Need advice re: corn, squash, watermelon & cantaloupe

[chickcritty]

This is my first year with an actual veggie garden. My previous experience has been growing herbs and tomatoes in pots. This year I fenced off a section of the yard from the chickens, dogs and cats and I've planted peas, beans, tomatoes, corn, radish, carrots, spinach, lettuce, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe and squash. Most everything I've planted is doing great. I've harvested radishes, carrots, spinach, lettuce and peas already. I absolutely LOVE the peas!

I planted the corn in 4 rows of 10. About a quarter of the corn is nice and bright green and growing nicely, the rest is about half the size and a yellowish green color. I have been feeding fish emulsion fertilizer to everything about every three weeks. I water every day to every other day and everything gets direct sun at least 8 hours a day.

The squash is growing pretty good and getting flowers but some of the leaves have the same yellowish green color as the corn. On my zucchini squash a nice little green fruit started growing but then turned yellow and died. Another fruit is now growing and is still green. Don't know if this is normal or if they need some additional nutrient or what.

The watermelon and cantaloupe are growing extremely slowly. Is this normal?


Oh, and I almost forgot my two blueberry bushes got exactly two blueberries on them. What is up with that? They are nice and leafy but no fruit. Do I need to feed them with something higher in phosphorus?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[hoodat]

The difference in your corn is almost certainly due to something about the soil. Since you indicated it was new ground is it possible some sections were treated with a weed killer or inhibitor?
Your zuchini probably isn't getting pollinated by insects. Learn to hand pollinate. If a female zuchini blossom isn't pollinated it will seem to be growing for a few days and then shrivel and die. Since an unpolinated squash will not produce seeds the plant will not waste effort growing it. It gets "turned off' and dies.

 

[T.J.]

how old are your blueberry bushes? it usually takes a couple of years before they really start to produce good. also how acidic is your soil if i'm not wrong blueberries (like azaleas) like an acidic soil.
oh,and another question do you just have one bush?you need to plant more than 1 variety to get good pollination & bumper crops

T.J.

 

[lesa]

Sounds like a pretty successful first time try... Good for you. Let us know where you are located, so we can be of more help. It sounds like you need acid for the berries. Have you added compost to your garden soil?

 

[bcallaha]

Corn is a heavy feeder of nitrogen. I use a general purpose (12-12-12) granular fertilizer when I plant the corn, side dress when it's 6" tall, and again when it's about 3-4' tall. I usually get pretty good results that way.

Brad

 

[Hollywood Gardens]

Put fertilizer and compost around the watermelons, usually when they aren't growing that's all they need to get a boost.

 

[chickcritty]

I'm located in Eugene, Oregon. I think it's zone 8B.

Thanks Hoodat and bcallaha, I tested my soil where the corn is growing and it showed there was no nitrogen. I'll try a different fertilizer with higher nitrogen. The corn is starting to grow tassels, even the shorter stalks. I'm going to try hand pollinating the corn to make sure I get good full ears.

I have started hand pollinating the squash and it's working like a charm. I have heard of people really liking fried squash blossoms so I tried it with a bunch of male flowers. I stuffed them with a little goat cheese, dipped them in batter and fried them up. They were great!

Lesa & T.J., thanks for the info on the blueberries. The bushes are about three years old. I have two bushes of different varieties. I applied some compost to the veggie garden but not to the blueberries (they're in a different area) but I bought some acid fertilizer and applied it over the weekend. I also bought a couple more bushes with tons of unripe berries on them since I was deprived of any on my existing plants. Over the weekend I tried to find the two berries that were on the original plants and I didn't see them. I didn't think anything of it until this morning when I saw my naughty chickens plucking the unripe berries from the new plants I had set next to the old ones. I quickly shooed the chickens away and picked up the pots. Hmmm, I wonder if that's what happened to the original bushes. I never saw any flowers grow on the bushes though, unless I missed them. Bad chickies! I'll have to put fencing around the bushes to keep them away.

Hollywood Gardens, I'll try fertilizing and adding compost to the watermelons. Thanks

 

[Hollywood Gardens]

I'm located in Eugene, Oregon. I think it's zone 8B.

Thanks Hoodat and bcallaha, I tested my soil where the corn is growing and it showed there was no nitrogen. I'll try a different fertilizer with higher nitrogen. The corn is starting to grow tassels, even the shorter stalks. I'm going to try hand pollinating the corn to make sure I get good full ears.

I have started hand pollinating the squash and it's working like a charm. I have heard of people really liking fried squash blossoms so I tried it with a bunch of male flowers. I stuffed them with a little goat cheese, dipped them in batter and fried them up. They were great!

Lesa & T.J., thanks for the info on the blueberries. The bushes are about three years old. I have two bushes of different varieties. I applied some compost to the veggie garden but not to the blueberries (they're in a different area) but I bought some acid fertilizer and applied it over the weekend. I also bought a couple more bushes with tons of unripe berries on them since I was deprived of any on my existing plants. Over the weekend I tried to find the two berries that were on the original plants and I didn't see them. I didn't think anything of it until this morning when I saw my naughty chickens plucking the unripe berries from the new plants I had set next to the old ones. I quickly shooed the chickens away and picked up the pots. Hmmm, I wonder if that's what happened to the original bushes. I never saw any flowers grow on the bushes though, unless I missed them. Bad chickies! I'll have to put fencing around the bushes to keep them away.

Hollywood Gardens, I'll try fertilizing and adding compost to the watermelons. Thanks

My blueberries didn't have a chance with the chickens around, I even put a cage over them but a few of the hens figured out how to tip the cage, and eat the whole bush before I could get out there.