I have lived in zone 8 in TX for 9 years now and planted something every year. I'm lucky if I get a tomato per plant, and they are not tasty.
2005 - planted seeds in what was a semi bare area that my sprinkler covered, weeds grew, no crops
2006 - put a few tomato's in pots which the chickens ate down to the stems
2007 - put wire cages around pots, plants grew, only few tomatoes which took till Oct to ripen
2008 - had my soil tested, found out my mostly sandy soil has few nutrients. Added fertilizer to potting soil. Same results.
2009 - rototilled a small area for melons, chickens ate every one.
2010 - covered each melon with newspaper to hide them from the chickens. They never ripened.
2011 - created 4 8' x 8' garden patch with boards, covered with netting. Melons didn't get ripe.
2012 - planted corn in a 10' x10' patch. Got 1 ear.
2013 - decided to build a 20' x40' cage with chicken wire. Dug in tractor loads of all kind of manure to over winter. My beans, squash, were somewhat successful, tomatoes grew huge plants
with no fruit. Had soil tested again, no nitrogen or iron, too much phosphorus. PH 7.8
2014 - spent half of winter adding lime to soil stupidly thinking lime was acidic, the last half of winter trying to correct it with kitchen compost of citrus, and sulfur. Started seedings in seed trays, on heaters, with lights. The tomatoes and squash have been transplanted twice to bigger, taller pots, and are now 12" tall again. Transplanted anything that could take a little cold yesterday. Lettuce, broccoli, spinach, celery. Leafeating ants eating everything one plant at a time. Sprayed with organic soap, vinegar, oil spray. Hurry up spring! Somebody wish me luck, please.
