How much cultivating is necessary?

[brown_thumb]

Newbie asking stupid questions.

I have a very hard time with plants. In particular I want tomatoes.
No matter how I pamper them, my yield is about 1 plant per 25 I start.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[4grandbabies]

If you are starting plants from seed. be sure to start with a good seed starting medium..they are available commercially.
I wait until they develope 4 good leaves then transplant to a larger pot with a good soil mix, but not rich in fertilizer just yet..
if the problem is after you plant the plants outside in the garden, then check the ph of your soil. make sure they have proper sunlight and now is when you use some rich compost etc...some people use miracle grow for tomatoes. its good, but if you are going organic, maybe you should use something else.
Are you planting them out too early. in cool too damp soil, cut worms could be a problem.
There are some real experts on here, I am just an old time granny gardner.. so hope fully more people will jump in with ideas to help.(minus the beard lol )

 

[4grandbabies]

oh, and welcome!! I see that is your first post

 

[brown_thumb]

I do have snail and slug problems, but I am sprinkling salt to kill them.

Maybe that's the problem? My yard is on a slope with lots of run-off.
I planted them on higher ground, but still slugs and snails.

My strawberries seem to be OK except for a few ants who eat them.

My apple "tree" I think is dead (Empire). And my two blueberry bushes were fine last year until SOMETHING ate all the green berries.

Should I move or what?

 

[Ridgerunner]

:rose Welcome :rose to :rose the :rose forum! :rose :rose Glad :rose you :rose are :rose here! :rose

It would help a bit to know your conditions, such as your climate and what you are doing. Is it cold, hot, dry, wet, windy, sunny, shady? What method are you using to try to grow them? Planted in an open field, in containers, in raised beds, in hanging baskets, something else? What is your soil like, sandy, heavy clay, pure compost? Are you adding fertilizer or other soil amendments? Are you starting from seed or buying from a gardening center? There are a lot of different ways to go about it and what might be good advice for one method might not be a good idea or may be totally irrelevant if you are using something different.

I notice you are new to this forum. This link may help you post pictures if you wish. Sometimes pictures help a lot.

How to post pictures/avatar
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26838

 

[brown_thumb]

I started my toms in a miracle grow potting soil indoors. I live in upstate NY. I hardened them off a couple of weeks ago, though they were pretty scrawny looking.

I used fish emmulsion for fertilizer. (diluted of course). I re-potted from their quick peet pots to larger containers. This is where they are dying on me.

I have a green house that the electric is not working so it gets blazing hot in there. So I put them in their containers on the ground (not in the ground yet) and that's when I get the snails and slugs.

SIGH...........

 

[digitS']

I was a little unsure of the reason for your post given the title. Usually, "cultivation" means: the preparation of soil to promote plant growth. But, you are asking about plant care.

There's no substituting one thing for another.

Plants require: sunlight, water, warmth, fresh air, suitable medium for their roots, and protection from pests. A gardener can fall-short or overdo on some of these things.

I assume, that it is getting too hot in your greenhouse because you have an automated venting system that is not functional without electricity. And, that you are not around to open and close things manually. Putting the plants as low as you can will help because heat rises. Of course, they should still be in the sunlight thru the day.

Sluggo makes a useful slug bait that works just fine in my greenhouse. I don't have much trouble in the greenhouse with slugs but they can get out of hand in the plastic tunnel where crops are grown directly in the soil.

Miracle-gro potting mixes have a slow-release fertilizer in them, as far as I understand. Using fish emulsion in addition to the Miracle-gro is doubling up on the fertilizer. If they are having other problems, that won't be the solution. Fertilizer cannot be substituted for sunlight, water, etc., etc.

I would imagine that getting the plants out in a semi-shaded location is now possible for you. They need protection from the cold, from strong sunlight, and from the wind. Their containers of soil will dry out more quickly than they did in the greenhouse.

You just don't have quite the adequate environment for them indoors. If you can be attentive to their needs outdoors, this may be the time for them to venture out thru the day.

Steve

edited to add: What do you think about terracing some areas of your yard ?

 

[brown_thumb]

I thought about terracing and also above ground planting.

We just moved here last May, so my outdoor planting skills are pretty poor. The greenhouse was already on the property setup for even winter growing but the previous owner had some health problems and let the greenhouse go.

I'll have to figure out how it was setup in the first place before I can fix it (or attempt to)

Guess I am back to the basics: sun, water, CARE. Thanks!

 

[lesa]

Welcome!! Don't be too discouraged- starting tomatoes from seed is no easy feat. I am in upstate NY, as well- and we have our own weather issues, etc. Since you are just starting in gardening, why not go to a local greenhouse and pick up a few transplants? I have slugs, snails, etc, but knock on wood, they don't usually bother tomatoes... You might try putting a board around the edges of your garden. Turn them over in the morning and squish the slugs that took refuge there over night....Good luck and Happy Gardening!!