Hi everyone,

I am a newbie in gardening and started a 12' x 12' vegetable garden. Seeds are tomato, pepper, eggplant, lettuce, raddish, carrots, kale, onion and parsley. I planted as per the instructions in the packaging all my seeds last April 2017 and some seeds up until now is not coming out. Some came out but won't grow big and die. I used the combination of topsoil and garden soil with a ratio 3/1 sack(s). I live in Texas. What could possibly be the problem? I spent so much money and I don't want to give up on my garden.

Welcome to NGA, @Tiny2300 .

There are a number of possibilities, but my best guess would be that the seeds started to germinate and then dried out and died, or maybe that they were planted too deeply. I would say anything that you planted in April and hasn't come up by this time, isn't going to come up.

I don't know if you can start over at this time of year -- It may be too hot there now for planting. But when you do replant the seeds, be sure to keep the ground moist until the plants are up and have a chance to put down some roots; I find that it helps to cover them with "floating row cover," which helps to hold the moisture in and also keeps rain from washing shallowly-planted seeds away. When I plant small seeds like carrots and lettuce I don't actually cover them with soil, I just press them into the soil by tamping them with my hoe or garden rake, or even just by walking on them.

You've done a great job setting up your garden -- don't give up!

humm?😕???
Oh ! Howdy there 😁
Whats temp been like, since then and now. Did you plant at rite time.
I would have replanted seeds that didnt come up, 4 or 5 days after others came up. Depending on variety and days to germination.
Keep us informed
😎😎😎

Sandy has good pointers also
😎😎😎

I'm thinking it's too hot for some of them now, like the lettuce. I'm suggesting this be moved to the Veggie garden forum where there should be more help for you. Love the way you set your garden up, and it's fenced for protection.

Tiny, I may not understand your situation. Just for clarity, tomatos, peppers, eggplant, and onion are very difficult to grow by direct planting. These are normally started early in planting trays indoors, potted up once or twice, and then transplanted into the garden. Radishes and kale should have done well, but succumbed to the heat before now. Carrots and lettuce, maybe got dried out. Most of Texas is way too hot for summer growing. If any of the tomatoes, eggplants, or peppers came up, make sure they have plenty of space. They need be about two feet apart each way. Crowding is the major problem for new gardeners. You can transplant them at proper spacing and give them a bit of fertilizer. I am not a big fan of store bought topsoil.

farmerdill said:Tiny, I may not understand your situation. Just for clarity, tomatos, peppers, eggplant, and onion are very difficult to grow by direct planting. These are normally started early in planting trays indoors, potted up once or twice, and then transplanted into the garden. Radishes and kale should have done well, but succumbed to the heat before now. Carrots and lettuce, maybe got dried out. Most of Texas is way too hot for summer growing. If any of the tomatoes, eggplants, or peppers came up, make sure they have plenty of space. They need be about two feet apart each way. Crowding is the major problem for new gardeners. You can transplant them at proper spacing and give them a bit of fertilizer. I am not a big fan of store bought topsoil.

Thank you for the reply. Does it mean stop planting for now because it is summer or anything I can do to make it work? What is the best fertilizer that I can use?

Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants will do fine if you can find plants. Okra and cowpeas can be direct seeded, they like summer. Squash and lima beans can also be direct seeded, probably snap beans altho they may struggle with triple digit temps. Melons are also good summer crops but space hogs. For most of Texas, onions will be a winter crop, short day types like Texas 1015. Transplant in late fall ( October-December) If you wish to grow organic there are a number of organic fertilizers on the market. If not 10-10-10 is a good all purpose fertilizer for a vegetable garden.

Weedwhacker said:Welcome to NGA, @Tiny2300 .

There are a number of possibilities, but my best guess would be that the seeds started to germinate and then dried out and died, or maybe that they were planted too deeply. I would say anything that you planted in April and hasn't come up by this time, isn't going to come up.

I don't know if you can start over at this time of year -- It may be too hot there now for planting. But when you do replant the seeds, be sure to keep the ground moist until the plants are up and have a chance to put down some roots; I find that it helps to cover them with "floating row cover," which helps to hold the moisture in and also keeps rain from washing shallowly-planted seeds away. When I plant small seeds like carrots and lettuce I don't actually cover them with soil, I just press them into the soil by tamping them with my hoe or garden rake, or even just by walking on them.

You've done a great job setting up your garden -- don't give up!

Thank you for the reply. I will sure keep those in mind.

Really not sure what part of Texas you are in, there are so many different zones but I agree that much of what you are trying to grow would do far better in a cooler time for me. I grow onions overwinter and harvest at this time of year. I plant lettuce, parsley, carrots and radishes in Jan/Feb to get a harvest in spring.

On the seeds not germinating, I will agree that the seeds probably began to germinate and then dried out, causing them to die. I start much of mine from seed in small pots and transplant in ground. It is far easier to keep the soil moist in the small pots until germination. When the plants develop a set or two of leaves I carefully move them to the raised beds. I have transplanted many things successfully but some do better to start in ground like the root crops (radishes and carrots).

You are doing the right thing by researching and learning. Each year you will tweak it and your garden will become better with your knowledge. Don't give up on your garden.

to gardening and to this site!

Oh and often you can find tomato plants for sale around here at those plant racks in front of the grocery stores. Maybe they same there?

Tiny2300 said:Hi everyone,

I am a newbie in gardening and started a 12' x 12' vegetable garden. Seeds are tomato, pepper, eggplant, lettuce, raddish, carrots, kale, onion and parsley. I planted as per the instructions in the packaging all my seeds last April 2017 and some seeds up until now is not coming out. Some came out but won't grow big and die. I used the combination of topsoil and garden soil with a ratio 3/1 sack(s). I live in Texas. What could possibly be the problem? I spent so much money and I don't want to give up on my garden.

Whereabouts in tx?
Big place, lotta different climate.

Going by the pic, I'm thinking Houston area.

So...
While previous posters are partly correct that tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are usually started earlier and set out as plants, we have the option of direct sowing them,our season is long enough.

I usually dig them back up and set out further apart after they come up.

But, kale, onions, radish, lettuce, parsely, are cool season crops. Think January.

I think that planting beans, corn, melons, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, gourds, would give better satisfaction, at this time of year.