Excessive vegetative growth

For the first time this year I am growing some of my vegetables totally organic. A small 3 x 12 raised bed was prepared by filling top 4"-6" depth with a purchased bulk container mix made up of composted forest product; mixed about 12 cubic feet of rotted manure from my chicken coop; ozomite dust; and a little organic fertilizer. My ph tested at 6-7 according to extension service test results.

I am amazed at the vegetative growth of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers I have planted in this bed. My problem is that I seem to be getting mostly vegetative growth but have been disappointed with relatively little fruit, so far. Maybe I am over anxious since this is my first trial, but I am wondering how to counteract the high nitrogen that I have apparently given this bed, so that I get fruit from these plants.

Here are some photos of the garden, the first 2 were taken yesterday.

3rd one shows organic bed from back April 7, about 10 days after planting.

4th is looking across garden toward tomatoes and asparagus bed.

5th (taken yesterday) shows a monster yellow crookneck squash I planted just outside the chicken coop in scratch out just to see what it would do. I have done nothing, in fact, it is growing in a thick carpet of grass, but is full of female bloom.

Unfortunately, the town "protects" us from mosquitoes by spraying 2 times a week so I am short of pollinator insects (even bees) it seems so a lot of my squash are just shriveling.

Again, I got brag about big foliage, but what do I do to get "bragging rights" to some produce?



This message was edited Jun 9, 2013 10:00 AM

I see flowers on your plants. These should produce fruit before fall.

When I lived in South Florida, I called the mosquito squad every time they sprayed to complain that they were ruining my organic garden and reducing bee populations. They eventually changed to Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis.

You might want to install some native bee nests.

For next year, maybe compost instead of manure - or at least thoroughly composted old manure. That will keep the nitrogen down a bit.
Also, no pollination when it is too cold or too HOT. So there will be a gap in fruiting after a heat wave, like we are having right now in Pueblo.

Excessive nitrogen produces lots of foliar growth, usually at the expense of fruits.