Terrible Garden this season

This is my 2nd garden planted in this rich soil. Last year my tomato vines were loaded down, this year it's mostly leaf - few tomatoes. I did the same thing I've done for years when planting, feeding, and watering. No plant food that just grows leaves. Same issue with green beans - few beans. I just pulled up the vines, tilled and replanted new beans last week.

What can I do to amend the soil for next year? Add manure (bagged) and peat? The corn was wonderful. The fall I planted greens so that is the only difference I had this summer vs. last - they use of nutrients for the mixed greens in the same area as the tomatoes and beans were planted.

Some tomatoes had rot, beans looked terrible. Should I add something to the soil to kill off any bacteria or add anything else to boost the soil?

Kathy, did you rotate your crops? I have learned the hard way not to plant crops in the same soil as the previous year. Here's why. http://www.tomatocasual.com/2007/09/07/tomato-crop-rotation-can-you-replant-tomatoes-in-the-same-bed/

When you say your maters had rot, do you mean blossom end rot, a blackened area on the blossom end of the fruit? That is usually a nutrient defiency especially on plum type varieties. That's the only type I had a problem with this year, and was cured with a dose of calcium nitrate (or you can use epsom salt I'm told.) This is not a nutrient itself, but aids the plant in taking in the nutrients already in the soil.

Did your tomatoes have plenty of blooms but no fruit? A lot my neighbors are complaining that they have no bees to pollinate, and have to hand pollinate their tomatoes. That's because all the bees are having a party at my house, cause they know I don't use pesticides, LOL.

It is never a good idea to plant the same crop in the same spot the following year, some plants take different nutrients from the soil and that means the soil is depleted of what the plants require, veg are hungry feeders as they have to germinate, grow etc all in the one year, so always find a way to rotate your crops each year, this also helps reduce the chance or soil born diseases staying in the soil, so where you grow your beans/peas etc one year, Try growing you onions, salad, carrots etc in this spot the following year, then grow your peas/beans etc in a nice new rich soil with added manure to help them get the right feed and nutrients they need, when you finish with your beans/peas etc, dont pull out the roots as these have little globular nodules growing on them and left in the ground, this helps the next crop of other veg take up the nutrients they require, go to the library /bookstore for some reading up on crop rotation for veg, you will have it explaned far better than I can, I just know to do this as I was taught this way and told why, as for the scientific reasons, dont ask me, that is too complicated for me, good luck. WeeNel.

I'm sure, like most of us here on Dave's Garden, I absolutely do not have the necessary space to do the kind of crop rotation these county extension services and websites talk about. 3 years between plantings? What in the world am I supposed to plant in those beds the other 3 years? Over 1/2 of my garden space is dedicated to tomatoes. I would have to build twice as many beds which would either just sit there, or grow tons of produce I'd end up just selling or throwing away.

I just amend the soil and watch closely for signs of disease. You mentioned adding peat and manure. Both of those are rich in nitrogen which could point to having large bushy plants with few fruit. How are you amending the other 2 numbers in the N-P-K fertilization trilogy?

This message was edited Aug 18, 2008 2:08 PM

Paleeeeeeese, someone asked a question and given advice in the answer, if you are able to amend your soil and your crops are doing well, then no problems, the person asking the question was however not growing just tomato's, but other crops that need different attention and soil conditions, As for half your area being devoted to just tomato's, thats fine if this is your choice, but for people who want a bigger variety of crops, all you need to do is split the space up into 3 parts, one for root veg, one for Brassica's and one for tomatoes and salad crops as the latter has a shorter growing season, then the following year, you just grow/move the crops onto the next section of the 3 areas you split up, that way, every other year each type or crop gets placed into a new site, easy as that, Peas and beans require a richer/manured soil than root crops do, so you enrich the area for those and then they get the requirements they need, next year you do the same in the new bed, this way you dont have to enrich the whole veg garden, just a bit at a time, eventually you will enhance the soil and add nutrients as the years go by, not everyone has that knowledge or space, but then again, not everyone grows just the one crop. Glad you have good crops of your choice. WeeNel.