Help with my vegie garden

What am I doing wrong? I started from seed in a greenhouse (on nice warm mats even!), did the hardening off thing, then planted out in the garden. I did companion planting. I planted according to one of those moon books. I have done my darndest. All the neighbors' gardens are growing lush and huge and mine are just sitting there. Did I put stuff in too late? It has all been in at least 3 - 4 weeks.

I put in corn, broccoli, lettuce, pumpkin (doing especially poorly), and potatoes (which are doing pretty good, but they are the only ones), chives, and red onions.

My flowers aren't doing great either. Everyone laughs at me for planting morning glory as they consider them a weed but mine just will not grow! They are all still about 2 feet high and have been that way f o r e v e r. I also planted sweet peas and sunflowers which have barely grown.

Everything either gets a lot of sun all day (on days we actually have sun ) or sun off and on during the day for at least 6 hours.

Please help! I had so wanted this to be a successful year. I have tried pumpkins so many times and something always happened. Either we moved or squirrels ate them or something. This year the ones the bunnies haven't eaten have turned yellow and are withering away. :(

Gwen

Tamara Faye does planting by the moon so she might be able to help. And of course FarmerDill and Dan..

How are the plants doing as far as water and fertilizer go? Do you ever talk with your neighbors and discuss just what it is that they are doing?

As far as garden prep goes, how'd your soil test? Did you add compost/manure, etc? A pH that's out of the right range won't allow plants to take up the nutrients they need. But you probably know all that...

I think my plants are doing okay as far as water. In fact, I know they are. Well, I hope so. I usually give them deep water and then let them go so the roots will go deeper. We live in the PNW and we have had a good mix of rain and sun this spring. It's been an unusual spring and imo a good one for plants.

I did not test the soil. We just moved here but the soil appears to be great. It's certainly the best soil of any place I've ever lived. You can dig right down into it, it doesn't drain too quickly, nor does it get boggy. Worms galore, which seems to be a good sign. I added bone meal when I planted. I have top dressed with alfalfa, have added blood meal in some places (trying to keep bunnies out). I've mulched with peat moss and straw. I really think the soil is pretty good. I have bags of various composts, manures and soils and usually will mix them up and use them as part of the fill when I plant.

Spectrum, when I read this - Do you ever talk with your neighbors and discuss just what it is that they are doing? - I read too quickly and read it as 'do you ever talk with your plants...' LOL I was thinking, just because I planted by the moon doesn't mean I talk to my plants! LOL

No, I haven't talked to the neighbors. I did mention his plants were way better than mine but he wasn't forthcoming about anything he had done. I didn't ask outright. I'm pretty sure he directed seeded into the ground, given the large area he has. I did most of mine from transplants, ex the potatoes which just went straight into the ground.

I feel if I did anything, it was transplanting them into the ground too late. I still haven't put my tomatoes into the ground. I bought them as plants from a mail order place (territorial seeds) and they are pretty pitiful.

I'm going to start more seeds in trays, so everything doesn't come up and mature at once. I may try putting pumpkin seeds directly into the ground and then netting over.

Gwen

Gwen, I don't think it's a bad idea to pop a pumpkin seed or two in the ground too when you transplant. I do this: sometimes the transplant fails, sometimes the seed won't germinate, but they rarely both fail. I've had them both fail to fruit, but that's another story.

It sounds like you're doing everything right. I'm gardening (mostly) with the moon this year as well...

In "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" Ed Smith tells a story about his worst garden. Little germinated and nothing grew much. The soil was gorgeous: dark, rich and loamy, with lots of organic matter. It turned out to have a pH of 4.5; too acidic for the plants to get those nutrients. (They added lime, and the next year was, he says, one of his best gardens ever.) That's why I asked about pH. I always remember that story. Probably not the case with you, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Good luck to you.

Gwen did the tomatoe starts come sad where have you been keeping them Tomatoes are pretty tough I know that Island you Live on is cool by nature and tomatoes and squash and pumpkins and cuks need heat to grow well and it has not been warm for a lot of things to do well My own garden is slower starting this year. 6 hours of sun is kinda skimpy but should make the brassicas grow well did you plant any of those. Ernie

This message was edited Jun 6, 2005 2:57 PM

What are brassicas, is that broccoli? I did plant some of that. Probably put that in too late. It's still very small.

I guess I will cave in and get some of those soil test kits. That may be it. I think we have fairly acid soil. Rhodies and hydrangeas do real well here, altho they are in different areas of the garden.

Gwen

Brasica's are a family of plants that include, cabbage, cauliflower, brocolli, mustard, bok choi, kale, turnip, kohlrabi, rape, radish and a host of other veggies that I can't think of right now,
I have litlle confidence in the soil test kits. Get your ag extension agent to send in a sample fro you. Usually less expesive that a test kit and a lot more accurate. Add a little hydrated lime (quick acting) to several of your plants and see if it turns the tables.

This message was edited Jun 7, 2005 4:19 PM

I would have to send in so many soil samples if I sent them to an extension agent. There are 2 acres of gardens here. There are 2 fenced in produce gardens. Even from one side to the other, the soil might test differently.

I will try adding a little lime.

Thanks,
Gwen