OK, went on a mission today to find the pine fines. We went to the big box stores which is where we were directed by an internet search. No soap! We then went to our local hardware store that actually hires people who have gardens to work in the garden dept. who suggested Happy Frog. It has composted forest hummus, granite dust, dolomite lime, earthworm castings, bat guano, oyster shell and humic acid. Theses are not in order or spelled correctly. All organic. It looks just like the google image of the fines and the guy swears by the stuff! We're wondering if the pine fines are not a west coast thing? Not sure! Anyway, tilling them into the beds tomorrow, unless anyone has a huge objection! Nancy

lettucebabies, you have not killed any of the plants...yet. Here are my thoughts. Lettuce: the seedlings appear to want more light. They seem to be growing towards the right and front of the container. You can rotate the container or expose the whole (gradually!) to more hours of sunlight. The watering seems to be OK because of the color of the soil surface and there is no evidence of water collecting in the saucer. The seedling at 'one o'clock' appears to be suffering most. The one at 'five o'clock' might be a different variety from the rest and may be the type most suited to the conditions that you provide. Incidentally, there is a fungus (damping off) which attacks seedlings at the soil line. One way to protect the seedlings is to sprinkle a thin layer of sand over the soil surface right up to the stem of the seedling. This keeps the stem dry. You might try that now as a precaution. Lettuce is a 'leaf crop' (the leaves are useful) and a 'short crop' (30 days or less to maturity). Therefore nitrogen is the most important element. One choice is to apply a slow release all purpose fertilizer at transplant time or else apply a liquid fertilizer at weekly intervals. I favor "Osmocote" 14-14-14 at transplant time. Zucchinni: There is nothing noticeably wrong here. The 'seedleaves' have brown edges but this is normal. Their function is to provide nourishment until the true leaves begin to function; they then wither away. The true leaves are well-formed, nicely green and the youngest ones are 'clean and green'. The dark coloring of the soil around the plant indicates that watering is concentrated in this area. I would suggest that the watering be spread more evenly over the whole surface of the container. It makes for 'better use of the water used'. Basil: The only explanation I can think of is "sunburn". Is it possible that the plants were exposed to bright direct sunlight for even a short time? This can happen on the trip from the nursery. The plants are put on the floor of the back seat in full shade. But during the journey home they get some exposure which can be enough to cause sunburn. Although its leaves are the useful product, this is not a leaf crop; treat it like a tomato or pepper seedling as far as watering and fertilizing are concerned. The holes on the leaves are caused by insects, typically beetles. The leaves develop their fullest flavor when grown in full sun and not over-watered. The "Earthbox": In my opinion the symptoms on the plants are an indication of conditions in the box itself - set up and operation. It can sometimes be difficult to get the fertilizer spread according to the instructions; it can also take some time before the water distribution functions properly. Sometimes top watering is necessary. The very sick seedling nearest the watering tube might be suffering from moisture stress or fertilizer burn or both. The seedling next in line appears normal and healthy (just look at that growing center). Then the third in line looks wilted. Only you can know if the fertilizer was applied in the narrow band down the middle of the box and whether the soil mix was put in to promote even watering from the reservoir and if the refilling has been adequate and timely. But in time the system settles down to a routine of adding water to the reservoir and keeping a sharp look out for pests. You should get a very good crop of beans; indeed I think that you will have to remove every other plant in order to obtain quality beans. But time will tell you if that will be necessary. I only wish that my first attempt at growing black-eye peas was that successful; I over watered the container and earned an "F" in Gardening. Will you please tell Mr. Griffith how far I have come? That is, if you yourself think so.

It depends on a few things, type of mix, growth phase of plant, how much sun, time of year, etc. Alot of people use a skewer/dowel and stick it down into the container, remove it and see if it's damp or not in order to determine if the plant needs water. I use cheap bamboo kabob skewers to test my containers. You will figure out what works best for you. I happen to use a fast draining mix so overwatering during the height of the season is almost impossible. I fertilize with a liquid fertilizer at 1/4 strength at every watering or every other watering. Some people also mix a little controlled release fertilizer in with the mix at planting time. I grow mostly veggies in the 511 mix, so maybe others will respond to your mix and flowers.

Just trying to go from my memory (which isn't reliable...it leaks!), but I think not all your problems are just with pinching the plants back. I'm sure someone can jump in here and correct me, but I seem to remember that when you get all leaves and growth and no flowers on some impatiens it is caused by too much nitrogen, too much water, and/or not the right lighting. And the portulacas may be getting too much water and/or fertilizer. They are more of a drought-type plant that thrives in hot, dry, sunny situations. And the height of the coleus...it is probably just the variety you have (some are tall, some are short)...and yours appears to be a very happy, tall variety. :) You didn't say what type of petunia, but if it is a wave-type they require a lot of watering and fertilizing...which is opposite of the portulaca. You didn't say what type of light this pot is in, but I don't believe all those plants have the same lighting requirements (of course, this changes dramatically depending on the region you live in - ie... some plants I have are full sun here but shade in the south). Now that I re-read your message I'm not sure if you are talking about one pot or a lot of separate pots. Plus you are right that the sunny days and rainy nights do make plants go nuts. Our year so far has been lots of cloudy days and a lot of rain...and all my gardens are misbehaving this year! :) Just my 1/2-cents worth....