Seed starting mix typically doesn't have nutrients for more than 2 weeks of growth. It has to be heavily fed weekly beyond that time. That's why the tomatoes, a VERY heavy feeder, didn't do well.
Why row covers?
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The row cover is an organic way to keep the cabbage butterflies from eating them also the flea beetles in the early spring. It also gives some frost protection in the early spring so I can plant them out earlier and not worry about frost.
I did have to use row cover for the same reason prior to 2010. Once I started testing the soil and amending by what I found, I no longer needed the row covers. But they aren't much help against wood chucks. The only other time I had a chuck in the garden was back when I was using them. He made his home under them and what a mess that was. This year the chuck has eaten the broccoli, row coverless, and is using the comfrey for his home. I found the dirt pile this morning under the comfrey.
Ya row cover doesn't do much for rodents. I lost most of my crop to moles one year. I'm into building up my soil for healthy plant but I didn't think that would stop cabbage butterflies from laying their eggs on the brassicas. I should have my soil tested too.
It doesn't stop them. But when the plants reach the 3rd level of health (which most people have never seen) the plant changes from mostly carbohydrate structure to more protein and when the pests eat it, it ferments in their guts and kills them. That's why I no longer have bean beetles or potato bugs.
The brassicas have been the lone holdout, something I'm not yet doing hasn't brought them to this level. Flea beetles are far less now but the tiger moths and white butterflies still take a toll. I'm getting there...
Interesting and good to know! I'm into trying to build really healthy soil to have good healthy plants, bit by bit.
I tried the guess method for many years. Once I started comprehensive soil testing, I found out I'd actually been making the problem worse. Once I started putting down what it really needed, many problems started to disappear. I could only do it bit by bit, as there wasn't much money through that period.