We've never got anything to grow.

[Princess Kumatora]

We live in the mountains of New Mexico, and we often grow what Mom calls 'salsa gardens'; tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and some extras, including some cucumbers, lettuce, and squash. However, we've only got 10 max tomatoes from our two tries for growing 5 tomato plants, and the only thing that has actually thrived was our zucchini we grew one year. What exactly are we doing wrong? We're watering them every day, the chickens poop on the soil every winter, they get sunshine, what's up?

 

[wifezilla]

Have you ever tried taking some of the chicken's oyster shells and putting that in the hole before you put the tomato plants in? I struggled for years to get descent tomatoes and this year I started them in late January indoors under a cfl light. I planted them really deep and put oyster shell in the hole. My tomato plants over ran their cages, over ran the walk way and are loaded with tomatoes.

 

[hoodat]

We live in the mountains of New Mexico, and we often grow what Mom calls 'salsa gardens'; tomatoes, herbs, peppers, and some extras, including some cucumbers, lettuce, and squash. However, we've only got 10 max tomatoes from our two tries for growing 5 tomato plants, and the only thing that has actually thrived was our zucchini we grew one year. What exactly are we doing wrong? We're watering them every day, the chickens poop on the soil every winter, they get sunshine, what's up?

Remember the old adage,"Don't feed the plants - feed the soil". I'm only guessing but in that area the soil is usually very low in organic matter. Do you have access to something like horse stables that might let you have some of the manure and bedding? Most stables are glad to get rid of it. Spoiled hay bales or leaves? Anything that will add organic matter is good. Your chicken poop is adding nitrogen but not much bulk.
I know New Mexico has a very varied climate, depending to a great degree on the altitude. Now is a good time to till in horse bedding if it's available and keep it watered so that it will decay down into the ground. Hay, straw and leaves should be composted before adding them into the soil. Look into making a compost pile. Don't throw away any kitchen scraps. It should all go into the pile. If you have ground you aren't using at present plant it to something like clover and till it under in the Spring as "green manure". If you can develop a healthy living soil the plants will pretty much take care of themselves.

 

[digitS']

Welcome to TEG !

Are you already facing a first frost?

I wonder where this idea of watering every day comes from. Sometimes, even people who have gardened for a few years are still doing that.

I live in a fairly arid part of the west. The soil is very, very porous with a good deal of rock. In a dry year, about 1" of rain will fall during the 3 months of summer. I think 2 1/2" is about average. Still, I water only twice a week.

Water slowly and deeply and the plant roots will follow the water deeper into the ground. Water little and often and the roots stay near the surface.

You can actually have more drought stress watering often since available soil moisture dries out in a matter of hours if only the soil surface is moistened.

Measuring what you put on the ground is an excellent idea. I try for about 3/4+" of water at a time and use those inefficient overhead sprinklers. Tuna fish cans or cake pans set here and there in the garden will tell you how much time it takes to put down that amount of water from your sprinkler.

As far as "exactly" what you are doing wrong - that's just my guess.

Steve

 

[hoodat]

Many times success is just a matter of trial and error till you hit the "winning combination."

 

[NurseNettie]

Great answers here. Definitely add as much organic matter as you can. Dig it in deep. Water deep, and not often, as suggested. Even though we're in a cooler climate in Northern Maine, and the summer has been hot, that's what I do.

I see friends and neighbors out there every day "sprinkling" their garden for 10 minutes and then going inside. They all wonder why I'm not out there watering every day- and why I have lots of veggies. Partly, because I don't hover with the hose.

We have nice soil- used to be potato farmland. We still have a huge compost pile- nothing scientific about it- we just pile in the weeds, grass, chicken poop and turn it a few times during the summer. Next year, we spread it out over the garden. Since we have 2 coops, we have been dumping the contents of one of them in the garden bed and spreading it in the fall as well. The contents of the compost pile get divided between 2 gardens in the spring.

I also put crushed egg shells in the holes I dig to plant my tomato plants in- same idea as the oyster shell-- tomatoes love calcium. I tend to have a lot of egg shells that I save in a ziploc bag til I can get them to the compost-- over the winter, they all get saved til spring. ( usually saved from making big batches of pickled eggs).

Try and try again. Check your plant varieties and be sure they're good to grow in your area- some varieties do better one place versus another.

Good luck!

 

[ducks4you]

Compost and manure, and then, several more feet of compost.
Make raised beds to hold your compost in.
Throw ALL non-meat and non-oil kitchen garbage in with the other compost.
I posted this week about how I am NOT watering my 2009-2010 over the winter, compost laden garden this year. I live on post-glacial farmland and we get lots of rain--11 inches alone in June, 2010.
I have had gardens that dried out, too. My LAWN is parched and cracking. But my garden is thriving, because of.............
compost.
I need MORE pictures, but I did the same composting piles around my fruit trees, but only at their drip lines. The piles were knee high in February.

The snow drifted up to and on top of the piles from cleaning my horse stalls.
As this month, the piles are now at grass level.

 

[Ariel301]

I wonder where this idea of watering every day comes from. Sometimes, even people who have gardened for a few years are still doing that.


Steve

Watering every day is a neccesity here in northwest Arizona. I water twice a day, a half hour at a time, through a drip system. Even with lots of compost and mulch, my soil dries out in hours. We are doing good to get 6 inches of precipitation a year, and that seems to be primarily in winter in the form of one big downpour/flood that washes away all the soil in the yard. :/

Depending on where you are in New Mexico, since you are in the mountains, you probably have a short growing season. If that is so, try tomato varieties like Early Girl that are made for short seasons, and start them early indoors.

Adding compost/horse manure to your soil should help. Most of your state, like mine, has very poor soil, so your plants could be starving even with the chicken droppings. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. If you have very hot summer sun like I do, mulch and shade will be important. Plants can have trouble setting fruit if it is over 90 degrees, and 10+ hours of direct hot sun can burn plants up.

 

[Andy J]

Have you checked the ph level of your soil?If I'm not mistaken,most soil in your area of the country is usually alkaline,with a ph level of 7 or higher.Optimum ph level is about 6.0-6.5,a little on the acidic side.A too low or too high ph level will prevent plants from utilizing the available nutrients in the soil.The proper ph level of the soil is most important to plant growth.

I learned a hard lesson about gardening,wasting a couple of years and a lot of hard work for nothing in return because my soil was much too acid.

Andy J

 

[digitS']

Ariel, Kingman, Arizona is a different part of the world than many other places. I can understand that it is difficult to grow a garden there. And, you know your conditions better than I do.

However, even in Arizona (Phoenix, Tuscon, Yuma, Flagstaff, etc.), there are people with this recommendation: "During dry periods, one thorough watering each week of 1 to 2 inches of moisture (65 to 130 gallons per 100 square feet) is usually enough for most soils. Soil should be wetted to a depth of 12 inches each time . . ." Arizona Master Gardeners Manual, Irrigating the Garden.

"In an average situation during warm weather, a good soaking of the soil every 5 to 7 days should give satisfactory results with established plants." Tips for Successful Gardening in Mohave County Kingman and Golden Valley Areas, U of A Extension

Steve