A lot of what I plant is feeble and lies down after being watered. Much never rises again. One theory is that I’m planting too shallow (regardless of whether I follow the directions on the packet or not). Another theory is… well, I don’t really have another theory.
Worst offenders are the spring onions: the first planting has faded to immature compost – Tash’s “gift” didn’t help, but some that had been unaffected still did the collapsing thing and then decomposed, the second planting looks to be following suit. Right now they are the thinnest of little grass sprouts that a drop of water decimates. Of course no water and in the 30 degree heat they wither and die. So, today I “aided” the 3rd planting (29/12 – 3 days ago) by mounding a bit of dirt on the unsprouted row. Not a lot, maybe 1/2 inch. We’ll see.
Next on the offenders list are the radishes. They aren’t quite as weak as the spring onions, but they suffer a more curious fate – they look like they are trying to climb out of the ground. EVERYTHING is above the soil line. I’ve yet to harvest a crop of the silly things and I’m getting tired of watching the sprout like champs, climb towards the sun and then wobble about. Today I mounded some dirt (about 1/2 inch which seems significant since the bloody things are only to be buried in 1/4 in of soil) on part (most) of 2 rows of sprouted radishes: the new scarlet globe plus the long scarlet (photos above). These were planted 21 Dec.
Third is the dill (in the basil bed). This sprouted and has some very light feathery dill leaves, but does nothing beyond the odd collapse when watered (generally followed by a slow rising). Today they got a little mound each.
Finally, rocket. It’s not actually dreadful, but it looks at risk and the earlier batch planted in the pea bed really spends most of its time contemplating a slow death while lying on the soil. So today I mounded 1/2 of the row in front of the radishes.
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 