.

With organic gardening it gets easier season by season, as you improve your soil and grow without chemicals, wildlife moves in to help make things easier. Worms and soil organisms help to make nutrients more available to your plants, which makes them stronger so that they can hold up to pest attack, disease and poor weather conditions much better. Beneficial insects move in and help to control the pest bug population. It takes time to effect major changes but they are worth the effort.

Good gardening, Mary

Great words of encouragement here. Thanks to all.

I, too, seem to learn more when things go wrong. I have probably spent $300 on books, and I read them cover to cover, but nothing beats hands-on experience.

Our friend from New York who moved to Florida is having to relearn how to grow. I'll bet he got pretty good at growing in New York, but Florida is a whole different thing completely; different soil type with different needs, different climate, and growing seasons.

I did ok last year, but it was disappointing when I think about how much work went into making the garden beds. So much compost, so much coffee grounds, so much manual labor.

This year the garden bed in my yard that has had the least amount of modification is growing potatoes like they're weeds. Tall, bushy, with beautiful blooms. The soil was transformed from dense clay to crumbly dark soil, and the potatoes obviously love it. The soil has absorbed all the compost. The other beds still have visible compost. Lesson; less compost. Sound strange?

Keep at it and pay attention to what works, what sort-of works, and what flops completely.

Glad to hear you're not giving up. I have evil bunnies that can get in my fences, and they deccimated my bean plants earlier this month, and they still haven't recovered, so I definitely feel your pain. You just learn so much every year, and even from reading this site. So many here are so experienced with every possible problem.
If you are looking for row covers, you might also try your local thrift store looking for sheer curtains--may find some there, cheap!
Hang in there. It's worth it. eating the produce with just a little rinse, not a full-out scrubbing with detergent to remove the pesticides, is a beautiful thing.

I read this thread feeling commiseration, sadness, joy, and respect.

When I had my first garden, boy was I lucky; my grandfather never used a chemical on his property from the time he bought it in 1947. It was "virgin" in the sense it had never had a house built on it prior to that. It was pretty much partial prairie abutting a deciduous forest. He kept the back half prairie and the front half forest. With a large forest preserve not too far away, a vacant lot of 10 acres to one side, and several acres all around us that were undeveloped, we didn't have critters that had no food. They mostly left our garden alone. He taught me what to do, helped me create my own flower garden when I was three, and taught me to love being in the garden as much as I loved perusing seed catalogs on front of a fireplace in January.

He welcomed every bird, snake, spider...even paying the neighborhood children for live snakes. He figured it would keep the snakes alive and might even help keep something from eating something.

He did this all without fencing, pesticides, herbicides. He gardened about 1/2 acre, working in it every day for a few hours before work. We had apple, pear, peach, and mulberry trees, raspberry and blackberry canes, blueberry bushes, and grapes.

When he passed away, I inherited the house. It took me a few years to come back "home" and when I did, I picked up where he'd left off. It had been about ten years since he'd gardened by that time. I started and kept a smaller garden, only working about 25'x50' space and keeping up with the fruit trees that were still growing.

Other than a slug or two, and maybe a cabbage moth here or there, I saw few pests. The birds watched over my garden, as did the snakes and frogs and spiders. I grew the bird sunflowers every year as a thank you. I had no soil issues and never saw a powdery anything, a blight, or a wilt. Everything worked together to make it and exceedingly easy experience.

When my sister took over our grandfather's home, I came to a large urban area. Now, I garden in containers. What I find amazing is the number of pests and problems I have. I hadn't a clue what they looked like! I am constantly looking up pictures to see if it matches the next malady. Initially, I felt like I'd never gardened before. After a particularly bleak 3rd year when I lost all tomato plants and ate maybe 3 tomatoes for a whole summer of work, I stopped for a year, thinking I couldn't do this. It was just too hard to maintain about 6 self watering containers.

Each environment is different and brings new things with it. And each, a new learning experience. As someone said up-thread, it gets easier with time. And, as several others have said, it's really about the process, not just the result.

