A Sea of Green in my Vegetable Garden

One of the many things that I love about living in the desert southwest, is the ability to grow vegetables 12 months of the year.  Now I have mentioned before that I grew vegetables during college as part of required classwork out in a field owned by the school.  I have instructed clients how to grow vegetables and have planted vegetable garden for others.  But I had never grown vegetables in my own garden.  I had not experienced the excitement and wonder of checking the garden each day to see my plants growing bit by bit, see the flowers form and leaves grow and culminate in vegetables ready for harvesting.  I did not know how much better vegetables taste when they are from your own garden. 

And so, I had not experienced any of this…..sad isn’t it?

Well, early last spring we decided to plant a vegetable garden.  The kids were so excited, but I must admit that I was even more so.  My husband, always supportive of my gardening endeavors, was not quite as excited as I was, but was more then willing to do a lot of the grunt work.

vegetable garden

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, any woman whose husband shovels manure for his wife, is blessed!

I won’t go into more detail about our spring/summer garden because I have written about it before and I don’t want to bore those of you who have already read it 😉  But for those of you who have not seen it,  you can read about our early adventures in the vegetable garden here.

Once September came, I was eager to plant winter vegetables.  Visions of broccoli, carrots, lettuce and cauliflower filled my head.   Before we planted our seeds, we added additional bagged compost and aged steer manure -both available at our local big box store.

Then it was time for planting.  Now a common problem for many gardeners, including me, is that my eyes are bigger then my gardening space.  So, I had to cut my list of desired vegetables to the following: broccoli, spinach, carrots, romaine lettuce, garlic, basil and bunching onions.

My daughter Ruthie and I planted the seeds and then eagerly waited to see tiny green leaves break through the surface.  They did within a few days and then the unexpected happened….birds got to them.  So we began again and spread bird netting on the top, which thankfully worked.

My tiny vegetable plants were growing beautifully, but they faced another hurdle.  I was leaving for two weeks on vacation and my 18 year old daughter was staying at home and therefore responsible to take care of my garden, including watering my vegetables.  Now those of you who are gardeners understand my trepidation.  House-sitters are not always super reliable when it comes to caring for your garden.  Couple that with the fact that my daughter has not shown any inclination towards gardening….at least not yet.  Between college, church and her job, she has little spare time.  I was worried that she my not take her watering responsibilities seriously.  I might have mentioned to her ahead of time that you can always tell if a vegetable garden has been watered correctly by the taste of the lettuce.  If the leaves are bitter, then there were periods of dryness.  I think that maybe made the difference, because when we returned from our vacation, my garden was absolutely thriving.

vegetable garden

I was so thankful for how wonderfully my daughter cared for my garden.  The one thing in the garden that really surprised me was how tall my tomato plants had grown….they were over 4 ft. tall.

vegetable garden

I had planted Marigolds throughout the garden to help ward off any undesirable bugs and so far they are working – doesn’t my lettuce look beautiful?.  I also planted some Nasturtiums for the same reason as well.  I am fast becoming a firm believer in companion planting.

vegetable garden

I love carrots and will thin them soon once they grow a little larger.

vegetable garden

I do not like cooked spinach.  But I love putting baby spinach leaves in my salads.  It is hard to not to grab some and eat them when I am out in the garden…..I just know that I will succumb to temptation soon 🙂

vegetable garden

My broccoli is coming up too.  They may be too close, but I will wait and see for sure before I pull any out.

vegetable garden

My basil is growing in front of my tomato plants.  Whenever I look at the two together, it makes me want to go and make marinara sauce.

my lettuce

In front of my lettuce is bunching onions (scallions) and the taller one is garlic.  Did you know that you plant garlic from garlic cloves?  You can even plant cloves or garlic you buy at the grocery store.  My kids thought that was so cool.

neat rows of vegetables

As hard as I try to have straight, neat rows of vegetables, I always fail.  But, that is really not the point is it?  Vegetables respond to fertile soil, sun and water….not whether or not they are perfectly straight 🙂

It may seem like the rows are too close together….I did follow the instructions of the seed packets, but I can always pull something out if it gets too close.  I would rather fit all I can in my vegetable garden then have large bare spots which contribute nothing to my table.

**I am somewhat proud to say that everything in my vegetable garden, with the exception of the tomatoes, marigolds and the garlic, were all grown from seed.**  I personally have nothing against buying transplants at the nursery and growing them, but your options of picking out certain varieties of vegetables is limited and it does cost more.  I recommend growing vegetables from seed and if some do not, then by all means….buy the transplants 🙂

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Today, we are celebrating my daughter Gracie’s 9th birthday.  She wanted to have her party at our local pizza restaurant where she and her friends can enjoy all of the games.  I love the fact that I don’t have to have a sparkling clean house (I seldom do), I don’t have to prepare the food or clean-up afterward.  I did make the cake, which is something I do love to do.  

Happy 9th Birthday Gracie!

Even Vegetables Need Friends…..

All of us (I hope) have experienced the benefits of having a good friend.  A good friend is someone that you can enjoy good times with, but they are also there to lean on in times of trouble and provide support.

Well, don’t you think your vegetables deserve the same benefits that friendship offers?

Vegetables need friends

Vegetables need friends

Now at this point, some of you may be thinking that I have finally turned into a crazy plant lady…..seriously – vegetables need friends?  Well, the answer is yes.  Vegetables do best when special ‘companion’ plants are planted among them.

