Question
My friends, my husband and I have planted a garden last year. We had an abundance of peppers, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkins.  Unfortunately, everyone had a problem with tomatoes. This year, we have about the same plants, although less in number, but things don't seem to be growing as well. Our pepper plants seem to be very compact and crowded, the fruit is misshaped and small. The zuccini is thin and long, which tastes okay but you can't make stuffed zuccini with it. The eggplants are growing round when they should be longer and we don't have many on the vines. We live in New England, soil tested 7.5. We do have blueberries mulched, had some good berries but not a lot. I guess what I'm asking is what are we doing wrong this year. We are newbies to gardening, giving it a try but need some advice as to what is happening or not happening.  All these plants were bought from the same nursery as before. Thanks.

Answer
Hi Leslie, You may have several things going on.  I'd like to see the pH for your vegetables closer to 6.5 and the blueberries below 6. You can lower the pH with an azalea fertilizer or add iron sulfate.  Pay close attention to how you water.  Water thoroughly, but infrequently.  Excessive soil moisture can lock up many nutrients, cause stunting and irregular ripening.  Wide temperature swings can cause incomplete pollination (cat-facing) which can cause irregular shaped fruit. Fertilize monthly. I'd use Milorganite or Plant-tone.  Both are organic and excellent fertilizers.  You can use Holly-tone until you get the pH down to 6.5.
Compacted soil can cause stunting.  You might dig a 12" x 12" hole and see how compacted the soil is.  Then fill it with water and see how quickly it drains.  If it's empty in an hour, you may need to increase the water.  If it's still there in 4 hours, we know the soil is probably staying too wet, too long.  Look for grubs when you dig the hole.  If you find more than 2 or 3, they could be causing some damage, treat if needed.  Jim