There could be so many variables to why you are having 'troubles'. That's the problem with gardening, you aren't just born knowing... it's a process of making mistakes. Slow growing tomato plants could be many problems... I wouldn't give them too much N because you'd get larger plants and teenie tomatoes... I know this because I have done it! It could be over watering.... when tomatoes are over watered, they don't grow well. Could be you have a heat loving variety and you don't have the heat. But I'd suspect over watering. Tomatoes like a little drying out or drainage in between deep waterings. I have gardened since I was very small, and I still make annoying mistakes. There are so many variables and it makes me glad that I am not a farmer in the 1800's dependant on what i grow!

Why not just lkeave it there! Pull it back, add your compost iver the surface, and pull back the straw. Over the Winter it will slowly decompose, adding additional organic matter. It the spring, pull the straw away, and plant. The soil will be soft, moist and good to go. If you need to add any soil ammendments like blood meal or bone meal, just scatter it on the surface in early Spring. The earth worms, rain and other soil life will migrate it down to root level in a few weeks. There is no need to till the soil every year! That is a myth! Ron The Garden Guy http://www.TheGardenGuy.org Visit me!!

probably less chemical spray on what is grown as fodder hay, maybe none at all, that hay once spoilt and no good for fodder purposes makes a good nutritional mulch for the garden. even better the slashed grass we are raking closely resembles hay has no spray on it at all comes from vacant properties. surely gardeners in the US must have similar opportunities to rake and gather this sort of grass? for ornamental gardens natural wood chip bought from blokes who are tree loppers, keep it clear of the stems/trunks by about 4"s it does great. len

I have used straw for mulch many times, but not usually alone by itself. In the fall I collect all of our fallen leaves and chop them up with the mower. I combine that with used straw from the chicken coop, and also grass clippings from the summer mowings. So right now the main mulch in the cutting garden is grass clippings. In another month or so the chopped up leaves will go into the mix - and the used straw from the chicken coop. I've used "fresh" (non-chicken coop) straw as well, but I run it through the mower first so it breaks down faster. The beds are covered with this mixture through the winter. For annuals that get planted in the spring I uncover the row areas I need to warm up the soil a bit before planting. I've never seen voles here but we do have the shrews others were talking about. Thankfully their main diet is not vegetation. Our cats bring them to the back porch as "presents". :) There are still some weeds that pop up around the edges, but thats about it. The layers of built up mulch keep the rest at bay - and build good quality soil at the same time. If you don't have access to a lot of grass or fallen leaves - offer to pick others up from the curb. I cringe when I see all those bagfuls on the curb for the trash man to take. I've helped myself to many in the past! :)