After a year off, I decided to come at this again from a different perspective, admitting that I didn't really know much about containers and was trying to apply my organic soil methods to containers. I've since learned a LOT more than I thought I'd ever need to to be successful with containers, and still have a lot more to learn. But, each day when I wake up, the first place I got (after the bathroom, lol) is my deck. I look at everything, make sure it made it through the night, and marvel at how it grows. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Lathyrus- What a wonderful read! You can tell it was written from the heart. You are very blessed to have the opportunity to garden where your grandfather did and to experience all you did with him. How I wish when my father was alive that I would have paid more attention when he had a garden. We have 3 acres and when we moved here the man before us had special soil brought in for a garden that was already fenced off and a sprinkler system was in place. That was 15 years ago and my dear father put a beautiful garden in for himself as he did not live far away. I can only hope that he is proud of me now as he sees my husband and I making our attempt to container garden for the first time in our lives. We cannot believe how the vegetables, maters and peppers taste so good from the vine (who knew?). It takes vine ripe to another level for sure.
I invite you to take a look at our first garden.
Good Luck on your containers too:)
Dusty

Here is a link that might be useful: my pool container garden

A couple of times I've gotten questions from friends about how anyone can manage to garden organically. They have terrible pest problems because they (and most of us in cities and 'burbs) start out with degraded ecosystems, where the natural ebb and flow of plants and bugs and birds and etc. has been disrupted for so long that there's little left of it. I have tried more than once to explain to people that once you've killed off everything in your yard with potent pesticides, then yes, you're going to get a ton of aphids the first (several) seasons you stop using chemicals.

Most people these days don't have that sort of patience, but over time you can bring your area back into some kind of equilibrium. At least occasionally. If you don't count bindweed. Or so I like to believe.

Internet searching you can find ways to start new gardens much different than old ways...usually building good garden soil takes time...but that said there is new science and tech ways to help out, esp in other countries who are desperate for food....here is one easy, cheap way for ex: just apply wood chips, 4 to 6 in deep over your bed or area, do not mix chips into soil (this will tie up soil)...do it in fall, plant in spring....no cost if you can get free wood chips...NOW, ramiel wood chips (green, small limbs 3 in or so and brush are even better if you can get some, brown leaves better than green...the indian

I was going to try the ruth stout way but decided ramiel wood chips would be a better way to go...(because of mychorrhiza)...i do know if you have healthy strong plants, you have fewer if any pest...volcanic rock dust, seaweed mix, fish emulsion, molasses, compost tea, help make a strong thriving plants, even takes a light frost...not a lot of help other than rock dust is needed if you go the ramiel wood chip way...if dust not available, ocean products (60 or so minerals)
will do it...biochar added to soil helps hold stuff for plants...if brix level is high enough, pest go else where, cannot stand sugar level

Getting your own veggies from your garden is such a great treat ! But above all, gardening organically gives you the opportunity to learn !

When one uses chemicals, one learns nothing. One goes to the shop, tells a problem, asks for a solution, and there it goes, one parts with good bucks to buy some more or less efficient poison.

When you garden organically, you have to observe, you make mistakes, you come here on GW to find solutions, you get to read academic articles about stuff like AMF you didn't know anything about, you look for articles about iron phosphate because you don't want to kill your beloved worms, and you learn and learn.

What is human life without the constant learning ? Evolution didn't armed us with claws or fangs, but with a brain. Those who waste their time in front of american idol just waste their brain. Organic gardening offers the opportunity to use your human brain instead of living the mediocre life of an idiotic consumer.

It saves us from intellectual decline.

Not to mention from physical decline, too.

If I was a dictator, I would make it compulsory for all my subjects ;-)

If I were dictator, I would make you Minister of Compulsory Gardening…

Oh now I wish you were the dictator of the whole world, so that I'd be the Minister of Compulsory organic gardening for the whole world !

However I think we would need quite a few technology to run a strong army to enforce our organic laws and make them respected throughout the world on this lazy species that human race is ;-)