Why plants all the same, planted 6" apart, all treated the same, why some grow and some do not? I'm finding this happening in several spots this year. I put in 6 cucumber plants, one is triple in size the others are just setting there. :-? moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
Garden gnomes. I have seen them tip-toeing about at night, sprinkling salt on some plants, pulling off leaves, and generally raising havoc. Seriously, I think it's genetics. Some seeds are more capable of growing than others. Seeds from the same plant will exhibit different growth patterns, just as all seeds from a plant are not viable. When you buy nursery plants, some look better than others, and it may not be the care they have received. It happens in human families, too. Would you like to meet my cousin?
Oh, Jane you are too funny. Donna, it could be your soil. We all have micro climates and micro soil conditions in our gardens. Jane also has a viable explanation, not all seeds are equal. If they are hybrids they should be very similar though. Were any of them root bound when you planted them? if so, they take longer to get established than starts that are just reaching the edge of the soil mass. Anytime the roots are circling the soil mass, scratch them lightly to loosen them as you plant them. then give them a good watering in.
Thanks Jane and Carolyn. I just knew all those guys living in gnome town were going to be trouble sooner or later. And I also have a few of those family members running around. No to the root bound. They are all plants I grew from seed. Maybe I'll try a little shock therepy.
