Question
Stunted zucchini
I have a vegetable garden that I cant quite figure out. I planted yellow squash, zucchini, potatoes, corn, blackberries, parsley and basil. The basil and blackberry are doing fabulous, they are going crazy we cant keep up. However, the parsley, corn, potatoes, squash and zuc are really struggling. They appear to have stunted growth. They've been planted for about 5-6 months and literally have not grown AT ALL. The zuc and squash seem to be a little shriveled and yellowish in color (the leaves), and have put out a couple teeny tiny fruits that eventually shriveled and died off. They get 6-8 hours of full sun per day and get plenty of water about every 3 days. I live in Southern California so it shouldn't be zone issue so much since our weather here is almost sunny and 70 year round.
Before we put everything in, the ground was tilled and fertilizer was turned in to the soil.
The potatoes have broken the ground but remain tiny as well. I put down about 15 corn seeds and only 3 have made it, 2 are still only 3 inches or so high (since planting 4 months ago) and the other one is only about a foot high and already putting out an ear of corn (a very small oddly shaped ear of corn)!
Ive fertilized with miracle gro's all purpose plant food, and have put down mulch. Im running out of ideas :(
Any clue as to what the problem might be? Its odd that everything is maturing on such a small scale.
Thank you so much for any input!
AnswerHi Sarah, I think water is the main issue. First, remove the mulch. We don't want anything to interfere with the soil drying. Excessive water locks up many nutrients that plants need like calcium and iron. If your soil is clay based, a thorough watering every 5-7 days should be fine unless the temperature approaches 100. Then every three days should be fine. Water deeply when you water, then let the soil dry out. Cut the Miracle gro rate in half but use it every 5-7 days to see if they perk up. Make sure you pour the fertilizer on the foliage. It can be absorbed through the leaves. If you have poor root development, foliage feeding is a way to stimulate growth.
If your soil is sandy, you may need to water more often, just remember to go as long as you can between watering. Use the Miracle gro at label rate in sandy soil but still at 5-7 day intervals.
If your soil was a bagged product, follow the instructions for sandy soil.
You might check your soil drainage sometime. Dig a 12" by 12" hole and fill it full of water. It should be empty in about 4 hours. If it takes longer, then you probably want to add some organic matter over time to elevate the bed and improve the drainage. If is empty in 20 minutes, then we know it's draining to rapidly (which could cause similar symptoms) and you should mix in some clay to improve water and nutrient retention.
Check your pH at some point also. It should be around 6.5 for good vegetable production. Jim
