watering is an art.. NOT a science... no such thing as a schedule in the art world ... water when the tree needs water .... insert finger.. or dig a small hole to find out if water.. moving through your soil .. in your yard.. in your climate.. is getting to the rootball ... you need to provide water.. for 2 or 3 years.. to all the roots that were cut off for transplant ... superficial watering of the surface.. will insure death ... put the hose on trickle... for an hour.. go dig a small hole.. and see how deep the water got.... if it did not get down the two or three feet of the rootball size.. water for another hour.. go dig another hole .... all this digging.. outside the rootball is not going to harm the rootball.. since it was just planted.. do NOT dig within the rootball ... just next to it ... i am talking hand trowel... not shovel .... once you determine how long it takes to get water down there .... turn off the water.. and put the hose away ... and do NOT water again.. until your finger.. inserted to the second knuckle.. under the mulch i hope you applied.. indicates that the soil is dry or hot .... as much as the roots need water.. they also need air ... do NOT drown the thing with too much love .... good luck ken

Minderella, Carrots & spinach are usually planted as a fall or winter crop in Fl. They don't do well in the Florida heat & humidity of summer. The variety of tomatoes you planted can have a wide difference as to when blossoms appear on the plant. I have tomatoes that are now turning red, yet on another variety they haven't even blossomed yet. When were they started (in cups or direct seeded). Did you buy flats or start your own in Jan. Cucumbers are usually a difficult crop to grow in Fl. Again when were they started, or did you buy flats? Your input to us is extremely limited to demand an answer. Corn is a heavy feeder and requires side dressings of fertilizer along with copious amounts of water. The depth of your amended soil is very important with corn. Corn usually takes at least 65-70 days if not way more depending the variety. One month of growth time is not sufficient to make any crops as yet, check your seed packets and note the days to maturity listed. I think you'll find it's like 65 days or more under ideal conditions for most crops(which rarely happens here in Florida) As far as watering, if the leaves are not droopy, the water amount is sufficient. The watering amount is extremely variable due to what your soil mix is and over all conditions (depth of soil, full sun or partial shade, PH, exposure to wind, etc. etc.) make it hard for us to guess. We are like the blind men trying to describe your elephant, Lou

Hi Wood, let's see where to start? (S) Okay, misting is fine, especially when foliage is sprayed w/hose. It keeps leaves clean, helps w/humidity, and rids some types of insects, if insects are a problem. BTW, just to be on the safe side, did you check for insects? Look for mites, whitefly, mealy and scale. Mites are the worse as far as hibs go..Do u know how to check for these bugs? Yes, hibs should be placed in full sun, but do it gradually, especially if your hibs were indoors overwinter. You ask about hosing soil. Do you water by hand? Soil should dry a bit between waterings, in other words, don't keep soil soggy..plant can develop root rot. So, if you water by hand, there's no reason to use the hose too, (for soil) but foliage is another thing..I think hibs love having their foliage sprayed..in fact, it works better than misting since the spray really moistens leaves. It's natural for some leaves to yellow, but if it's happened daily, then there's a problem. When did you get your hibs? Are they new? Toni

Hi tennegreen - As you say, you have done your homework, so I'm sure the last thing you want is more reading to do. ;) But there are so many discussions and FAQ's here on BER that covering them all in detail is impossible. So, a search on "blossom end rot" and more reading is in order. It is a complex problem and has many contributing factors in addition to water and soil ph. These include the variety of tomato, air temps, weather (ie. excessive rain), over-watering, calcium soil levels, stress factors, over-fertilization, etc. Bottom line - something??? interferes with the plant's ability to uptake and move internally the needed calcium. And the opinions on how to deal with it are as varied as the factors that cause it. I think most will agree that adding lime without first getting a soil test should be avoided. There is also the question as to how effecting adding lime after planting can be. In my personal experience, the BER is only a problem on the first fruit sets and with time the plant adjusts on its own. Most aggressive attempts to "fix" the problem only make it worse. Once the weather stabilizes and once any overwatering problem is eliminated all but a couple of the Roma varieties will eliminate the BER on their own. As to how to measure? It isn't so much measuring as checking the moisture in the soil. Some weeks they may need more than 1" and some weeks less. A hose set on a medium flow and few minutes at the base of each plant each week should easily give them enough but first, you need to stick you finger in deep to check the soil moisture. When the soil 2-3" deep is dry they need water. If it isn't, they don't. Or when the plants begin to droop, they will tolerate that ok, water them. Keep in mind that over-watering is far worse for the plant than under-watering so when in doubt - wait. ;) Hope this helps. Good luck with your garden. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Blossom End Rot