Are you having trouble keeping your plants alive?

I'm on the West Coast of Florida and my plants are going crazy! In fact I had recently stuck a stick from a bleeding heart plant into the ground and I noticed yesterday that it has new leaves on it. We've had some really good rains here and that makes all the difference....
I should mention that I don't grow veggies, just regular plants and flowers. Although I would love a vegetable garden I really don't have the room for one nor the time to tend it right now.

The heat is devastating here this time of year. The only commercial crop in the ground is cotton and some left over cattle feed corn shriveling on the stalk. Outside, only the deep rooted trees are safe from the heat. I'm watering the West facing flowers next to the house twice a day and they're still turning brown. Vegetables are toast except for the carrots (no potatoes planted). Looks like a weird split growing season where I am - from Jan to maybe-June and then from late-September or October to maybe December - and that's with an enclosed greenhouse. It's too cold for a couple of weeks in Nov-Jan for even the greenhouse much less anything outside, and heating can run up to $100/day when it's frozen outside. With outside temps over 100 and extremely bright sunshine, it's impossible to cool the greenhouse (with 80% shade cloth) for summer operation.

ganjoa

I've been gardening off and on for over 20 years, both in the pacific northwest and in the desert southwest. I've always had a wonderful, productive garden....until this year!

My peas and lettuce (which were started in late April-early May) are just now producing. I've been plagued with slugs, mites, fungus and plants that just don't want to grow! My tomatos are just now starting to flower and I have yet to see flowers on my zuchini and cucumbers.

This is the weirdest year ever. My husband's aunt, who also lives in Portland, is having the same problems.

We've had lots of rain this year and I'm concerned that a component of my plant's lack of growth, might be something in the rain?

I'm at a loss.....

It maybe your soils PH. If its too high or low, your plants will experience nutrient lockout. You may want to get a soil Ph meter. Soil plants like Ph between 6.8 and 7.8. Adding lime to your soil will drop the Ph and add magnesium. Adding wood ash from a fireplace will raise the Ph. I grow inside under thousand watt high pressure sodium lamps hydroponically. Like the guy above said, its much easier to control climate, pests, and nutrient cycle indoors. ..If i were you i would flush with plain water at 7.0 Ph. Wait a few days, then top off with fresh soil. Fox farm soil is great if you can get it.

I had that problem. Then i found out you have to water them

Its the ozone pollution.
witsendnj.blogspot.com...
Ground level ozone inhibits photosynthesis.

Originally posted by vampira309
I've been gardening off and on for over 20 years, both in the pacific northwest and in the desert southwest. I've always had a wonderful, productive garden....until this year!

My peas and lettuce (which were started in late April-early May) are just now producing. I've been plagued with slugs, mites, fungus and plants that just don't want to grow! My tomatos are just now starting to flower and I have yet to see flowers on my zuchini and cucumbers.

This is the weirdest year ever. My husband's aunt, who also lives in Portland, is having the same problems.

We've had lots of rain this year and I'm concerned that a component of my plant's lack of growth, might be something in the rain?

I'm at a loss.....

If you still live in Oregon, the answer is simple. We are having a very late spring. Temps are about a month behind in terms of where they normally are. Which explains all of the problems you just described, including the late harvest of lettuce and peas, as well as late flowering of tomatoes.

In Oklahoma City yesterday, we got up to 110 degrees. We're deep in a heatwave that's been going for a month "with no end in sight" (from the local weathermen) of temps over 100. While we're accoustomed to heat like this in late August, this is just too much for our plants/crops.
We've had record flooding, record blizzards, and now record heat for the last two years.
Somethng has changed in our weather patterns. I worry long-term about the consequences of the "bread basket" of the world not being able to grow food crops.

Wel.. Living in Southern California, our grass is always dead during the summer. It's only when it rains for several days at a time during winter or spring that it comes back alive. I admit we don't take care of it, even though I'll water it often, and mow it when it gets big, there's just not enough shade/sun balance for it.

However, it does seem like our lemon tree is producing smaller and smaller lemons as of late.. I figure it was just because we have also been plucking it more often than usual, but.. still.

reply to post by pianopraze


The apartment complex I live in decided to plant multiple apple and pear tree's the apple tree's are three different varieties. They've been here for two years and the tree's were a year old when we got them. There has been zero growth on all of them this year, I also think our potatoes and onions aren't doing well.

Tons of rain hurt my plants at the beginning of the season, I replaced a few and now they're doing fine. It's been perfect temperature lately. I don't have to water or do anything really.

look for a orang build up with white strings this is signs of the spider might they are tiny lil orang guys killed my pataoe plant and my other rare plant with big purple flowers i hate them

reply to post by obzerver


Yes spider Mites are horrible, a friend found out all his plants had them when he was spraying them down. A good tip for folks who haven't encountered the little bastards is to look for tiny webs on your plants when they are wet.

yeah that city water is plant poison !!!
Best garden we ever had we pumped creek water to it all season .. Everything was HUGE !

I live in Texas, it gets really hot hear. The flowers are looking grate, my garden is looking good but the plants are hardly producing any vegi's. Do you water every day? Do you use good soil? When you water, you should do it at sun down so that it does not evaporate.

No, my plants are doing great. For a while my pumpkins were looking a little weary, but i am sure it was just some drought. It is important to water your plants plenty to make sure their roots can deepen themselves into the soil.
My moon flowers and watermelons are ok as well, but my flowers seem to die the day after they bloom. I am not sure if that is natural or something is wrong, btw, they are called moon flowers because they bloom only in the night's lights.

It might just be your area OP?

Plants seems to be growing fine where i live.

Cheers

Originally posted by hqokc
In Oklahoma City yesterday, we got up to 110 degrees. We're deep in a heatwave that's been going for a month "with no end in sight" (from the local weathermen) of temps over 100. While we're accustomed to heat like this in late August, this is just too much for our plants/crops.
We've had record flooding, record blizzards, and now record heat for the last two years.
Something has changed in our weather patterns. I worry long-term about the consequences of the "bread basket" of the world not being able to grow food crops.

Succulents are the only plants I have that are hanging on, moss rose, ice plant etc, everything else is drying up and dying...even native plants and weeds are perishing. I water faithfully after learning the hard way last year. Still to no avail. I'm in Northern OK, the lawn is brown, and the heat is like a blast furnace even as the sun sets. This is worrisome. I've seen field corn shrivel and die and get cut down lately. I really do hope things turn around-otherwise August might kill us all.

My aunt's chickens are walking around panting with their wings stretched out!! No joke, this is really awful.

Originally posted by sabbathcrazy
I live in Texas, it gets really hot hear. The flowers are looking grate, my garden is looking good but the plants are hardly producing any vegi's. Do you water every day? Do you use good soil? When you water, you should do it at sun down so that it does not evaporate.

I'm in KY. I added topsoil from lowes for the flower bed (which grew my flowers just fine last year), and the baskets were pre-planted with what looks like miracle-grow or something. Both died. The shrubs were evergreen type and they just turned brown and died for no apparent reason I've seen lots of other people having this problem too.

I water every other day per instructions that come with the plants (city water, maybe that is a problem). I water in the cool of the evening.

Originally posted by BillyBoBBizWorth
It might just be your area OP?

I've talked with people from all over and this year seems particularly bad. Several have posted in here concuring too...

To all:
Thanks for all the wonderful replies I'm enjoying hearing your experiences.

Live in the UK, Everything has started early this year, so things arent looking so good now. My Yukka was 70% killed by the extreme frost in the winter.