Gardeners I need help!

[Gamom3]

I just started a garden about 3 1/2 wks ago. the only thing that is growing well are my red potatoes. I have had to replace my cucumbers and watermelon. The plants are not growing; they look like I just purchased them. What have I done wrong? Hubby says we need to redo everything and put mix some quality soil in the bed. I am wondering if I dig the plants up carefully and mix a good soil in and replant them..will they be ok?

I have 4 squash, 1 zucchini, 4 peppers, 2 tomato, 2 watermelon, 1 cantaloupe, 8 sweet potato--none of these are showing signs of growth.

 

I have fertilized, water twice a day and they get plenty of sun.

 

Thoughts, ideas?

 

Oh another question. I am also growing a tomato on my patio and it is growing great--other than the stinking tomato worms!! I planted basil in with my tomato and they are eating it! I pulled off 8 baby worms this morning.

 

I am new to gardening so I really need some advice.

[Live2Ride]

I don't know which area of Georgia you live in, but I grew up northwest of Atlanta and the red clay there is extremely unproductive for growing plants. You have to amend the soil. It's always good to enrich it anywhere you are, but raised beds with quality soil are a must where we lived. Oh and watering once a day is probably fine. Otherwise you could be giving them too much. Stick your finger down about an inch or so, if it's dry, then water. Use straw mulch around all of your plants and in between to cut down on weeds and keep moisture in. You can carefully dig up the plants. I've done it before when I wanted to move things to add more. You will probably find that they aren't growing much beyond the border of soil they grew in. Also remember to loosen up the roots around the bottom of the plug (a plug is a plant in a little plastic pot pack), that helps them get started branching out. Oh and if you haven't already, start a compost bin (or two). All kitchen scraps (except milk and animal products) can go in there along with leaves, grass clippings, good dirt, etc. Makes for a good compost to add to your garden later.

[fairfarmhand]

The plants that you listed are hot weather plants. In your shoes, I might use some Miracle grow maybe once a week in a hose end feeder.

 

But I bet that once the hot weather hits, they will take off. It can take plants a bit to establish themselves after being transplanted.

[My3Boys]

I lived in east TN for many years and never bothered to plant directly in the soil. Even trying to amend it didn't work for me. CountryGirl2 is correct; the clay soil is just too heavy and nutrient-deficient. I finally just went to raised beds. I did the soil mixture in Square Foot Gardening, but you could just use the bagged soil you get a Lowe's, and mix in additional compost/fertilizer to renew the soil the next year. There would be no need to replace it totally every year. If your garden is very large, you may be able to get it delivered instead of buying the large bags and it would probably be more cost effective.

 

I am in a situation right now where I live in a place with excellent natural soil, but we are temporarily in a rental where I can't have a garden, so I am doing the container gardening thing. I did this last year and used the Miracle-Grow with the fertilizer already in it and my vegetables did great! I had tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cucumbers and beans. Everything grew really well and no fertilizing all summer!

Edited May 3, 2012 by My3Boys

[nukeswife]

I'm in a rental and although my landlord would have no issues with me putting a garden out I prefer to use Earthboxes on my patio. I never have weeds to worry about and I just full the box with water every other day. I've never had better plants than when I grow this way.

 

If you're doing things in the natural soil, you'll most likely have to mix in some gardening soil mix. It's seem the clay soil of the area I'm in and that you most likely have just doesn't do it for gardens.

[Gamom3]

We are using a raised bed. There isn't any red clay in the bed. We had removed junipers from the area before we built. I am not sure if they pulled the nutrients from the soil. We tilled the soil, but didn't add any thing to it--we had so much dirt that we don't have anywhere to put it.

 

We live northeast of Atlanta. It is hot here in Ga. It will be close to 90 today. We are having crazy weather here. I just don't understand why everything is dying and not growing at all--I didn't think that it would be from the weather--but I am new to this so it very well could be.

 

Thanks for the advice on the watering..I'll keep a check on it.

[fairfarmhand]

you may have cutworms killing them.