frustrated in southern minnesota

I am new here, sort of. Been lurking for a very long long time, but just registered this evening.

SFG in my back yard measuring 4x8. Tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, lettuce... the standards. Nothing seems to be flourishing. I am sad. I have had garden before over the years and they have all done very well...so well that I've had to give away veggies!... and this year, close to nothin'.

The snap peas have been in the ground since April... maybe ten peas.
pole beans... maybe six.
Cucumbers... are the most productive... getting so far enough to fill a pint jar will pickle slices.
Red peppers... the flowers keep popping up, then falling off.
Mucho Nacho hot pepper... hasn't grown since May.
Tater plants are exploding... but they are in their own separate container.
Lettuce...even before it got crazy hot out was kinda crappy.
Radishes... when they were in the ground, squat.
tomatoes are a good nine feet tall... but only a hand full of blooms so far across four plants :/

Early August in Minnesota, it'll get better, right? Good sun, compost, fertilizer, water... it has to get better, right?

rawr and sigh

Welcome! Glad you finally registered! This is my first year as well. How was your compost? Were you able to find 5 different kinds for your MM? If you had to buy any, were some of them possibly blends that would have added too much peat to your ratio? I hope August brings more growth to your SFG



GG

My compost was made from mixes... some from our yard, some purchased, some from local farmers. I wasn't able to find vermiculite to make actual MM until nearly a month after my garden was set up. so, it broke down to 16 cu ft of space being filled with 4 cu ft of peat moss, 4-6 cu ft of a soil mix ( did not contain peat but had some fillers), and the remainder was compost and a bit of manure. I've used the same style mix in prior years, before we moved, with out any problems... this year just isn't working though

Also glad you registered. If you have been lurking for a long time, you already know what our standard answers will be regarding soils and MM. So, I won't bore you with a repeat.

Let's discuss your weather, though. A lot of people west of you have been complaining of the summer that never came. Is it possible your warm season beans and tomato type plants have never really had much of a chance because of Mother Nature? I don't know what else to say about the peas and lettuces. They should have done well provided they are in the same spots regarding sunshine and the fact that you mention you've had success in the past.

What about the mix you are using as soil/filler? Have you used it before this year? Could it be depleted and/or have too much filler?

Also, at any point, did you try and use any liquid fertilizer like MiracleGro as a last ditch effort to spark some growth?

If we get a discussion going, maybe we can all learn from an unsuccessful year. I'm sorry it happened, but maybe we can make this some kind of positive. Welcome aboard. I hope to hear more from you soon!

I have used this mix before, though, this year, since we moved, I had to start the mix fresh, so contamination or loss of nutrients shouldn't be coming in to play in this instance.
The only difference with the mix this year is that it is in a 8x4 raised bed, versus a number of separate containers as I have done in the past.

I have used liquid fertilizer with my garden this year, as I have in the past. Also, tomato stake fertilizer, as I have in the past.

The ONLY thing that has changed is that I went from renting a house and using containers to owning a house and setting up a garden.

:/

The weather has been weird this year, too, which may have an impact on your garden. Sometimes our gardens don't work in spite of our best efforts because just we can't control the weather. Most of my garden has done well, though some of it hasn't. I haven't gotten many carrots this year....they just refuse to grow!



Good luck, and welcome!!

I'm just SW of the Cities and have the same problems. I did the MM, etc., so I am blaming the weather. The peppers are 4" tall, blossoms, but no fruit. Tomatoes, including 4 different cherries are 6-7' tall. The cherries are slowly producing, but the others are just setting fruit now. Green and wax beans are good, radishes and beets were all tops. Got some really beautiful cauliflower and broccoli plants. That's all, just plants, no heads. etc, etc, etc!



I'm already planning for next year.