My garden is full of problems - Newbie needs help.:-(

15 years ago

Hey everyone. I am new to vegetable gardens this year, and things were going wonderfully until my 4-day vacation. I had a watering timer, so getting water wasn't a problem. However, I returned home to find much of my garden looking unhealthy and dying. :-( My peas have dark, purplish spots on the leaves as well as some holes here and there.

My tomato leaves are looking a bit "curled".

{{gwi:73811}}

My squash (leaves and the squash itself that had bloomed beautifully before I left) are shrinking, dying, or gone. :(

{{gwi:65759}}

I found eggs and weird spider looking bugs all over my squash (which must explain why they are looking so unhealthy).

{{gwi:65761}}

My corn leaves have begun to turn a little brown at the bottoms.

{{gwi:73812}}

My cucumber leaves seem to be a bit unhealthy around the bottom of the plant, though I do still have some yellow flowers.

{{gwi:73813}}

I'm very discouraged as everything was beautiful before I left. :-( If anyone has any ideas about one or more of these problems (causes and/or solutions), please let me know. Even if there is no hope and my garden flops this year, I want to really learn from my mistakes so that next year it goes better (fingers crossed). Thanks for your help. Ally

{{gwi:73814}}

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

macheske
15 years ago
Ally,
Tomatoes do that when it gets hot sometimes. Some blame it on uneven watering. The squash will lose a few bottom leaves. The eggs look like squash bugs. You should do something about them. It takes awhile but they will kill your plants eventually if you don't get rid of them. Sevin seems to work. Your corn looks fine. I'd spray the cucumbers as well with Sevin, but you will loose some leaves there too. My guess is that you got some hot temperatures while you were gone. Overall, your garden looks great. Wish me luck, I'm going to Vegas next week and the kids will be watering...

BTW...if your tomatoes are indeterminates, you will have a hard time with those cages.
Rick
ally99
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you Rick! Wow, that really makes me feel better.
My tomatoes are indeterminates, Big Boys and Better Boys. Why will they give me a hard time with the cages? Do I need taller ones? Thank you for your help! Ally
Related Professionals
Windham Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Jennings Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Manhattan Beach Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Pottstown Landscape Contractors · Aberdeen Landscape Contractors · Bridgeview Landscape Contractors · Concord Landscape Contractors · Florham Park Landscape Contractors · Midland Landscape Contractors · Milton Landscape Contractors · Pueblo West Landscape Contractors · Red Oak Landscape Contractors · Salem Landscape Contractors · Smyrna Landscape Contractors · Royal Oak Driveway Installation & Maintenance
raisemybeds
15 years ago
Relax a little - it's not that bad. Your tomatoes and corn look fine to me. Your squash has squash bugs, so get out there with some masking tape and use the sticky side to remove all the egg clusters you can locate - keep doing that until their numbers dwindle. Are the cucumber leaves getting dry and crunchy-brittle? If so, you may have cucumber beetles which can give them a virus that takes them down really quickly. Look for yellow beetles with black spots or stripes. If you see any email me and I will tell you how to trap those little boogers before all your plants die. They will also go for your squash so check really well for them because they are a problem. Welcome to mid-season insect infestations.
bigfoot839
15 years ago
4 days away from your garden i thought that was jailable at the very least your garden is lonley i recomend haveing a meat only cook out for it
on a serious note nice looking garden i bet you need taller cages before it is all over with for those tom's
macheske
15 years ago
Ally,
Your tomatoes will get to be about 7-8' tall. Those little cages will not do it for them. Those are meant for determinates (I had some and gave them away). I'd get some very large stakes if I were you for this year and next year get some larger cages.

When I started my garden I was thinking I would go all organic. I quickly learned that the bugs and viruses liked my garden even more than I did. I now spray with Sevin and Ortho Disease Control every 2 weeks. It makes a huge difference. I don't have the squash bug or cucumber beatle problems that I had and I don't have the mysterious die off of plants.

Here is a picture of CRW cages. The ones in front are better boys.

{{gwi:61726}}
shellva
15 years ago
Ally,

Personally I think your garden looks pretty darn good! Especially if this is your first year! So don't be too discouraged.

Definitely get on those bugs though.

Michelle
jodifromoregon
15 years ago
Hi Ally,

Just wanted to chime in: While you've already been advised and reassured by the experts, this newbie just wanted to add that I think your garden is awfully pretty as well. Nice job! Post more pictures in a few weeks... I'd love to watch your progress. :-)

Happy gardening,
Jodi
ally99
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you all so much! :) I agree, the pictures do look nice. My garden just changed a LOT over the 4 days I was gone, and not for the better, so I panicked a bit...when I left, the squash leaves were bigger, there were no dying leaves on any of the plants, and no spots on my peas. Most of the problems are easier to see up close, but your reassurances definitely made me feel better. I'm heading to the store now to get some more spray for the bugs. :) Thank ALL of you for your advice and help!
MGPinSavannah
15 years ago
I'll add my statement that your garden looks MUCH better than you think it does! Please keep us posted on how it progresses.
sinfonian
15 years ago
I agree it looks good. My first inclination was all those problems from one bed, but I agree with the other posters, there's not that much wrong.

My tomoatoes are also indeterminates, and I've got cages on them. They're slightly bigger than yours. But my cages are soley to help with the weight of the vines. To support them I'm going to manually trellis them.
{{gwi:73808}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure!