Crookneck Squash

Today I harvested my very first Crookneck Squash off the vine and it's beautiful!!!! I've waited so patiently hoping that this plant would bare some veggies. I currently have two more growing strong. There was a time in March when I plant the seedling in the ground wondering if it would survive. It didn't look so good at one point and my zucchini plant did not survive so I was doubtful that this one would make it too. Plus, I was worried that our Arizona summers would surely kill it. Little did I know, crookneck squash is a summer squash - they LOVE the heat and despise the cold. They will keep producing as I harvest for the summer and die at the end of the season.

I actually wanted to grow them as big as I could except upon my research I discovered that they are not good if they grow too big. From my readings, they tend to get a mealy consistency and the skin gets harder/thicker. They are best harvested when they are approximately 4"-6" maximum and 2"-3" in diameter.

I haven't tasted it yet because I want to cherish it for a day. Tomorrow I will slice it up and enjoy my hard work with some hummus. :)

Roma Tomatoes

I purchased this Roma tomato plant at Costco Wholesale as a young plant with no fruit on it in February.  Costco always has good quality products so I thought this plant would be great as an addition to my garden.  I love my tomato plant and it is planted in the Southeast bed of my yard.  It gets a great amount of sun and seems to be doing very well where it sits right now.  About a week after I planted it in the ground, it started bearing fruit and then they started coming out like crazy.  I can see about 15-18 Roma fruits on the tree. I can't wait until they ripen!

Fruit is about 1/2" wide - approx. 2 weeks after planted

They are currently growing healthy a month and a half later.  Just like the broccoli,  I fear the sun will destroy these as well.  I've read that some tomato plants love the sun but the Arizona sun might be too harsh for them.  I'm going to be cautious and build a shady frame for them.  Anyone in Arizona knows the sun in the afternoon is HORRIBLE during the summer.  There are currently no harmful pests bothering them as well so they are happy where they sit right now.

 

Fruit is about 2 1/2" wide - approx. 1 1/2 months after planted

These grew about 3" - approx. 2 months after planted

These Roma tomatoes are delicious, it taste so much better than store bought tomatoes!  They actually have a nice sweet taste to them.  I can't keep my daughter away from this plant.  She just picks them, washes and eat them like an apple.  Well worth it to grow my own tomatoes!

Update: I did install a bamboo trellis for my tomato plants.  I had a couple tomatoes rot from having constant contact with the dirt so I needed something that will left my fruit off the ground.  Currently I am constructing a shade frame for my plants due to the 100 plus degree weather that has already hit our state. :)  I'll take pictures and post them soon.

If anyone has experience with gardening fruits and veggies in Arizona, please feel free to comment and leave me some advice for me. Thanks!

Recipes

Green Thumb Dictionary

This page is under construction, vocab will be adding as I learn. The intent is for beginner gardeners to understand gardening vocabulary.  Not everyone is naturally born with the knowledge keeping the greens alive. :) Feel free to educate me on anything that I haven't listed.

Bolt - when the weather causes flowers to sprout earlier than normal in the season.
Harvest - cutting and collecting the fruits/veggies from the plant.
Reap - syn. harvest; collecting the fruits/veggies of your labor.
Sow - planting the seed into the compost; hence, "reap what you sow"

Broccoli

This broccoli was bought and planted as a seedling the beginning of February.  I am very proud of my broccoli and her siblings.  They have become my children - I love them, take care of them and protect them from harm.  In return, they give me delicious fresh broccoli right from my backyard.  It's an awesome feeling of accomplishment.  Summer is right around the corner and I feel my anxiety kick in as I am scared for my children.  The desert sun can be harsh to anything living.  In the next couple days, I will be preparing them for the heat and cross my fingers that they make it through the summer.

First bud 03.01.2012

As a first time gardener, my one mistake was planting these in a bed that received absolutely no shade for the summer (Southeast Wall).  I've learned that broccoli favors and grows better in cool weather. They have done very well for our late winter and early spring but I will have to see how they do through our summer.  In the future, if I plant more broccoli, I will be planting them on the West Wall of my yard where they will receive enough sun but will be protected from the afternoon sun during the summer.  I will be building a cold/hot frame to protect them during the scorching hot summer days and monsoon season. The frame will also protect them from our winter frost as well.  My only challenge is building the frame strong enough to withstand the sand storms but I guess that is my husbands job to figure out. :)

2"-3" buds 03.19.2012

Some things I've learned along the way:

1) If your noticing that the head is not getting bigger, cut the first head of the plant off.  Enjoy the little bushel of broccoli with some ranch dressing.  Once the first head is cut off, more will start to sprout and bigger too.

2) If the broccoli root gets too warm, your broccoli buds will bolt into pretty yellow flowers.  I've read that the flowers make the broccoli bitter so better to cut it off and place it in a vase on your dining room table.  If anyone knows anything different, please comment.

3)  To try and harvest your broccoli before it bolts, here are some signs:

              a. Deep green color is starting to turn lighter yellow green - harvest and enjoy.

              b. The buds are about the size of the head of a striking match - harvest and enjoy.

New growth 04.12.2012

So, I've harvested the first buds already and now new ones are shooting from the sides.  The heads are also bigger this time around. Some are about 3"- 4" and the individual buds are still very small so I will leave it alone for a week or so.  I check them daily because it sucks when they turn into flowers and I've lost my harvest time.  The flowers are good for collecting seeds if you'd like to do that. I'm not there with collecting seeds yet...one step at a time.