Question
My cucumbers, zucchini squash, bell peppers, cantaloupe, watermelon, tomatoes, and eggplant all grew very well with plush greenery, blooms going everywhere.  Then right from where the vine/plant grew out of the ground, the leaves started to discolor and had black spots on them, the blooms fell off and produced no vegetables. The zucchini and pepper plants started to rot and turned to almost a mush.  The pepper plants did develop some small peppers, but then they started to rot.  I used Miracle-Gro organic soil and blood meal and bone meal.  I tested the soil after this started happening, Ph level was fine. The fertilizer levels in the soil were okay, except for the nitrogen, which was low. I added more blood meal, now my eggplants are developing fruit and so far have not fallen off.  Some of the tomatoes are doing better. Is it just low nitrogen, too much water, or might it be good to put a layer of rocks under the soil for drainage?  Thank you

Answer
Hi and thanks for your question,


There may be a few reasons for your situation. I am leaning towards over watering leading to root rot, maybe a fungus as well.

Next to your tomato plants, but far away enough so you do not destroy the roots, take a garden trowel and dig a hole to the bottom of your raised bed. Sample the soil below, taking in account the last time your introduced water to the garden; is there any stagnation of water below? Does it seem muddy, not moist like a wrung out sponge, but slurry like?

If it does you have drainage issues.

Sample a piece of your tomato roots as well.  Do they look healthy? If they are black or the tips are black or discolored, this is root-rot, commonly caused by over watering or poor drainage.

When constructing raised beds, an aggregate at the bottom will help with drainage. Also you need to consider what kind of soil conditions lay below the raised bed. I抳e known of people putting perforated pvc pipe a the bottom, on a downward angle, leading out of the base of the raised be because the soil below was clay, and there was no possible way there would be natural absorption, of the water, into the soil below the raised bed.

Also I would look into the possibility of a fungus taking hold in your garden as well. The recent demise of your other plants, if not cleaned up from your garden right away would naturally attract insects, which may transport with them, various funguses or viruses.

A condition called early blight is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani.  During the hotter months this disease produces black / brown spots on your older, lower leaves. Early blight would also cause fruit loss and cause you to lose stems and newer leaves if severe.

Cleanliness and sanitation is the remedy for early blight. You need to remove all the diseased plant remnants as the fungus will over-winter on the diseased foliage. You cannot plant your tomatoes in the same place next year. Any plant that you do plant will need to be given more generous spacing to improve air-circulation. Do not use a sprinkler system (if you do, throw it away) as it contributes to the problem. Also try a sulfur dust to keep your new foliage from getting the fungus.

I hope I have given you a place to start. And I would really like to know how your plants do. I hope you can write me and let me know how you made out so I can share the info with the rest of the gardeners out there! You can contact me in this forum or directly at: http://www.growing-tomatoes-made-easy.com/contact-us.html

Thanks!
John