1 of the biggest mistakes I made when I began gardening was to double dig my beds(major back-breaking work too!) - I was told much later by the county extension folks that it can bring nematodes up closer to the surface. You live & you learn, I guess. My 1st attempts @ almost everything did very poorly. I grow all my tomatoes in the ground & have had plenty of success & I DO have root-knot nematodes, but I've found certain varieties seem less affected than others & what you grow before can help as well - I try to plant my tomatoes after things that the nematodes leave alone, like beans & peas. & no more tilling or double digging! I just keep adding to the surface & mix plenty of compost & amendments in the planting holes. Micro & macro critters mix the soil for me. & I mulch my tomatoes thickly w/ hay - seems to help keep foliar/fungal diseases down.

I had the same issue of "frozen in time" seedlings with tomato, peppers and chilli, mine were frozen for 3 months with no growth and yet not showing any signs of decay either. i'm in WA and its quite hot and dry here. I did some research on internet and found out tips that seemed to have solved my problem, because i can see new growth in leaves . I think the roblem was that i was using the used potting soil which was supposed to feed the plants for only three months. So when i planted the seeds , they did come out but could not find enough nutrients to grow more. I transplanted half of them to new potting soil and half to the garden bed but situation was the same, still no growth. Those plants that i transplanted to new potting mix were doing ok, atleast they were not dying but those ones which i transplanted to garden bed died except 2 of them who survived. After my research i added NPK fretilizer with trace elements to the 2 survivor plants in the garden bed and a little to other plants in new potting mix. i waited for a week to see if it works, and it was because the plants did start to look to be on the healthier side. After 6 days i mixed some epsom salt in water and watered my tomato, pepper and chilli plants with it and that seemed to have worked like magic. I learnt that these plants need a lot of sun, nutrients and magnesium to grow happily and epsom salt with fertilizer provided just that. Hope this helps others

Rooting a cutting is a good way to go or.......just plant your large plant very deeply. Either straight down if the soil has warmed up for the season or lay the tomato plant sideways in a small shallow trench and cover with your garden soil. Roots will form all along the stem underground and give you a larger root system to support the plant better. I ALWAYS start tomatoes early and plant them deep. I have multiple light indoors to support their needs before I bring them outside though.

tinman, I am a Master Rosarian in north Phoenix. Perhaps I can help you. As you've guessed, bare root season in Phoenix ended in mid-February. Any bare root rose you purchased after that date had less than 50% chance of growing enough to protect it from hot temps, hot soil, hot water, etc. Bare roots purchased now will have 25% or less chance without some major work. First, no more ground planting until after Oct 1. The soil is so hot right now, that feeder roots will cook. Use the largest light-colored container, with excellent drainage, a rose-planting mix and plan to place the bush and container in the shade, preferably on the patio. You'll not only need to water the bush every day but you may need to erect shade cloth over it. My recommendation would be to create a little shade structure using part of your covered patio. You can purchase outside roller shades that produce the same effect and don't look quite so ugly. These are weighted shades that can resist some monsoon winds. Better to roll them up before the dust moves in, though. Don't feed those roses until after Oct 1. The planting mix will have enough nitrogen to give the roots a boost through the summer. Too much nitrogen will just cook them. Soak the bare roots for up to 24 hours in a 5-gallon bucket of water with several drops of SuperThrive. You can continue to use SuperThrive at least once a week throughout the summer. Unfortunately, you'll also need to mist these bare roots every day until they leaf out. There are several methods of erecting shade structures for established roses but all need to be weighted in order to withstand the monsoon winds. Trellises need to be galvanized, powder-coated or redwood for best results in heat and dry. The trellis should be attached to the wall with at least 4-6 inches of airflow between. You can accomplish this by using a 4x6 block between the trellis and wall and using masonry bolts to anchor. There are plastic polypropylene trellises but they don't last any longer than a lawn chair made of the same stuff. I start most of my bare root climbers in a large (20-24") container and use a tomato cage to hold up the canes. I do the same for David Austin English Roses that droop and OGRs that do the same. You can also use a large/giant tomato cage and shade cloth to create individual shade structures for these bare-roots. Attach the shade cloth with twist ties, shower curtain hooks, or some such. You'll need to weight the shade cloth down with bricks, pavers or similar. Leave some type of access to get water and mist inside the shade area. Next Phoenix Rose Society meeting is Tuesday, June 20, 6:30pm, at the Valley Garden Center, 1809 N 15th Ave, Phoenix (between Thomas and McDowell Roads). It's the potluck before we take a summer break in July and August. You can also find me at the public rose garden most Saturday mornings at about 9am. During the winter, I'm there for several hours a week but during the summer, I may only drop by for a couple hours, 1-2 times a month.