Way too hot for potato plants at such a young stage. You are a zone 5.5? When did you plant? Too hot for small brassica transplants also. We're talking sweet potatoes, cowpeas and okra.

Don't care for sweet potatoes, cowpeas, or okra. I planted the potatoes in the raised bed about a month ago. They started sprouting maybe 10 days ago. The brassica transplants went in about a week after the potatoes. The potatoes in the potato bag went in around the first of May.

I was late setting up my raised beds. I have a third bed to set up. I'm thinking of putting melons in that one, and maybe try some carrots off to the side.

Well, an untimely heat-wave can wreck the best-timed gardens, but potatoes in zone 5 or 6 can probably go in much earlier (as a note for next year). You might find a more effective use for the raised bed, as well. Potatoes tend to do better planted in trenches and hilled as they grow.

This is my second attempt trying to post this message.

The instructions for the raised beds specifically mentioned growing potatoes in them. Last year I grew potatoes in the ground across the yard. They produced, but the spuds were very small.

I'm still experimenting. Next year the raised beds will already be set up, so it'll be compost, till, and plant. Much less time.

The potatoes in the potato bag perked up considerably once the temperature dropped some.

lilacs_of_may,

Exactly what type of growing medium are you using in your beds?

It appears to me from the photos that you are not using mulch, is this correct?

I agree with violet's concerns. Your soil "appears" to be very poor - at least as far as one can tell from a photo - and the plants all seem to reflect stunted growth and severe nutrient deficiencies. Is this just regular yard dirt or one of the many mixes specific for raised beds? Has it been amended? With what? What is your feeding program?

And mulch is badly needed! The black plastic sides of your beds, given your temps, will just bake the soil and roots no matter how much you water. 4-6" of a good mulch, be it leaves, straw, hay, of whatever can reduce the bed temps substantially and give the roots at least a chance to develop. Even with the poorest of soils, mulching heavily around all the plants will improve their chances of survival.

Dave

This is premium soil. A mix of Miracle-Gro and Earth-Gro. Mainly Miracle-Gro.

Where would I get mulch? Would Home Depot have it?

WATER THOSE POOR THINGS!

What's the white stuff on the ground around the plants?

Any place that sells garden stuff should have mulch. The cheap way is to use garden clippings or leaves assuming there's no herbicides on it. newspaper also works. pretty much anything that decomposes and doesn't contain toxins or pathogens would make a good mulch.

Exactly what Miracle Grow Product is it? I'd like to know so I can find it and look at it in the bag myself.

Mulch = anything that you put over the surface of the soil in order to maintain consistent soil temperature and lower the soil temperature in the heat of summer, helps to maintain moisture in the soil because it prevents evaporation of water and therefore helps maintain soil tilth aka friability of the soil, usually if natural adds organic matter to the soil as it breaks down, prevents weeds from sprouting and migrating weed seeds from taking root.

Mulch = grass clippings, shredded leaves, wood chips, newspaper, cardboard, buckwheat hulls, peanut shells, pine needles, compost, the list is endless.

Your soil looks compacted which can happen from rain and no use of mulch. It also looks very dry and solid on top due to high heat and again, no mulch. It also doesn't appear healthy which is why I ask which product it is exactly.

Just because its Miracle Grow, doesn't mean it's high quality.

I have newspaper. Shredded or just placed? I also have some pistachio shells. I had been dumping them in the compost bin. And cardboard is plentiful, since I mail order most of my supplies.

Should I till the soil again? It actually is fairly loose. And I water those babies every day almost. I watered them thoroughly about an hour after I took those pictures. And I have a moisture meter on order.

The white powder (actually it's a pale green) is Garden Dust -- rotenone. I've seen evidence that the plants have been getting chomped by bugs.

I'm using Miracle-Gro garden soil.

If 100% percent of your growing medium is purchased mix, there is no reason you ever should have tilled. When and why did you till before?

Have you ever dug down the next day before watering again to see if the soil is still moist?

If you use newspaper, use 8 sheets at a time and soak them in a bucket of water. Then lay them down, and cover with a thin layer of soil to keep the paper from drying out and flying away. Same goes for shredded but unless you incorporate the shredded into the top few inches, it can get messy if they dry and fly away.

Try to make note of neighbors who might bag their grass clippings and ask if you can have them. Or if you have a municipal yard waste recycling center, stop by and ask to have the clippings of someone who is recycling them anyway. You can even prune your own plants and use the clippings as mulch. Pistachio shells would be better utilized in a perennial bed but would be better than nothing. If you have a compost bin, does this mean you have enough compost to put down a layer?

Your plants are experiencing extra stress since the soil temperature and moisture are fluctuating so much every day.

If you don't know what is eating your plants, you should only use a pesticide when you have not identified the pest as a last resort. It may or may not help and can cause long term issues when it mixes with your soil. Unless the leaves are completely disappearing, the plants can tolerate being eaten a bit. I wouldn't use anything unless more than 1/3 of the plant was gone.

