Question
I recently moved from Maine to South Texas (I live on a 27,000 acre ranch outside of San Antoio), leaving to friends my wonderful garden and houseplants of all sizes (some almost 10 years old).  Now that I'm settled in, I decided to re-start my plant collection and do a container garden of veg and fruit (the soil on the ranch is either heavily clay and rock laden or too sandy).  It has been disastrous!  The first round of basil, strawberries, tomatoes and eggplant all sprouted, they re-planted well and then poof! Dead.  I found what looked like spider mite abuse on the undersides of the strawberry seedlings but the others just suddenly turned brown and seemed to have little oval eruptions along their stems. I don't like to use chemicals and tried a mixture of coconut shell shavings, peat and organic soil matter for pot dirt. I fed them with fertilizer and comfrey, gave them the requisite amount of sun, spoke gently to them and begged them not to die and still they did.  
So I've recently purchased transplants from a local organic farmer and they seem much heartier but I'm afraid to replant them. I'm convinced that something comes in the night and steals their little plant souls. On the other hand, I wonder if I've simply lost my touch.  Are the conditions here in Texas so different from Maine that I'm plum lost?  I had a romantic image of the sunny days here yeilding an easily-grown, bountiful, delicious organic harvest but I'm quickly realizing that it is not to be.  HELP!

p.s. the house plants, which weren't grown from seeds but hearty transplants, are doing very, very well.

Answer
Interesting. . .  I'm guessing that along with the spider mites, the oval eruptions on the stems may be aphids.
Try getting some good bagged soil, and be sure that you don't plant up to a container that is too large for the plant. They like to be a little root bound. Let the soil dry on top, before you water, then water heavily so that the moisture you put on the top connects with the moisture on the bottom of the pot. Then let it dry again. If you have good soil that is high in nutrients, and if you allow the soil to dry so that the roots can take in the oxygen, then water so that the roots can take in the moisture, and you give the plant plenty of light, so it can grow, then you have provided all of the things required for a healthy plant. If you have a healthy plant, the bugs and diseases usually leave it alone. If you see bugs, it is usually because the plant is stressed, and in need of better conditions.
But, if the bugs are numerous and hungry, they will eat even healthy plants. In warm climates, like Texas, there are many more bugs by far then in Maine. They may be more aggressive because there are so many. In that case, you may need to resort to measures to protect your plants from predators. I would suggest contacting the county extension office for information about local pests, and the best way to avoid them. You may have to resort to some kind of netting or other barrier to keep them off of your plants.