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Hello from Atlanta, GA. My garden this year is growing like mad -- tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, pumpkins, watermelon, etc. The strange thing is that the plants seem to be using all their energy to produce longer vines and bigger leaves but no vegetables.

The pumpkin vine left the garden boundary a long time ago and is an estimated 16 feet long now. Lots of bright orange flowers but none of them want to turn into pumpkins (I had several small ones by this time last year). I've been trimming the tomato plants at the top of the 5-foot cages, and they keep putting up new vines but maybe 6 tomatoes out of 6 plants (some with 0). Even the zucchini, which I only grow to make myself feel like a good gardener (because who can mess up zucchini?), has become a monster bush -- maybe 4-ft tall with a 6-ft diameter -- but only a couple of zucchinis to show for it.

So, what have I done wrong? I'm wondering if I've created some sort of fertilizer imbalance -- too much of the stuff that makes the plant want to get huge and not enough of what it takes to actually be productive.

Any help is appreciated.

It sounds to me like there is too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus and potassium.

Nitrogen will cause green growth, big lush super green leaves, etc, but can prevent buds and fruits from forming or cause them to fall off prematurely.

If you are using synthetic fertilizer, get one with low nitrogen and higher potassium and especially phosporus. Also, compost and other organic fertilizers will keep a better nitrogen balance in the soil than synthetic fetilizers.

Don't do it now (it can burn your plants), but this winter, spread ashes from a wood stove over your garden to help raise the levels of phosphorus and potassium, and it will help a lot for next year without the use of synthetics.

fem

Thanks! I've tried your suggestion -- I appreciate your help.

I suggest using organic ferilizers such as compost. Like Femlow said though the phosphorus and potassium must be raised.

jstr

I don't know about the pumpkins, but I do believe that tomato plants will drop their blossoms when the weather is too hot. If I remember correctly, constant temps above 90 degrees can cause tomato blossom drop. Also, if you are using a high nitrogen fertilizer, that might be your problem. Too much nitrogen will cause huge plants without fruit in some veggies, especially tomatoes.

Just a couple of thoughts.