[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[Dick Gross]

A couple of guesses, Jerry. If the manure and the compost were not well 
decomposted, continuing in the soil will use up available nitrogen and the 
seedlings will languish. Try adding a little Ammonium Nitrate and see if it 
makes a difference.

If seedlings are suddenly vanishing in place, something in the soil is 
poisoning them or something is eating them.

Try soaking your seeds overnight and letting them dry in open air for four 
hours before putting them in damp, not wet soil.

Fill a couple of 4 inch pots with soil from the raised bed. Plant several 
seeds in each and see if they germinate and grow any better.

If the soil is too damp, the seedlings will be subject to damping off after 
germination.

I am out of breath. There has to be a simple explanation like, maybe an 
alien ship landed there and contaminated the soil with radiation.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
University of Arizona Maricopa County
Cooperative Extension


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jharter at cox.net>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 7:21 PM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


> Jerry Harter
> 85249
> jharter at cox.net
>
> This fall I added several bags of compost to my raised garden as well as 
> one baq of manure.  I have planted seeds on several occasions and most do 
> not come up.  I have seen some plants come through the ground one day, and 
> disappear the next!!  I have checked and rechecked my seed dates, to date 
> only some bean seeds from 2005 have come up.  I have tried to keep the 
> soil moist, so don't think that watering is a problem.  This same garden 
> produced very well for me last year.  Any idea of what my problem is????
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Arid_gardener mailing list
> Arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
> http://CALS.arizona.edu/mailman2/listinfo/arid_gardener
>