Maybe there is still some roundup around?

I saw something recently about some herbicide having residual effect on vegetable crops, Not dead, but less healthy looking.

Are they going to quit poisoning and tilling if you can make a nice cover mix? I agree birds probably got some. Also, if you raked into big clods, seed loss could be a big issue.

good luck!

"Are they going to quit poisoning and tilling if you can make a nice cover mix?"

Well, they'll leave the 2000 square feet I weeded, and they leave the part that the special ed kids use for gardenning alone, but there is still about an acre of land that they might spray and plow. There is still a lot of dead roundupped weeds that they haven't plowed under yet. There was some problem with an older teacher getting poisoned by the stray roundup, so they've just left a lot of the weeds there, half of them dead.

um. wow. thats ultra scary.

Im glad youre making progress! im supprised a school has that much free land

It is suprising that there is that much land, especially in Orange County four blocks from the beach. It was the old horticulture class area. The guy who did the class retired 4 years ago and they've been dumping electives like crazy so they never got a new teacher. I'm not sure how long the field will just sit there unused (and poisoned), but I might as well use it to learn what I need to.

Ok. Here's my 2 cents worth. When you plant seeds, esp tiny seeds like lettuce the ground needs to be moist. But not too moist. I know it gets dry in So .Cal. And yes, I do know you watered well.

When I plant tiny seeds like turnip and lettuce, for example, I water, seed and then throw a wet sheet over the area. In the next week or so I spray the sheet to keep things moist.

When I plant, I sprinkle dried coursely crushed eggshells all over the area to keep the slugs down. I don't know where you are, but moist = slugs where I am.

Don't be discouraged. You may have a lot of cutworms and slugs in the area. Or a lot of hungry birds. Try netting if that's the case. Keep trying...

Hi, I just pop into this forum every so often, but I thought I would give my 2c.

The things that strike me are:
1.) 4 blocks from the ocean-salt spray is got to be a factor. You may need high salinity plants (cowpeas are pretty tolerant of salt)
2.) You might consider fava beans-they can be grown as a winter cover crop in your area I believe. I'm going to do it in mine and It get's colder here I think (z8).
3.) Sounds like you got germination since you saw growth, so seeds weren't taken by birds or didn't germinate they just didn't take off. So it's a problem with seedling growth not germination. Though I would probably seed the big ones first, rake, and then the small seeds just toss on top and maybe walk across the area or smooth with back of rake.
4.) Seedling growth: too much fertilizer-maybe you burned them? Try again now that it's been a while the fert has mellowed some if it's org fert.
5.) Seedling growth: too much water-you mentioned a mint growing. Mints grow great in waterlogged soils, could you be growing pennyroyal? Mints suggest too much water to me.
6.)Roundup should have degraded (glycophosphate is favored because of its rapid degradation), there is something called daconil-I believe this has a longer breakdown time. I believe daconil is in roundup plus.
7.) part of the reason for ocver crops is to help break up the soil, so I would avoid more tilling if possible.
8.) Keep an eye out for crickets, they really went to town on my seedlings. you can trap and drown them with molasses/vanilla/water. Or use mosquito netting to keep them out.

Buckwheat is a warm season cover crop.

Best of luck, have fun with your cow peas:)

How many times in a season do they normally spray & plow? If it's once each season and it usually keeps the weeds down, then your problem might be Round up.