My brown thumb

**2dumb2kwit** · 07-13-2010, 03:07 PM

Back in the late spring, I planted some seeds in a big bucket. When they came up, I transplanted some to a flower bed, and some to individual buckets.

I had about 6 tomato plants.(They went in the buckets.) 5 of them have died, and the 6th one doesn't look very good, and has stopped growing. I had 4 green bean plants.(They went in the flower bed.) Out of the 4 plants, there is only one vine grown up higher than my waist. (They are still growing....just very slow.) The other 4 plants that I have, are cucumbers. (They are in the same flower bed.) I have a boat load of cukes, about to be ready! Those things are growing like crazy.

All plants were planted in the same soil, and watered the same. I thought my city water was killing them....but the cukes didn't seem to mind it.

**Winnie** · 07-13-2010, 05:49 PM

Was there any form of drainage in the buckets? Either a few holes in the bottom, or a few inches of pebbles? The roots may have got waterlogged. Or the opposite and there was insufficient water. Same with the beans, they do like plenty of water. Great news on the Cukes though! Just think, you could make your own pickles in a couple of weeks if you have too many!!

**crashdive123** · 07-13-2010, 06:36 PM

My maters start to produce less, and start to die off this time of the year. They just can't handle the heat (I think). They are pretty much in full sun all day long.

**2dumb2kwit** · 07-13-2010, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Winnie

Was there any form of drainage in the buckets? Either a few holes in the bottom, or a few inches of pebbles? The roots may have got waterlogged. Or the opposite and there was insufficient water. Same with the beans, they do like plenty of water. Great news on the Cukes though! Just think, you could make your own pickles in a couple of weeks if you have too many!!

Yes, there were holes in the bottom of the buckets. I wondered about how much to water them. More didn't seem to help.....and neither did less. LOL

**2dumb2kwit** · 07-13-2010, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

My maters start to produce less, and start to die off this time of the year. They just can't handle the heat (I think). They are pretty much in full sun all day long.

I kinda wondered if the roots were getting too hot.....I mean, if they were in the ground, the roots would not get as hot....right???

**oldtrap59** · 07-14-2010, 12:34 AM

The heat has done our main garden in for this year. I always plant a small bed up tight aginst the house and out of the sun for the large part of the day. Things in that bed at least here do well for most of the summer. Maters, eggplant and peppers seem to do real well there. I don't blame the garden for giving it up with the day after day mid to high 90's sun beating down on them for hours. I have found that there comes a point when it's that hot day after day no amount of water does much good. Might it be that where your cukes are gets a bit more shade and a bit less sun as my tight to the house bed does?

oldtrap

**Winnie** · 07-14-2010, 04:16 AM

Ah, yes..... I keep forgetting the temperatures some of you chaps have to try and garden in. The weather over here is rather cooler.
Oh and we've had a good dose of rain at last.

**2dumb2kwit** · 07-14-2010, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by oldtrap59

The heat has done our main garden in for this year. I always plant a small bed up tight aginst the house and out of the sun for the large part of the day. Things in that bed at least here do well for most of the summer. Maters, eggplant and peppers seem to do real well there. I don't blame the garden for giving it up with the day after day mid to high 90's sun beating down on them for hours. I have found that there comes a point when it's that hot day after day no amount of water does much good. Might it be that where your cukes are gets a bit more shade and a bit less sun as my tight to the house bed does?

oldtrap

They all get the same amount of sun, but you bring up a good point. Maybe it's the heat that the roots get. My maters are in buckets....the sun hit's the bucket, heating the roots. The green beans are in the ground, but the sun hits the ground at the base of the plants. The cukes get as much sun, as the others, but they made their own shade, very early, keeping the dirt at the base of the plants (Roots.) cooler.

I don't know if this theory is correct, but it sounds good.

LOL

**Rick** · 07-15-2010, 08:47 AM

2D, if the buckets are dark colored then you might trying wrapping them with something light colored to reflect the sunlight. Or move the buckets to some shadier location. I've grown in buckets before and it takes a lot of water and good drainage from the bucket.

**2dumb2kwit** · 07-16-2010, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

2D, if the buckets are dark colored then you might trying wrapping them with something light colored to reflect the sunlight. Or move the buckets to some shadier location. I've grown in buckets before and it takes a lot of water and good drainage from the bucket.

The one plant that is kinda hanging in there, is in a black container....but it is kinda shallow, and the cukes are kinda shading a good part of it. The dead plants are in yellow buckets. (Shrug)

Here is todays cuke haul. There were about 4 more that could have been picked, but I figured I'd give them another day or two. (And there's a whole mess of smaller ones, coming along.)

**oldtrap59** · 07-17-2010, 12:00 AM

2d. Good looking cukes. Not sure what is going on with your containers but for sure the cukes are a success.
Guess that what I read many times over the years is true.(I know it is) "Gardening is just one lifelong experiment." Not sure who said that but they know what they were talking about. Next season try again but with a few changes. Bout all one can do.

oldtrap

**2dumb2kwit** · 07-17-2010, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by oldtrap59

2d. Good looking cukes. Not sure what is going on with your containers but for sure the cukes are a success.
Guess that what I read many times over the years is true.(I know it is) "Gardening is just one lifelong experiment." Not sure who said that but they know what they were talking about. Next season try again but with a few changes. Bout all one can do.

oldtrap

Next year, I may just fix me up a little garden. This year was kind of an experiment, to see if I could grow a few things with very little effort. I guess it kinda worked. LOL

I ate one of them, last night, with a little salt and some ranch dressing. I had forgoten how good "fresh" is. Man it was good!

**Rick** · 07-17-2010, 08:19 AM

Garden food is soooooo much better than store bought. I've had my garden for 20 years this year. Every year I use grass clippings for mulch and every fall I turn it all under. When I water the water doesn't run across the ground it just disappears as fast as the hose can deliver it. The soil has turned into a very organic loam and the water just falls through it. The plants all have smiles on their faces, too.

**2dumb2kwit** · 08-01-2010, 10:00 AM

Just an update........The other plants, are pretty much toast, but the cucumbers are growing like crazy. I still can't believe how many cukes those 4 plants are producing!