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Poor garden growth-replant? #805996

Asked August 12, 2022, 5:08 PM EDT

I bought a truckload of garden soil this spring to start a garden in my son's backyard in a new development. The garden plants were not thriving at all and I sent in a soil sample July 11 to the U of MN soil test and found that it had zero nitrogen. By the time I got the sample result back and applied nitrogen to the soil it was nearly the end of July. Although everything has greened up, the corn is only about 3 ft tall and is tasseling. The watermelon has no watermelons on it. The beans are about 6-8 inches tall. My question is to whether to pull up everything and start over with some fall crop. Do you think the corn will amount to anything or the beans? I'm giving up hope on having any watermelons at all. Thank you for your advice. Leilin Hilde

Washington County Minnesota

Expert Response

Hi,

I’m sorry for your garden trouble. It’s hard to put in so much work and see so little result.

Corn can usually be picked about 20 days after tasseling, so I would hold out hope for that crop. The corn plants should be eight to ten inches apart, so these could be thinned. 

Beans have had a rough year with the extreme heat. Though your plants are short, they look healthy. They too are crowded and could use thinning to give plants more room. They may yet flower and bear. But you may want to plant something else.

The watermelon will not bear this year before frost, so that area would be good if you want to try a fall crop.  

Here’s a University of Minnesota fact sheet on planting for a fall harvest.

https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/planting-vegetables-midsummer-fall-harvest

Next year dig in compost or manure to boost the soil quality before you plant.

Good luck!

MJ Replied August 12, 2022, 9:10 PM EDT

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