Spots that are dark, round and similar diameter like that are usually peach scab. Those nectarines look nearly identical to what my Mericrest fruits look like now. Looking at your spray schedule it looks like you did not spray a fungicide at the nickel or so sized fruit stage which is when peach scab is just getting going but is vulnerable to sprays. I did do a spray or two of sulphur then, and many of my nectarines are looking pretty good, but not the Mericrest. There are better fungicides for peach scab, looking at the midwest guide for example they mention Adament and Gem as being excellent (never heard of either); Captan is considered a bit better than sulphur. I would add a post-shuck-split fungicide to your spray schedule to help control scab. Scab can lead to runting and poor maturing on some varieties (other varieties may look bad but it doesn't effect the taste/size). The scab seems to make the cracking worse as well, but nectarines are prone to cracking and depending on when the rains come you could always get unlucky. They are also much more prone to brown rot. I am trying half a dozen different nectarines now in hopes of getting one or two more reliable ones. Scott

Taras - the very young plant - probably will do better if you stick it in a covered transparent box - and move it away from the direct sun. It will preserve the moisture and it will be OK. It is risky to change your method of watering just before a vacation - because you are not experienced yet. So probably a friend with a watering can will be a better option. Otherwise - seems that 1:1:1 soil is correct. You need to have enough water in your reservoir - it can be a cut-off soda bottle - or a glass jar or you can put your plants on top of the deli containers will with water with fertilizer solution with a hole in a lid - you can thread your wick through. You need to see how other people do it - then you can figure out the best way for yourself. Keep searching the internet for plant wicking and check if you have a violet club in your area. Somebody to show you the ropes would be perfect. Good Luck Irina

morz8, I believe you're right. Sunday, I brought some containers into the kitchen to remove the tops; some I let sit for a while, some I removed right away, and they all look perfect (though there are a few spotted leaves, which may have indeed been scorched). I fertilized them and let them stay inside until all the condensation on the leaves had dried, and they were more than happy to move back outside. I'll repeat this method with several others that need to be removed soon. Lesson learned. When I say "fertilized", I mean "sprayed with seaweed", which tends to perk plants up in a matter of minutes. It's really amazing how quickly it works. :)

CT, All of my plants hit the slow route for quite some time. I haven't posted pics of my garden in awhile because everything has germinated, but not much has really put on a growth spurt. However, I noticed this morning that my eggplant, green pepper, cukes, watermelon and cantaloupe have started producting flowers. I almost pulled the eggplant and green pepper three weeks ago since each had produced one or two small fruit and then did nothing for about a month. I kept reading others talking about their harvest and was frustrated, but I figured I can't replant those spaces until September, so I may as well let the plants grow and see if they do anything and they have! I'd add some more dirt/compost to the areas where your tomato roots are showing and watch the soil closely. I check my raised beds daily, then water only the beds that don't feel damp to my finger. Since we've had a lot of rain in the last couple of weeks, I haven't had to water in almost three weeks. Sometimes the best garden amendment is patience on our part. I'm a novice gardener as well, so I'm really getting a kick out of eating things that I've planted from a little tiny seed. If you, like me, need affirmation that you will eventually get food from those plants, try planting some radishes. They grow so fast that it's a treat just to watch them grow! They taste purty good, too, as my granny would say! :)