Due to the detailed nature of your post, I suspect you care alot about your plants, so I do not have any physical advice I think would help you.

As far as your last question, I can answer with clarity.

There is always hope.

Take care,
Travis

Maybe some more feeding and then hope the weather cooperates.

Dave

Thanks for the encouragement. My cousin's are much bigger than mine even though we split all the plants, he started using MG on the ones I gave him right away, also didn't bother to harden off, planted them in late May even with all the rain. Their site must drain better than mine (part of mine was under water during early June). He also doesn't sucker at all. Though I have to say my Glaciers look better than his, his have more fruit (and earlier). Maybe his are just ready to die since they have all the fruit they're going to get?

But Dave, should I increase the frequency of the fertilization? I've only fertilized those 2 times, 9 days apart, and now it's been 9 days again so I'll have to get out there this weekend and do it again instead of waiting for rain. I keep checking the plants every day and no sign of wilt, been lucky it's been humid. We've been having heavy dews at night (water running down the vinyl siding) so maybe a foliar feed this morning, or root drench if I water again tomorrow (temps 82 today, 85-86 this w/e)? It's 18-18-21, continue to use half-strength even as a root drench? Thanks.

Now they're saying we have a 30% chance of rain (isolated T-storms) Monday & Tues and then nothing til a 40% chance (scattered) next Sat! Last time we had that forecast we didn't get a drop though...

I don't remember how much (little) rain we had last July but I think this month is going to be even drier - average 5.04" and so far we've gotten 0.77".

i maybe wrong but dont i remember that you had a problem with yout soil ph. being to acidic. if that is the case then you are going to have a problem any nutrient uptake and your plants will not thrive.

Yes, Terry, you're right. The pH came up after liming in April - I had it tested again end of June and it ranged from 5.6 to 6.0 in my rows (there is an old thread around here where I posted details), I limed a little around the plants then. Dave also suggested adding pelleted fast-acting lime to the water when I did water, I haven't done that yet since I didn't know how much to add. He also suggested foliar feeding back then when it was so wet, that did seem to perk them up, improved the color. The new growth looks really good.

I've got to do the best I can with what I have this year - we'll lime in the fall and try to build the soil up more for next year.

I would lose the MG and go to Tomato Tone or Neptune's Harvest. The kelp will contain some growth hormones to increase root growth and just overall plant growth. Might also consider some rabbit pellets which are manure, soaked in some water with molasses. These are cheap and can really help the soil and again, have growth hormones.
The organic stuff is a little slower but you won't be doing the wild swings in pH and nitrogen levels, which put you at risk for all sorts of problems, not to mention pests like aphids and diseases from stressing the plants.

I'm going to try the NH as a foliar feed, 4 oz won't go far - I asked for a sample b/c I was worried it might attract bears. A farmer about 50 miles away has some 55 gal drums, said it was clogging her system. I have no way to use that much but if she hasn't sold it all yet she did say she would be willing to sell 5 gal at a time. Of course I wouldn't be able to put it in my new (arriving next week) soaker hose so I'd have to use it as foliar spray all the time.

Next door neighbor has rabbits but pellets are all mixed with bedding. OK for compost, but worry about weeds? I haven't mulched yet (I know, bad), b/c I was waiting to lay down soaker hose and put bark mulch on top.

Weird - I've found other Espoma products at HD, but not Tomato Tone. And it's outrageously expensive at the feed store just past TSC. TSC doesn't have Espoma at all.