4 Reasons Your Vegetables Aren’t Growing and What To Do About It

Vegetable growing can be an addictive hobby. People who are not acquainted with vegetable gardening may find it strange that someone should toil for hours and hours under the sun only for a few vegetables. But only the grower knows the immense satisfaction of watching your own vegetables grow, and then savoring the taste of fresh home-made produce.

Though experienced growers make it look really easy, vegetable growing is not without challenges. In fact, successfully growing good quality vegetables can be quite a daunting task for many. Most beginners will find that their prized vegetable plants are point-blank refusing to give any rewards at all. And even the ones that do pop out are tiny and inedible. Veterans too, face such problems sometimes, and it can be quite frustrating for the hobbyist.

The proper growth of vegetables, in fact, is dependent on a large array of variables, so problems may not be very easy to trace. However, by following some basic guidelines, you can know what’s wrong with your vegetable plants when they refuse to grow vegetables and the proper steps to take. Here are some of the most common reasons why an ambitious vegetable gardening may refuse to yield fruit, and what to do.

1. Malnourishment

Inspect the leaves and stems of the vegetable plants properly. Are they yellow? Are they wilting despite persistent watering? Do the vegetables appear slightly yellow and refuse to grow altogether?

If your vegetable plants seem to suffer from these symptoms, it usually means that they are suffering from lack of nutrition in the soil. This problem is easily addressed by natural fertilizers.

It is generally advisable to use organic fertilizers as they are good for the environment and very effective too. Examples include animal manure and compost. So, if your vegetable plants persistently keep refusing to give vegetables, you should apply a fertilizer to see if it improves.

2. The pH

Most vegetable plants grow well when their soil pH is slightly acidic. The ideal pH for vegetable growth is around 6 to 6.8. If your soil is either too acidic or too alkaline, vegetable plants will refuse to grow properly and will be give very little fruit.

Fortunately, pH is easily tested and balanced. By running as basic test, you can determine the pH of your soil. Then you can decrease high pH with sulfur (which makes the soil acidic) or increase pH with limestone (which makes the soil more alkaline). Don’t forget to make careful calculations and only add the necessary amount of these chemicals and no more.

3. Watering and General Care

Vegetable growing is a time consuming venture. If you are not taking proper care of your vegetable plants, they will not give fruit. For instance, if you are neglectful of the plants’ needs, don’t plant them with enough space, and don’t remove weeds regularly; the plants will just not give optimal vegetable production.

Many vegetable plants are creepers, and need support from frames to keep growing and sprout vegetables. If you haven’t provided such a support for them, they may not be giving you any vegetable at all.

Vegetable plants need regular watering, and always have to be kept well watered. If you have neglected this activity, chances are that your vegetables may not be much to look at. Additionally, vegetable plants do not like being waterlogged. If you have kept drenching them with water, chances are that some damage or rot has occurred in the roots

4. Sunlight and temperature

Sunlight is an important necessity for good vegetable production. Strong sunlight will give you great, tasty vegetables. If your climate doesn’t usually call for hot, sunny days, you should try a greenhouse. Greenhouses are great for vegetable production, especially in cold weather.

While vegetable growing is an addictive hobby and a passion of many, it can be a harrowing task. If you take a little care, however, you will find yourself rewarded with some of the freshest produce, and you will have the great pleasure of knowing you have grown them yourself!