Invasion of the Zucchini

not a single posting in july...appalling. i hope to get back on track this month.

harvesting has begun with the zucchini. my 2 plants are thriving and producing no less than 6 squash per week. our hot dry spell (100+ deg for 5 straight days) during late july kicked them into high gear. i typically freeze shredded zucchini in 2-cup quantities for use in bread, muffins, etc.

i've also been searching around for inventive recipes to use the squash in. came across this chocolate zucchini bread recipe...to die for! **note: i substituted applesauce for the oil 1:1 and used wheat flour instead.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Zucchini-Bread-I/Detail.aspx

Lightening, Wind, and Tons of Rain

we were blessed with a wicked lightening / wind / downpour storm yesterday afternoon. the wind gusts were upwards of 60 mph and my tomato plants didn't fair so well. i discovered the damage early this morning...one of my roma plants had been decapitated. i'm hoping that since the root ball was protected in the bucket and is still intact, that the stem will start regrowing leaves and still be able to produce fruit this season. we'll see.

the photo shows the underside of the bucket where the stem snapped off.

Organic Pesticide to the Rescue

i've noticed my basil plants being munched on by some teeny tiny combatant. i'm not sure what type of insect is doing the damage, so i'm not entirely sure what type of pesticide to use. i do know, however, that i'd prefer to go the organic route and stay with natural ingredients. i found a couple of great resources that offer organic pesticide recipes:

http://www.greeneatsblog.com/2008/07/homemade-pesticide-solution.html

http://www.examiner.com/x-8250-Denver-Gardening-Examiner~y2009m4d17-How-to-make-inexpensive-homemade-pesticide-for-your-Denver-garden

i think i'll give the garlic/oil/water spray a try. it sounds easy and i have the ingredients on hand. i'll check back in later to let you know how it's working.

UPDATE: (Sunday June 6) sprayed all leaves with garlic/oil/water spray. it was a little messy straining the mixture, but not too difficult. i coated all leaf tops/undersides. we'll see if it helps.

UPDATE 2: (Sunday, Aug 2) i've given it some time and lots of extra water, and the basil has triumphed. now a vibrant green color and pest-free...looks like i'll have lots in pesto in the freezer this fall.

For the record

When I planted my tomatoes last month, I forgot to post it. My toms are now thriving, so i want to make sure the same steps are repeated.

• I started by cutting a 2-in. hole cut in the bottom of my 5-gal. buckets.
  
• Carefully push the leaves of the tomato starter through the hole, leaving the root ball inside the bucket.
• Pack spanish moss around the root ball to help with drainage...about 3 inches deep.
• Fill bucket with good potting soil / compost mixture to within 3 inches of top
• Water daily
• Eat tomatoes

Starting Over...

After my initial planting splurge 4 weeks ago, we were beseiged by an onslaught of freezing cold weather and torrential downpours...day after day after day. Nearly all of my seeds FAILED to sprout at all. I waited and waited and waited, but to no avail. I was forced to face reality and committed myself to replanting everything over Memorial Day weekend. Pole beans, lima beans, snow peas, beets, carrots, onions, spinach, crenshaw, zucchini and lettuces were all replanted. Fortunately, it paid off! All veggies have sprouted but 2: carrots and snow peas are being really stubborn.

Garden Diagram: The Plan

plotting everything out in a diagram helped make better use of my limited space.

Planting Day Three

i was excited to find artichoke starts at the nursery the other day. i had previously purchased seeds and had planned to start them indoors, but this was a huge time saver. i decided to plant 2 starts, not sure how much each will yield.

the rain held off long enough to also get the watermelon and crenshaw melon seeds planted. the soil is pretty soaked, so will most likely have to wait a day or two for planting the pole beans, onions, carrots and beets.

i read online that growing ginger was easy, so i decided to give it a try. i started by soaking the rhizomes in warm water overnight, then potting them in a bit of rich soil. they're sitting in a sunny window for a week or two until they sprout, then will be transplanted to the main garden.

Planting Day Two

tomatoes, spinach and lima beans got their starts today. i was a bit of a dough-head when transferring the tomatoes to their upside-down buckets and tried shoving the root ball through the hole instead of the soft bendible leaves. duh. i was able to get 3 of my 5 plants in the buckets today. need to pick up more potting soil and 2 more hooks for them to hang on. i'm also thinking about planting some small cascading flowers in the buckets tops...maybe nasturtiums.

natalie and i also carved out a small area on the side garden for her own veggie patch...she chose spinach, butterhead lettuce, carrots and lima beans for growing. she loves all veggies so it was tough for her to choose just four to plant. the Easter Bunny gifted her a nice gardening kit and she's putting it to good use.

This Year's Herb Garden

the herb garden is located at the front of the house...started 3 weeks ago. basil, parsley and marjoram have all been slow to sprout, but cilantro has really taken off. sage, chives, oregano and thyme are all thriving...these were newly planted last season and are now well-established.

this season's bed includes rosemary, chamomile, arugula, dill, flat leaf parsley, 2 types of oregano, strawberries, ginger mint, sage, chives, thyme, basil, purple basil, lavender, marjoram and tarragon.

Planting Day One

i've been a hobby gardener for many years, but this year i'm truly making the most of my small garden plot. i'm trying new plantings this year like artichokes, garlic, watermelon, snow peas, new potatoes, and crenshaw melon. this blog will hopefully serve as a personal journal where i can document planting dates, experiments, successes and failures, and will help with my future growing seasons.

the past week was spent turning the soil, de-weeding and adding compost. the tomato arbor is new this year...this is my first year for attempting the tomatoes upside down. i'm anxious to experience a growing season without pesky slugs attacking them.

today marked great progress: snow peas, green & red bells, jalepenos, chili peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, garlic, summer crisp lettuce, and butterhead lettuce were all planted. plenty of refreshments kept us going.

weather cooperated pretty well for us...the threat of rain loomed, but never delivered. the kids all joined in the plantings today...a great opportunity to put the hard sell on benefits of eating lots of veggies.