From left to right: Fafard 3B Fafard 3B 1 bag 3B + 1 bag pine bark fines 1 bag 3B + 1 bag pine bark fines 1 bag 3B + 2 bags of pine bark fines 1 bag 3B + 2 bags of pine bark fines 70% coconut coir + 30% perlite (I normally don't start any scotch bonnet pepper plants in the summer (it is too hot, buggy, and rainy) but this year thought I would give it a shot plus do more in the fall. They last longer than 1 season. We don't get freezes.) Here is just a sampling of some of them. Fafard 3B --great right out of the bag Actually had flowers and now fruit way ahead of others by 7 or 8 days. They have the greatest height and most dense foliage. One of the 4 plants I did with 2 to 1 ratio (PB to 3B) is just as tall and full but one is much shorter for some reason. I expect all of the extra pine bark component ones to do well. The 2 PB to 1 Fafard 3B ratio should be good over the long haul. (They also make a mix called Fafard 52 which I only was able to find once. It was 60% bark.) Fafard 3B is 45% peat and 30% pine bark (one site said 25 % pine bark). I am hoping this also will hold up well --I have used peat based mixes with no pine bark with good results so the pine bark should make it even better as the mix degrades. Coir is plugging along--not quite up to speed with the others but still doing OK. It is the final one of the group. The transplants seedlings I did in coir did awful. There are very good potting mixes on the market and pre mixed makes it super easy . Or buy your own ingredients and mix yourself--that can work equally as well too. Your choice. For many annuals like vegetables --longevity of the mix if you are dumping in raised bed after one season or not reusing is not all that crucial as long as the mix is well draining but nutrient retentive as well. L.O. Can you post pics of your vegetables in the gritty mix? How many times do you expect to reuse?

Mortgage Lifter is an excellent choice and my personal favorite. I have Anna Russian on my list for next year so I would be very interested in your thoughts about it as the season progressess. I made my list out for next year but we had a thunderstorm and my machine went dead taking my list along with it. I'm going back and restarting this list today again. I did a couple of nice "beefsteak" types that are early and will past this along to you soon.

I think the point is that just because something dies on transplanting or doesn't seem to be doing as well as we'd like it isn't the end of the season by far. It happens all the time in gardening. New gardeners need to learn to accept that fact. And it in no way means a lost year of gardening. The title of this thread conveys a sense of panic, a plea for urgent , immediate help needed right this minute. Life and death is on the line! Such a situation very rarely exists in gardening and most of us know that. So for purposes of effective communication it's best to save such wording for those times in life when it is truly necessary. Say something along the line of "Help!! My 4 year old just pulled up my tomato plants! Please help me save them!" :-) <do you have any insight into the OP's question about drought stress, or lowering the watering or even giving more water, etc. at certain stages? I'd be very curious to know your input on this. I've always known that you water young plants like crazy, but don't over water older plants so the fruit doesn't crack and it turns out sweet and healthy and doesn't confuse the old plant into producing yet more flowers and young tomatoes...> Well I addressed it in part above but as I said since it is a second hand comment taken out of context I wouldn't put much stock in it either way. And since this is a topic often discussed over on the Growing Tomatoes forum - as is the debate on pruning and topping plants and their effects - I'm not going to rehash all the various opinions given. But my personal position is that do not believe in ever intentionally stressing plants for many reasons. Be that with water or unnecessary pruning/topping. In general both defeat the purpose of growing the plants in the first place and both are done almost exclusively due to a grower's lack of information or for the convenience of the grower, not the plant. Obviously there are exceptions to the pruning issue as it all depends on the (1) the type of plant as determinates are never pruned, (2) plant in ground or in container, (3) spacing used for planting and (4) the methods used to support the plant. But when proper plant spacing and support are used, when adequate soil prep is done on in ground beds, and when proper sized containers are used the only pruning needed IMO is of any branches low on the stem that would come into ground contact and/or any branches showing signs of disease. Anything more is stressful to the plant and should be avoided. And, those devoted to aggressive pruning/topping of all plants regardless of the listed considerations are always amazed to learn that the vast majority of growers do NOT prune. Clearly there are those who disagree with me and that's fine. All I ask is that they don't just jump onto any bandwagon without first trying at least a few of the alternative approaches. As to the water issue, IMO ideal growth and production of tomato plants requires consistent levels of moderate soil moisture at the root level. That doesn't mean wet, it means moist. It doesn't mean daily watering as some are determined to read it. It means checking the moisture level at the root level daily and adding water only if needed. It doesn't mean wet soil surface since you shouldn't be able to see your soil surface anyway if the plants are well mulched as they should be. I don't "water young plants like crazy" as that only stunts root development. They get what they need and no more. And I don't worry about cracking fruit since I always harvest at first or second blush/breaker stage. Cracking, pests, heavy rains, etc. isn't an issue that way so there is no need to withhold water from them at any time. Just some thoughts to consider. Dave

Fordido, yes I prune the lower branches and as the season goes on I am pruning a lot of the lateral branches (non fruit producing) in the center of the plant for better air circulation. I think with a toddler you are much better off with just six per bed. When I babysit my grandsons there is no way I could keep up with the pruning, spraying and the close attention needed for more dense planting and those two boys! Jennie