Gardens growing?

[bigborehnd]

I have 2 4x8 raised beds that I planted. One has assorted lettuce, beets, snap peas and spinach. Those plants are doing fine. The other has tomatoes, peppers and acorn squash in it. I planted the tomatoes and peppers on Mothers Day and they have barely grown since then. Has anyone else had this problem this year? These were purchased plants and were about 8" high when I got them.
The bed they are in is a new one I built this spring. I am sure it is fertilized enough. Could I need some lime? I put some in when I added the topsoil and garden medium.
Last year at this time the tomatoes and peppers were growing like weeds.

[Displaced]

For me, tomatoes, lettuce (of course), peppers, and zuchini are all growing quickly. The only thing not taking off yet is cucumbers

[streaker69]

I have tomatoes, onions, beans carrots, radishes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, zuchini, basil, chives, dill, lettuce, spinach, parsley and sunflowers all doing good so far.

I wouldn't add lime to the soil unless I was completely sure it needed it. You can pick up soil pH meters to test that.

[625]

My plants are way behind schedule because of the crappy, late cold weather we had. Wiped out most of my seedlings. Only have a few tomatoes doing well.

Peppers like hot weather. The cool nights we've been having up until lately will definitely stunt growth.

[spacemanvic]

Our weather was bad for planting, just about to get things planted after getting the ground dry enough to plant.

Probably not trying tomatoes this year, blight was bad last year. Going with lettuce, sweet potatoes, potatoes, spinach and a bunch of other things my wife will have to tell me to plant.

All of our berries are doing GREAT this year. Grapes are just starting to leaf, havent seen buds yet though. Out chickens are doing super, have now added a few ducks to the mix. We also made an auto chicken-feeder that we think has increased our egg production.

[win67]

As you described it, one bed has mostly plants that like cold weather; the other, all plants that like hot weather.

I'd blame the weather before anything else. And, as Streaker said, test your soil pH anyway.

All of my vegetables just went in this week. Even 2 weeks ago was too cold, and that's if you didn't get hail damage wherever in Berks you are.

[Statkowski]

I've got a Black Walnut tree in the middle of my yard. For years I tried, and tried, and tried to grow a garden, all to no avail. Then I found out why. Black Walnut trees do not like other things intruding into their territory, so they essentially poison the soil. As a side note, if you have a Black Walnut tree and a horse, don't let the horse eat the grass near the tree, unless you want a dead horse.

Anyway, this year I've got tomato and green pepper plants planted in 5-gallon buckets on my patio. They should do fine. Tomorrow I'll be getting some large, deep PVC trays from the hardware store and some rough-cut hemlock from the lumber mill, and I'll be building a container garden for all the other veggies (carrots, onions, cucumbers, etc.). Sitting three feet off the ground, it'll be far easier to water and weed.

No planting out West here in the Laurel Highlands until after Memorial Day. Do it before then and the frost/snow won't help your garden at all.

That's the good news. The bad news? Well, on all the drug commercials you see on TV (all with possible side effects you don't want to think about), quite often they show some old man working in the garden - apparently he couldn't do that before taking whatever it was they're pushing. I've got the grey hair and I wear a stupid hat while out in the yard doing whatever. However, I'll draw the line on taking all the drugs they're advertising.

[bigborehnd]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I was wondering if the weather may have affected the tomatoes and peppers. I know they are warm weather crops and I wasn't sure if it was just a little on the cool side yet. Global warming and all, we should be planting crops in March if they are correct-LOL.

I have a ph test kit. I'll have to test a sample.

[yeager484]

I just got my tomatoes and peppers in last week. My small garden doesn't allow much, but I enjoy growing what I can. There is some catnip and basil in there too.

All of our berries are doing GREAT this year. Grapes are just starting to leaf, havent seen buds yet though. Out chickens are doing super, have now added a few ducks to the mix. We also made an auto chicken-feeder that we think has increased our egg production.

I haven't been able to find chicken or duck seeds all season. I was also looking for a mozzarella cheese plant. Any advice?

[Solaran_X]

I haven't been able to find chicken or duck seeds all season. I was also looking for a mozzarella cheese plant. Any advice?

Just plant a chicken egg in the soil. That should grow into a chicken plant.