My Summer Crops are still not growing. HELP!

I posted a week ago, about how much to water my summer crops. I then discovered I wasn't watering enough. Because drainage was good. However, its been a week now since I have been watering morning and evening, and still no improvement. Is it because the weather here in South Dakota (SE) sioux falls, has been cool. The temp has not reached 85 since I started watering twice a day.

However, my neighbor has a raised bed, (not mels mix) and his tomato and eggplant look great, their getting bigger everyday. Could it be because they fertilize it with chemicals,and my plants will just take longer? Im trying not to let it bother me, but I put so much time, money, and effort into this garden. Please help.
Kirk Rangel

Did your neighbor start from direct-seeded in the ground, or transplants? What did you do?

My neighbor and I both transplanted our summer crops.

I don't know what to suggest, except that I sympathize with you. I put a lot of time and money into my SFG, too, and some of my plants (especially my tomatoes) are still quite small. But it is quite an adventure and I am having great fun with it.

One thing I will say is that my plants seemed like they were in suspended animation for the longest time until the ground really got warm and the nights, especially, got warm and stayed that way (which even now is a little iffy.) Since you are further north than me, maybe you just need to wait a while longer. I certainly have suffered through many weeks of Plant Envy watching those huge plants starts at Home Depot etc. while mine sprouted from seed in-ground. But they are starting to take off now, and at least I know their life cycle is in synch with the seasons here. I might not get a harvest from all of them, but then I'll know for next year.

Mel's mix is only as good as the composts that go into it, and mine has been less than stellar. I am using regular doses of Miracle Grow clone (a soluble 15-30-15 fertilizer) made up half strength. I also put rabbit manure around the heavy feeders. Since doing that, I've seen a great improvement in all the veggies except okra. As my own compost matures I'll put that around the plants also.

Like many on this forum, I prefer to garden organically, but at times choose to use chemicals to give the plants a boost. BTW, I understand Miracle Grow puts out a certified organic version of their soluble fertilizer.

I agree with belfrybat. Especially the first year when you do not control your compost, you may need some extra boost of food.

I am also wondering if you need to water twice a day. I am in So Cal and I only do 2X a day occasionally. Since MM does hold the water if you have a decent amount of peat and vermiculite, it pays to check moisture first. It might be better to water once, longer than twice. But that may or may not be an issue with your slow plants. More likely it is the food they still need.

I use fish emulsion, epsom salts, cal/mag pills I grind up and sometimes miracle grow also - mainly b/c these are things I already have on hand. Try feeding 2X this week then once every 10 day or so and see if there is any change. (says Dr Clare - or do what you want! LOL)

Are the leaves of your plants pale green rather than deep green, or are they yellowing or showing red color in the veins? Those would indicate deficiencies, and you should probably boost them with a dose of fish emulsion or whatever type fertilizer you prefer.

If they are just sitting there, looking healthy but not growing, it may be as Megan said and they just need a few days of warm temperatures to get started.

If you purchased your transplants from the store, sometimes growers spray plants with a growth-regulating hormone that keeps them from growing too fast or setting buds so they will be more uniform in size and hold longer during periods of slack sales. It sometimes takes a few weeks for that to wear off.

My peppers look pathetic, and my tomatoes are not doing anything.
what do you think?

My instincts are telling me a fertilizer, however, I dont want to use chemicals. I thought my worm poop or black gold was going to be like what I read about, the best organic fertilizer you could buy. Not so, did i not use it right?
im so confused.
But am loving all of the responses and suggestions
keep em coming,
kirk

kirkr44@aol.com wrote:My peppers look pathetic, and my tomatoes are not doing anything.
what do you think?

My instincts are telling me a fertilizer, however, I dont want to use chemicals. I thought my worm poop or black gold was going to be like what I read about, the best organic fertilizer you could buy. Not so, did i not use it right?
im so confused.
But am loving all of the responses and suggestions
keep em coming,
kirk

Organic fertilizers are slower than the chemical fertilizers. It would help to know what zone/ area you are in and if it has been hot or cool there. Are your veggies running slower than other people in the neighborhood or is everyone having problems? Or are you terminally impatient and watching grass grow just ain't your thing. LOL

So use chemical fertilizer or don't. If it has been cool, consider a plastic cover for your box to get things warmed up. Other than that, I don't know. As said, if everything looks deep green, it probably isn't fertilizer. But, who knows - there are lots of micro and macro nutrients.

Try some Fox Farm Grow Big, it is an organic fertilizer. I love it for my seedlings indoors, use can use it in the garden too. Maybe the plants just need a warmer soil. I know when I first did my beds, I didn't give them enough water and the tops where very dry all the time even when I did water. It wasn't until after a really good rain that things started to grow for me. It could be that the soil just isn't wet enough all the way down.


Little Thumb

to Chopper
I live in zone 4, and it has been cool. we have not had temps over 85 yet, unfortunately we have another cool front coming now, and thunderstorms. I did talk to my neighbor yesterday, and the reason his summer plants are so much bigger than mine, is because of fertilizer, Miracle gro, and mushroom compost.
thanks for your help

They don't call it Miracle Grow for nothing .
My plants grow like crazy when I give them a shot of it about every 10 days.
Also, I used the mushroom compost, cow, chicken, & plant compost.

I have found organic bloodmeal to be the boost my plants need. My own compost I still find to be nitrogen poor; that is a work in progress. After two weeks of hot weather this week has been cooler, but we have had 3.75 inches of rain in the past 5 days so everything is amply watered.