Hang in there, Angie.
I struggled with the same issues to get my container mix just right. I started out with Coco coir, but it just didn't work by itself. I started mixing in some potting mix, but still wasn't quite right. I now use coco coir, potting mix, and a healthy dose of horticulteral grade perlite. Fertilizer was a whole 'nother discussion. I grow mainly in earthboxes, so learning to work in that closed environment was a huge learning curve. Even now, when I bring new boxes "online", they often take some time for the mix to get just right.
Weather can be another whole thread for discussion. Here in central IN, we either have drought, floods, humidity and any combination of the above. This year, our early summer temps were about 20 degrees below normal. Needless to say, many crops were very late this year. After tons of rain early, we're all hoping for some now.
I can't even imagine what farmers go through...I find enough challenge in just getting my tomato plants to grow .
