Vegetable Garden Update 7/4/11

I can't believe it's July already, but it is and the garden is really starting to fill out.  I was very lucky after a tornado hit about 1 1/2 miles away and the garden remained almost unscathed.  The corn was bent for a couple days, but it picked back up.  Since the last update, I have added about 30 onion and 5 kale plants.  These plants were more of an experiment and the plants were on sale, so if they don't pull through, I won't be too upset.  I am still battling cucumber beetles and squash bugs with my squash and cucumbers, but I am hoping they will pull through and produce some yummy veggies.  I am also having a few problems with fungus on a few tomato plants that is spreading to some of the other tomatos.  I have been applying fungicide weekly to the plants and I am starting to see them pick back up.  Between the 17 tomato plants, there are at least 100 tiny fruits beginning to form.  I admit, I was beginning to become overwhelmed once I realized how much of a harvest I am going to have by early August.  I purchased a canning kit and some canning books that will hopefully help!  I also plan on giving tons away to anyone that will take it.  I'm excited to share future updates of my harvests soon.  Stay tuned!

Sweet corn (almost 4 ft tall)

Bush Green Beans



Jalapenos and Garden Salsa peppers



Jalapenos almost ready to pick

Bell pepper getting bigger!

Kale

Cucumbers climbing up the trellis

Cucumbers beginning to form

Butternut Squash

Yellow Long Neck Summer Squash

Squash forming (hopefully it will survive)

Black Krim tomato

First harvest!  Hot peppers, cat grass, and cilantro



Vegetable Garden Update 6/5/2011



The vegetable garden is in full swing!!  After battling bugs and heavy rainfall, my garden is finally at a point where I can just work on upkeep, watering, pruning, and fertilizing.  Almost immediately upon planting my zucchini, squash, and cucumbers, the cucumber beetles devoured all of the plants.  I replanted almost all except for a couple squash.  This time they devoured my zucchini.  Exasperated, I ripped out the zucchini, and planted 9 more different varieties of tomatoes instead.  I like tomatoes better anyways!  Currently, my garden is almost beetle free, so I am hoping my cucumbers and squashes will be able to thrive.  Aside from the zucchini, my garden is really starting to take off,  Flowers are appearing on my tomato and pepper plants and the corn is already over a foot tall.  Here are some updated pics!  You can really see the difference after only 2 1/2 weeks. I'm excited to compare the growth in another couple of weeks.

Tomatoes (with flowers!)

Corn

Long Neck Summer Squash

Jalapeno Hot Peppers (with flowers!)

Bell Peppers (with flowers!)

My Vegetable Garden

I'd like to start a new segment of my blog...my vegetable garden!  I love fresh produce!  Growing up, my mother taught me there is nothing better than a home grown tomato!  She passed away several years ago, but she did give me a few small lessons in vegetable gardens so hopefully the knowledge will be useful this summer!  I live in a condominium complex, but I am renting a 20' x 20' community garden plot.  Because of this cold and rainy weather, I was finally able to plant this weekend and I hope that this garden will yield great results!  As the weeks go by, I will post some updated pictures of the garden, and I'm hoping pictures of my harvest, as well as many delicious recipes utilizing my harvest!  Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Various Herbs 

Cucumbers

Tomatos

Zucchini

Butternut Squash

Long Neck Summer Squash

Sweet Corn

Jalapenos

Garden Salsa Hot Peppers

Bell Peppers