If the "funny smell" from that soil is offsetting, putrid, kind of sewage like,, that soil is anaerobic and is too wet. The presence of "bugs" may or may not be significant depending on whether those "bugs" are pests, beneficials, and/or predators. The stones may or may not be contributing to the problem depending on the depth of the stone mulch, but stones do not contribute much in the way of organic matter to the soil, although they do allow some to accumulate over time. You may have a drainage issue that needs correcting or it may simply be that the drip line is being run too often.

I am surprised that no one suggested aphid parasites Aphidius sp. or ladybug larva (they look like tiny Gila monsters) for your aphids. Here in Florida a person can look for other plants with aphid infestations and collect leaves that have large numbers of aphid mummys or ladybug larva. If done in the evening, either or both beneficial insects will quickly (a week or so) take care of problems like the one you are having without harming the butterflys. You can check out this link. If it works (I'm not very good at links) or just Google or Yahoo Aphid parasites. They are expensive to buy, but free to collect. www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pestmgt/ipminov/ben_supp/aphidp&p

Answered in duplicate thread.

Don, I had 50 plants last year and most of them got fusarium wilt. In mid July on. Over the next off season, I threw a lot of very composted horse compost to it. I was trying to dilute the bad pathogens with new, fresh soil. I deep tilled this compost in. And then I bought about $200 worth of Actinivate, which is a naturally occurring bacteria that binds itself to the roots of plants. I drenched my garden soil with a pump from a rain barrel with the recommended rate. I also drenched the seedlings and plants twice while in their 6 inch pots. I kept them on the healthy side as far as food goes, my Ph was close to nuetral, and they were drip lioned irrigated. Long story short... I did not have any Wilts of any kind this year. And my season is just about over. A lot of people will say that the only thing you can do to treat Fusarium is to commercially fumigate, or to solarize the entire garden for the growing season and pasteurize the soil. But, you kill the good stuff in the soil too. Or to stop growing tomatos for about 5 years. I will be using it again next season, when growing on. My tomato plants seemed much more vigourous and the roots were filling out a six inch pot in a very short time. Here is more about Actinovate: Actinovate SP is a high concentration of a patented biennial bacterium on a 100% water soluble powder. This powerful new product effectively suppresses/controls a wide range of soil borne diseases including Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Verticillium and other root decay fungi. Actinovate SP is also labeled as a spray application for foliar diseases (when applied as a spray) such as Powdery and Downey Mildew, Botrytis, Alternaria and others. In fact, when used as a preventative, researchers have seen Actinovate SP work as well or better than most chemicals. The benefits of Actinovate SP don't stop there: Because of the special properties of the Actinovate microbe, plants treated with Actinovate SP will be vigorous, have increased vitality and have much better root growth. Actinovate SP contains the microorganism Streptomyces lydicus strain WYEC 108. When introduced into the soil this microbe colonizes and grows around the root system of plants. While settling in the root's rhizosphere, the microbe forms a relationship, feeding off of the plant's waste materials while secreting beneficial and protective by-products. This combination of the colonization and the protective secretions forms a defensive barrier around the root system of the plant which in turn suppresses and controls soil pathogens. S. lydicus also has been shown to prey on certain pathogens, disrupting their cell walls and disabling them in the process. Finally, the by-products of the Actinovate microorganism also aid plants in complexing minerals and micronutrients found in the soil, allowing easier uptake and, thus, creating a stronger, more robust plant. This symbiotic relationship between the plant and the microbe is the optimum balance for a natural, productive soil environment. Actinovate SP makes it happen.