Pest management is complex, if you wish to use chemical products, do so responsibly which goes further than reading the label. If you want to learn, a good place to start is here:

Integrated Pest Management
This lecture is presented in two parts. Each part is 90-minutes in length. Recorded in Sacramento County in California's Sacramento Valley, this lecture is by Mary Louise Flint, Ph.D., Director, IPM Education and Publications, UC Statewide IPM Project and Extension Entomologist & Cooperative Extension Specialist.

Education:
B.S. Plant Science, University of California, Davis
Ph.D. Entomology, University of California, Berkeley

Appointment:
100% Cooperative Extension

Research Interests:
Integrated pest management of landscape, agricultural and garden pests; biological control of arthropod pests; alternatives to pesticides; adoption of alternative practices by practitioners; innovative delivery of pest management information.

Topics discussed in the Integrated Pest Management Lecture:

* IPM references and resources
* Preventing pest problems
* Natural common enemies
* Making less toxic pesticide choices
* Controlling aphids, scales, caterpillars, coddling moths, tree borers, snails and slugs, and lawn insects.

You can watch the programs now online:

Just make sure you have Real Player installed or download it free.

Integrated Pest Management Part1 90 minutes

Integrated Pest Management Part 2 90 minutes

You'll want to bookmark the following link to Professor Flint's Lab Research on:
Controlling Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Vegetables and Melons

I promise you'll learn one or two things to put in your gardening bag of pest management arsenals.

;)

So long as you have good drainage, the plants will take what water they need. General rule of thumb is that gardens require one inch of water per week by supplementing rainfall.

You will have to adjust throughout the season and be attentive to the amount of rainfall you receive each week. There are two schools of thought on watering. Frequent shallow waterings or less frequent long, deep waterings. The general rule of thumb is that mature plants need 1-2 inches of rain per week in summer. You should provide whatever portion of this moisture is lacking. One inch of rain equals 65 gallons per 100 square feet of garden space. But this is just a guide. Time of the season, stage of the plants, soil composition, and many other factors affect the amount of water required. Be consistent during fruit production.

Mulched plants require less water than plants that are not mulched. Raised beds require more than non-raised beds.

If a good amount of compost is incorporated into the soil, less water is needed. Compost holds 6 times it's weight in water.

Watering too frequently and too heavily is just as hard on plants as too little water. Roots require oxygen just as much as they require water and nutrients.

Dry winds dehydrate plants.

Cooler temps require less water.

Those using drip irrigation whether from a soaker hose or milk jug are likely getting the best use of their water which is going right where it needs to go and the ground has time to absorb it.

There are hundreds of methods of watering. Whatever you do, just be consistent. But I do agree, twice a day sounds like too much. Roots require oxygen equally as much as they require nutrients and water.

I personally believe in a couple of deep waterings per week with the use of 2 inches of mulch to reduce evaporation and maintain a more stable soil temperature.

Plants recover from dehydration much better then they ever recover from the roots being suffocated by drowning so under watering is better than over watering until you get the hang of it. Oxygen is equally as important as water and nutrients and rain water is always better than municipal tap water.

With the hot temperatures and dry winds, I don't think it's possible to overwater these babies. I push my finger down into the soil, and if it doesn't feel damp and cool, I water. I didn't water my potato bag tonight because it felt damp an inch below the surface. The raised beds were still dry a couple or so inches down, so I watered them. I try to water deeply each time.

What long-term issues would an organic pesticide cause? That's why I went organic. It doesn't stay there forever. It breaks down. And I tried Liquid Fence, Hot Pepper Wax, diatomaceous earth, Neem oil, and finally upped to rotenone when nothing else worked.

I did start a compost bin last March, but it's not anywhere near compost yet.

I'm confused about the tilling. When I put the soil into the raised bed, I tilled, to make sure everything was mixed, lumps were broken up, and the surface was fairly level. The soil doesn't feel compacted or crusty when I poke a finger into it.

Oh, and I have a rain gauge right there. It hasn't rained here in a week or two. I used to have an outdoor thermometer, but it exploded last week. Good thing it didn't use mercury.

I have to agree with you Lilacs of May, overwatering is a difficult thing to do in this part of the country! My vegetable bed looked just as dry as those pictures of yours a couple hours after being watered today!!! When you have highs in the mid to upper 90's with humidity levels in the teens and single digits, and desicating winds on a regular basis, like we have here in this high desert climate, I'm not sure that an inch or two of rain/sprinkler water per week is near enough.

Mulch would definitely help, though I haven't put mine down yet either, because I have been doing some succession planting, and am waiting for the seeds to sprout first. I don't want to bury the seeds so deep that they won't germinate.

I hope things start looking up in your garden. Keep us posted.

