“I just started gardening recently, so my first garden is full of mistakes. I was watering my cherry tomatoes every day, until I was told that was way too often. They didn’t show any signs of being over watered, but I cut it down to twice a week. Several of their lower branches have turned yellow or brown and died since I cut down on watering. What should I do?
Also, my squash and cucumbers haven’t shown much growth in a little while. I made the mistake of planting them too close together. I’m also worried that I haven’t given them enough soil depth, they’re in beds about a foot high. I guess my question is… what should I do? Also, both the squash and cucumber leaves have white swirly lines on them like the trail of some worm or bug.”
First of all, congratulations on your first garden. It’s always going to be an experiment and you’ll always improve from your mistakes.
General, yes, tomatoes don’t like to be watered but if your plants were doing okay, then I don’t see the harm in continuing your watering schedule. Most of the time, people wonder why their tomatoes aren’t producing or why they look “sad” and when I ask them how often they water, they say every day or so. They often see improvements when they cut back. But every garden has its own micro-climate and what works for some might not work for you. That’s part of the experiment. So you can water as needed, and cut off the yellowing and wilted branches too.
Squash and melons didn’t really do well ths year in my neck of the woods. We are having a problem with pollinators across the country and the bee die-off has affected many a melon, as it were. Cucumbers can be 6″ apart in the world of Square Foot Gardening and other bio-intensive gardening methods. As long as you have healthy, nutrient-rich soil, you can plant closer together. You just have to fertilizer (and/or add compost) more often.
I think your raised beds, with their 12″ of soil are sufficient for growing most produce. Root crops like to be deeper, but in general, you can get by with 6″ beds.
Now, about your white swirly lines – those are most likely leaf miners. They bore into the leaf and eat their way through. They leave behind a trail of excrement as well. You can try using floating row cover when the seedlings are young (before they flower and after they fruit). You can also pick and destroy the infested leaves. You can attract parasitic wasps, which prey on leaf miners, and you can use Neem oil spray if it’s really bad.
Keep up the good green-thumbing. You’re on your way!
