failed garden! Need help!

17 years ago

I have used planting boxes for gardening for years, and already had 2 large boxes in my garden (5x20 and 5x25). In past years they were filled with compost/top soil, and LOTS of weeds. I ws so tired of the weeds, my husband and I dug out all the soil (this was a huge job!), and filled them with Mel's mix soil. We used Gardner and Bloom compost, peat moss and merdium vermiculite (couldn't find coarse) in equal amounts and mixed it thoroughly before adding. This was a big expense to do, but I was excited for the outcome.

I planted seeds and plants exactly as the book says - the same ones I've used with great success for years, and waited. And waited...and waited...and waited. My first tomatoes and peppers died - I though from cold, but now I wonder. I replanted, and was still waiting for the seeds to come up. It was a cold spring, so I thought that was the delay.

They did finally sprout, but very weakly. I have never seen a garden like mine. It was so sad. Everything was spindly, with VERY little growth. I'm talking 1/2 inch tall beets (after months), one stalk 12 inches tall with 1 tiny tomato per tomato plant. Lettuce that went to seed before it got over 2 inches tall, squash and cucumbers that never grew beyond about a 3 inch plant. I have never seen zucchini not grow!!!

The only thing that grew was my peas and beans. This leads me to think that my soil had no nitrogen. I am certainly no expert, but if I remember right, legumes fix nitrogen and don't require as much in the soil. Nitrogen also leads to green growth - of which I had none.

I need some opinions as to what went wrong, and more important, what to do to fix it.

I fertilized, to no avail. I basically gave up on the entire garden this year. My crop was some peas and beans. I am usually the person who has more produce than they can possibly eat. This has been awful -and very depressing considering all the work and money we spent.

Let me know what I should do to prepare the beds for the fall, and add a lot of nitrogen. I've even considered planting something like an annual clover or other cover crop to add nitrogen to the soil over the winter. I don't know if that is something that would work in the boxes and this soil or not.

I'm also wondering if something else very bad is happening in my garden - I have beautiful raspberry plants that have fruited so well for 5 years. The canes are dying this fall and I don't know why. Do I just have some evil garden curse this year - are these two things related???

Thanks in advance for the info.

Michelle

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Comments (5)

angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
17 years ago
Oh my, Michelle! I can totally feel your frustration. I am not sure why the nitrogen would need fixed with brand new "soil", but it sure sounds like that is what happened. It may have been the particular kind of compost you used? I know Mel suggests that you really must use at least 5 different kinds of compost, but many people don't have better success than you did. The compost seems like the only variant of what the "soil" was comprised of....

Now, peat makes the soil acidic, so it could be a factor especially if the compost didn't compensate for it... Know what I mean?

I think you're on the right track to do a green cover crop that will add nitrogen. I'd also get on the homemade compost bandwagon and make as much as possible as soon as possible to mix into your current "soil". The leaves are falling and they're very good for your composting efforts and for your plants when they're in the soil.

Have you checked to see what the Gardner and Bloom compost is comprised of? I checked the labels on my compost products to see what all was going into my mix to be sure it was from SEVERAL different sources.... It could be something that was composted that had no nitrogen to begin with maybe?

I've also never seen squash not grow when cared for... hmmmm... I feel so bad for you, but that's all I know to chime in with....

~Angela
anniesgranny
17 years ago
Since the raspberries are dying, and they aren't in the new soil mix, it sounds more like it might have been subjected to an herbicide overspray by a neighbor, or something. Have you or your neighbor had your lawn sprayed for weeds?

I can see the soil may have been deficient in nitrogen, but not completely lacking to the point where EVERYTHING dies. I used straight compost, all from one source (composted dairy manure) in my beds, and you guys know how well my garden has grown! I did add some slow release fertilizer to some of the beds, but not all of them. Some are just 100% compost and nothing else.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
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engineeredgarden
17 years ago
smjorg - I wouldn't make any adjustments to the soil until a soil test was performed. The Mel's mix should be very close to neutral - if mixed in the proper proportions. Because I have so many fruit trees, and there's such a great difference between blueberries and other fruits preffered ph level - I had purchased a soil tester from lowes. I remember after putting the mel's mix in my box, I thought "heck, i'm gonna see what the ph level of this mel's mix is, I've already got the meter". It checked between 6.5 and 7- with 7 being "neutral". For my compost, I used 1/2 mushroom compost, and 1/2 composted manure from lowes. That's it....2 kinds of compost, from a store. The only other thing that I did, was water every 2 to 3 days with saved rainwater, and every 2 weeks with miracle gro. In closing, I will say that if you have a nitrogen deficiency - add some manure to the soil now, then let it sit until spring. This should provide a much better gardening experience next year.

EG
fishead199
17 years ago
Go buy a bag of 6-6-6. Plants like a little nourishment.
carolynp
17 years ago
I second (or third or fourth) getting your soil checked. It's pretty cheap and you might get some info. I'm with granny, a crop failure of this magnitude in a spot where previously you had success sounds alot like a chemical problem. I've read that roundup travels quite a ways. IMHO: I'm brand new and even my garden did fairly well (with ALOT of mistakes) in mel's mix, so something is definitely awry.