Violet, The link to Part 2 of Professor Flint's IPM lecture has never worked for me - it always says "requested file not found". I've been unable to find the file anywhere on the net as well, which is a bummer as the first in the series was great!

I'm confused about the tilling. When I put the soil into the raised bed, I tilled, to make sure everything was mixed, lumps were broken up, and the surface was fairly level. The soil doesn't feel compacted or crusty when I poke a finger into it.

I'm confused about your soil. If you purchased your soil from a bag, all you have to do is pour it in. No tilling required. If it was lumpy, just watering it would loosen any clumps. Most people mix bagged growing medium for small raised beds with a tarp or a rolling it in a bucket, or simply by hand. I assume you have a small tiller?

Which Earthgro product are you using?
Earthgro® Potting Soil
Earthgro® Dehydrated Manure And Organic Humus
Earthgro® Organic Humus And Manure
Earthgro® Steer Manure Blend
Earthgro® Topsoil

Depends on the product. Not all organic substances "break down" quickly. Trying to use everything doesn't necessarily help. The best thing to do is start with quality soil to grow healthy plants that will resist disease and be able to handle a bit of harvesting from humans and pests. How do you apply your dust? I suggest an old sock.

Oh... and put up some cardboard or boards on the south side of the plants to protect them from lengthy afternoon sun and give them a bit of relief, or use shade cloth until it cools down.

Lilacs, let's talk next year, and meantime, do this: As soon as the ground thaws next spring and dries out a tad, dig a trench about a foot deep, put six inches of compost or bagged soil in the bottom, put your seed pieces in about two inches deep. Hill up with the native soil as they grow. When your scorching dry weather comes, the plants will be mature and near the withering stage in any case.

If the plants are up and you have a late frost threatening, you can cover them with a blanket or cardboard or whathaveyou.

Highalt has it right. The wind is so dry, the temps so high, that the ground is drying out very fast. We shouldn't be getting a scorcher until much later, but we've got one now and just got to get the young plants through it.
Even my well mulched plants wilted some on Sunday with that hot very dry wind blowing through, but they perked up later when it cooled off.
Don't let the soil dry out a couple of inches down. Moist soil is cooler soil. You can't over water with loose soil in raised beds. Water everyday. It'll help increase the humidity around the plants so the roots can keep up with the tops. Mulch realy really well. I use a thick layer of newspaper (8 to 10 sheets) with enough composts on top to hold the paper down in the wind. This really really keeps the soil cooler and moister.
Shade cloth might help quite a bit while the plants are still young - your sunshine is more intense than the sunshine at sea level.
You do not need to start over or wait until next year. You just need to get your plants through this unseasonable heat wave. Cooler weather is supposed to be coming with night time temps in the low 50's.

Gardening at high altitude - such fun!

I saw a very big black cloud headed your way yesterday - did it rain?

I do water every day. Nice, thorough watering. It dries out that fast!

Shade cloth is on order. I expect it will get here this week sometime. My Pyola arrived yesterday.

I've been shaking the rotenone onto the plants and then swatting the plants a little (gently!) to get it to poof out over all the leaves. I do think it's helping. I see less damage, except for the leafminers. Nothing seems to slow them down. At least it's broccoli and not lettuce.

That big black cloud stopped over Aurora to flash lightning, roll thunder, and darken things up, but it was all talk, no action. Rain fell, but evaporated before it reached the ground.

It was eerie walking home after my class, though. The surroundings had this golden glow near ground although it was dark overhead.

I do water every day. Nice, thorough watering. It dries out that fast!

It won't dry out so fast if you use mulch.

Yes! Mulch! I got the picture. Mulch! :-)

Can't do anything about it right now, though, not till I get home. Then I'll use some newspaper, since that's what I happen to have on hand.

Won't the newspaper mold underneath, though? I don't need that.

The temps have gone down, though, almost 25 degrees from yesterday. It won't even break 80 today. That'll help.

And it looks like it might even rain!!!! Whoohoo!

I don't really know if the newspaper molds or not underneith, but whatever it does, it doesn't seem to hurt the plants at all. I've been using it for, ummm, something like ten or fifteen years. By springtime, it has rotted enough that it is easy to till under. And it works so well at keeping the weeds down, which is a real big problem for me since I use horse manure.

Won't the newspaper mold underneath, though? I don't need that.

Not usually. It breaks down quickly and worms love it. (throw some worms in your beds).

Here is a link that might be useful: All About Newspaper as Mulch

Glad to see you guys are cooling off on that side of the state. Over here, its 97 outside ... and yes I will be watering again today.

I just checked our 10 day forecast, since I thought maybe your cooler weather was headed this way. The forecast is calling for highs between 95 - 100 degrees for the next ten days. At least it will cool off into the 50's at night.

When I was in Grand Junction a couple of weeks ago, I saw a billboard that said "Yeah, it's a desert ... get used to it. Turn your sprinklers OFF"