For the corn- it is probably not warm enough for them- in your house or outdoors just yet.They also like hot feet and sunny bodies- so probably not bright enough either- both of those factors can stress a plant/seedling- and compounding it with damp- on an already stressed system seems to bring discouraging results. I have made these observations with many of the seedlings I have started indoors- it does seem if I can get them warm enough- the other two factors don't matter as much- the same goes with if I can get them bright enough. I usually start sweet corn in the garden bed when the soil is warmer- but I do start ornamentals such as the variegated japanese and the indian corn indoors to have them ready to sell to others to grow on- Maybe if you put them out on bright sunny days and brought them in in the evening- or protected them some how in the evenings they might improve-

Don't think I will be following the recommendations of a California retired corrections officer, that got her business degree on line and now professes to have all this various, so called scientific knowledge. Sequoia54, like you, I have a serious problem with anyone that says "say no to vaccines" and that alone leaves the rest of the info posted to be extremely suspect. nhbabs, I like to see scientific documentation and testing as well and not just so called claims to various things with no links to verify the info other the the original person making the claims. I need documentation, scientific testing and proof first. "considering what the world is facing with the Japan disaster". If you are referring to the risks of nuclear power, then you are talking about reality. If you are talking about serious problems in obtaining various products that are manufactured in Japan, then you are talking about reality. If you are talking about radiation from the Japanese nuclear power plants traveling around the world and creating havoc around the world, well, Then you are talking absurdity that is more than just ridiculous. It's outright outlandish and not true. As has been already stated "caveat lector." otherwise known as "reader beware. Fran

Now that September has hit, I'm evaluating my successes and failures this year and starting to think about next year. Failures: My pumpkin vine only got male flowers. This is the 2nd year that this has happened. It has been shovel pruned. Eggplant - of 6 plants, 1 died. The other 5 have not done a thing. Teeny tiny plants - most not even a foot high. Not even blossoms. Will be shovel pruned this weekend. Yellow Summer Squash - after a great start, the plant shriveled up and died. I could find no evidence of SVB. So not sure what happened. It was shovel pruned. Great Successes: Hot peppers - last year I got 3 hot peppers total off of 4 plants. This year I'm getting hundreds of peppers. Tomatoes - this is my best year ever for tomatoes. I pick a pint of cherry tomatoes every other day, and I'm getting 2-3 regular tomatoes each day. I've started pruning the vines - cutting off all new blossoms and cutting back many of the vines without green tomatoes - hoping the plant will put all of its energy into making the existing green tomatoes red. My zucchini and white pattypan are producing mediocre - I'm not overwhelmed with squash - we seem to be able to eat everything we produce. I grew husk cherries for the first time. Not sure how much of a harvest we will get - I have lots of fruit, but nothing ripe yet. Same with my tomatillos - lots of fruits, nothing ripe. Still waiting for my potato vines to die back to see what type of harvest we will get. But most importantly I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do different next year. I think I'll give up on pumpkins. But I'm trying to figure out what to do since I will be taking a 2 week vacation - end of July/early August - since my brother will be getting married in Colorado. I'll delay planting my summer squashes and beans, but not sure what to do about cucumbers and tomatoes.

As a market gardener I look for the greatest return for the enclosed greenhouse space. Much literature will tell you that only flowers can give a better return followed by tomatoes. So I have chosen tomatoes as a primary crop to grow in my structures for many years. This year I dedicated one structure to peppers and it definitely paid great returns by having a marketable crop months early, and still ongoing. I fault those who plant a crop in a greenhouse to get early yields only and then rip it out to restart another crop when the first crop is doing well and can continue to give good returns for many months. During December thru February I remove debris, clean, repair and renovate. The winter gap without plants helps to eliminate overwintering pests by eliminating a host on which they can survive. One can buy lettuce in stores over the winter for about the same as the cost of putting up with hastles of raising it indoors in our northern winters. If I want to start tomato or pepper plants in greenhouse ground in March they are seeded indoors, starting as early as January. The cost of heating my house for my comfort is non-negotiable but the seedlings can get a "free ride" inside and a head start for the early growing season. The benefit of the greenhouse is that first flush of picking in May-June when others are just starting to think about gardening. If you can't get that then there is no real advantage to the greenhouse. Melons and other vining crops just take up too much room but can be started a few weeks early for transplanting using a benchtop greenhouse. After starting, the transplants usually do Just as well outside under row covers. I will admit that I reserve space in my high tunnels for a row of slicing cucumbers. The return is good and they predominantly take up vertical space when netting is used. My main problem is that the Food Bank doesn't even want the glut of surplus cucumbers that the peak production supplies and 6 weeks later you wish you had a few extra to harvest. This year I gave up on a followup crop because Downey Mildew was in our area already. That is when I just plant a row outside and take my chances with less onverall investment. I used to grow greenhouse basil for many years and may return to it if Basil Downey Mildew can be controlled. Most other herbs seem to do as well outside. I looked for a niche crop last year in My latest high tunnel and so I'm growing a few rows of primocane black raspberries. Still harvesting a few but they have turned into a briar jungle and I'm wondering if I could have utilised the space for a less demanding crop.