I can't seem to grow anything. Why?
K S
6 years ago
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carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Why can't I grow melons? (Pic)
Comments (10)You can continue to guess and guess, but if you haven't determined the quality of your soil, there is one way to know for sure. Get your soil tested by a lab. It's always the first place to start with a garden. You save a lot of time and money in the long run. Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They can provide you with soil testing information. Mine was only $9.00, less than the cost of some strictly pH tests, and far more thorough. No guessing at what might need to be added, no money wasted. I also wonder about your soil tilth and friability. It doesn't look like you planted your melons by hilling or mounding. Melons don't like 'wet feet', they prefer plenty of drainage. Here is a link that might be useful: Everything you Need to Know About Growing Melons...See MoreDo you fertilize your seedlings/Why can't i grow seedlings?
Comments (23)Dave, "Zinnia grow so quickly and turn leggy almost overnight so most feel they are best direct seeded outside." I agree that it is generally better to plant zinnias directly outside when that works with your schedule. However, I think Dale was trying to get an early start with his zinnias, hence the attempt at starting them early inside under lights. I agree with everybody who identified Dale's problem as not enough light. I just want those who are considering starting zinnias indoors to know that they will not "turn leggy almost overnight" if you provide adequate light. With enough light they are quite docile and well behaved, and you can get an early start of a month or more if you have an adequate light setup. The shelf in this picture has four two-bulb T8 shoplights over it. The shelf measures 2 feet by 4 feet, and with a total of eight T8 fluorescent bulbs over it, the light on the seedlings is good. That picture was taken a couple of days ago and I will be setting most of those zinnias into the garden in the near future. There are a few "late arrivals" in the picture that will spend some more time inside. They would be just cutworm fodder if I set them outside now. All of those zinnias are hand-hybridized hybrids, so I give them better care than I would for seed-packet zinnias. ZM...See Morewhy can't I grow dahlias in CO
Comments (25)Well, pdshop(5), I hope you had more success with your dahlias this year than you did last. I just wanted to add a note or two to all the advice you have already received. As I'm sure you know, there are a lot of different growing climates as well as different soils in Colorado. If you're up in the mountains near Dillon or Aspen, you're going to face very different problems from the folks here along the front range, such as a very short growing season and very sandy, rocky soils. Where I grow dahlias here on the front range, I'm fortunate to have well drained loamy soil, and my dahlias from Swan Island reliably grow five to eight feet tall and bloom profusely. I water them almost every day in the heat of the summer, and not with a sprinkler. I use a three foot water wand, hand watering and make sure that the water is directed onto the ground, not on the plants. And I don't just wet the surface, I give them a good soaking. Of course, if you have much clay in your soil, you wouldn't want to water as much as I do. Another thing that I suspect aids with my success--I dig the soil pretty deep, maybe ten inches, in the spring before adding my fertilizer and any amendments, and then mix them in well with a rototiller. There are people here in Colorado who grow big, tall, thick dahlias, you know. Surely there must be some neighbors somewhere around you who grow dahlias with some degree of success. Stop by and strike up a conversation with them and see what they do. Hope some of this might help....See MoreWhy can't I grow vigna caracalla? Can you?
Comments (2)Al - you've helped me many times on this forum, so of course I"m open to ANYTHING you have to say on my Vigna dramas. I'm in Aus, and havent worked out a way to sort the turface for the gritty mix yet (I understand I can use diatomite etc, but given I have found turface (but its 1500kms away)...I'm sorta in an Frozen Spot on how to go ahead with gritty mix - I do want to get my roses into it, but that's all irrelevant. Point being Gritty not an option this minute). Now I put that first Vigna in 511. HOWEVER, you might really not want to hear how I butcher your 511 - I dont screen the bark. I just buy the 'smallest' bark fines I can, but I don't then screen it. Most of my plants (I've got a lot in this 'corrupted version of 511' seem to cope - ie thrive, nonetheless). However, right now you've got me wondering if the ... here's something perhaps... if the non-screening of the bark BECOMES a problem when I'm using smaller pots. BC... I'm just realising now that over the last few years, many of the plants I've lost (that have been in 511 - most of my stuff is)... have been in the smaller containers.. Yes the plants are probably younger too, obviously. But i'm wondering NOW if the plant being younger is only mildy relevant but the bark being larger than what you'd ideally want is a KEY factor in their demise ... ie in a smaller pot, maybe this 'larger' bark has a bigger effect... negative effect. It seems to me that a lot of these smaller-pot plants in 511 seem to die of.. (in my estimation) some sort of too-wet-dampness fungal sorta death from...overwatering. This I can't help in a way: it rains here (subtropical) A LOT. We can have 2-weeks of drench (almost monsoonal) and my plants are outdoors. I might not overwater my plants (every other day) but sometimes Signore Cloud interferes and overwaters my plants for me. Re: FP. I've researched (extensively) in Australia and we dont have any fert that is the equivalent 9:3:6 ratio. Hard to believe, but last investigation (a year ago), it was true... I couldnt even find anything particularly close (palm ferts were closest). Actually it was fascinating to me that always one or two of the numbers were off the richter...comparatively to 3:1:2 (which is what I broke the ratio down to for simplicity in researching). I've even wondered whether I can simply buy FP 9:3:6 from Amazon and have it shipped over to me. (I was really taken with your points about 9:3:6 and the make-up of leaves/uptake - how perfectly sensible). Yes, I'd like to get FP into my life...I wonder if it's allowed into this country. I'll research that. Meantime, this pot in pot is an idea...I can certainly try but now I've written this all out, I'm thinking you've nailed it when you're pointing to overwatering. Does the question then become: how is my unscreened bark affecting the water draining...? Esp in smaller pots? (thanks again in advance Al - soooo RELIEVED you made it across here to Houzz. When I had so much trouble signing up (days of emails to and from Houzz), and almost gave up, I thought "What if this level of disruption affects people like Al and they disappear??? OH NO!!!" So i'm very relieve to see you here!...See Moresonni1
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