Okay, so what does a companion plant do?  Well depending on the kind of plant, they can repel damaging insects and/or attract beneficial insects.  If you add companion plants interspersed throughout your vegetables, they will be much healthier and you will have fewer headaches due to fewer insect problems.

Here are some of my favorites…..

Vegetables need friends

Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), not only has a beautiful, sweet fragrance, but they also attract butterflies and ladybugs which are important pollinators.  Insects that eat mealybugs, scale, thrips and spider mites are also attracted to the alyssum and will help to keep those damaging bugs away.

Vegetables need friends

Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus), also attracts pollinators that are so important to the formation of your vegetables.  They also attract insects that will prey upon damaging insects such as scales and thrips.

Vegetables need friends

Now who doesn’t love the bright flowers of Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)?  Well your vegetables would love to be friends with them.  In addition to attracting insects that will feast upon mealybugs, Cosmos also serve a general deterrent to insects.

Vegetables need friends

Pelargoniums commonly called Geraniums not only beautify your vegetable garden, but their distinctive smell deters many insects.

Lantana

Anytime you encounter Lantana in full bloom, you may also notice butterflies hovering above, which serve as pollinators in the garden.  Lantana are also a magnet for the irritating whitefly.  By planting some Lantana in close proximity to your vegetables, the whiteflies will be so busy with the Lantana that they are more likely to leave your vegetables alone.  Try to think of it as a choice between eating an ice cream sundae or broccoli 😉

Lavender

I just love Lavender and now I have a reason to include it in my garden.  It serves as a great repellent for ants, aphids, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and silverfish.  In areas where I used to work, it was one of only 10 plants that the rabbits and javelina would leave alone.  Butterflies and bees do not seem to share the same aversion to Lavender…..they love it.

Petunia

Petunia hybrids are a very popular flower and it is easy to see why with their large, bright flowers.  But they also make great companions for vegetables (& roses) as well because aphids do not like them and tend to stay far away.

Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) isn’t just for cooking.  When in flower, bees are attracted to this wonderful herb and will often stick around to pollinate your vegetable flowers (yes, vegetables do flower and need to be pollinated).  It is thought that the aromatic fragrance of the Rosemary messes with the ability of damaging insects to detect delicious plants in the vicinity.

Sunflowers

Anyone who has grown Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), knows that bees are drawn to them.  Well, if you didn’t already know this…..bees are vital for a healthy garden.  Sunflowers also offer another benefit to the vegetable garden.  When planted on the west side of the vegetable garden, they will provide shade in the summer for your vegetable garden.

These are just a sampling of companion plants (and the only ones that I had pictures of).  There are many more wonderful companion plants:

Basil

Calendula

Catmint

Catnip

Chives

Coreopsis

Dill

Fleabane

Marigold

Mint

Nasturtium

Sage

and

Thyme  

I currently have both Marigolds and Nasturtium growing inside my vegetable garden.  I am also (meaning my husband) in the midst of building a flower garden which will surround my vegetable garden.  I will include many of these companion plants as well as some purely ornamental flowers.

And so, if you have a vegetable garden that looks a little lonely, or if you are tired of the battle with damaging insects…..try bringing some ‘friends’ into your garden.  Your vegetables will thank you for it.

October Craziness….Cactus, Spiders, Stormy Weather and a Mixed-up Bird

Mysterious Happenings in the Vegetable Garden…..

A few weeks ago, I ventured out to my vegetable garden, eager to see the seedlings that I had sowed the week before.  My seedlings had started to break through the soil a couple of days earlier.

Our Vegetable Garden

Our Vegetable Garden in May

We had enjoyed a wonderful summer crop and I was looking forward to growing broccoli, onions, lettuce, carrots and more this winter.

I had hoped to see my seeds coming up, much like my mother’s vegetable seedlings from last year.  She planted hers in small transplant pots while I directly sowed my seeds in the ground.

Our Vegetable Garden

My mother’s vegetable seedlings from last year.

You know, there are few pleasures in the garden that match the excitement that you experience when you start to see your seeds begin to poke through the soil.

Well, as I ventured out into the vegetable garden, I noticed shallow scrapes in the soil and some of my seedlings that had been dug up.  I was mortified.  

At first, I couldn’t figure out who did it.  My first thought was that it was Tobey, my little dog who tends to get into a lot of trouble…..

Tobey

Tobey seems to have an affinity for dirt of all kinds.  He is always present when we are digging holes for new plants and likes to rest upon the pile of soil.

But I soon ruled out Tobey as the culprit because my husband built a fence around our vegetable garden to keep him out and there was not way for him to get in unless he figured out a way to jump a 3 ft. fence.

We did not have this problem with our seedlings in the spring time when we planted our summer garden, so I tried to rack my brain (not always easy) to figure out what was different now in our garden.  

That was when I figured it out……

The past couple of months our garden has played host to a pair of cute little birds.  I had never seen this type of bird before, but I was charmed by their behavior.  They would hop about and scratch the ground looking for food.  They would not fly up to the bird feeder to get some birdseed, but instead would scratch the soil underneath the feeder.

I also would see them scratching around in other parts of the garden as well, especially around the bark chips surrounding my roses.  They actually kick out quite a bit of bark and fling it about.

They do have a wonderful little cheep and have not heard them ‘sing’ like other birds.  So, armed with what little information I had, I went searching through my bird book to identify the vegetable-seedling eating birds.

My research was a success and so now I would like to introduce you to…..

Photo Courtesy of Alan D. Wilson

 Photo Courtesy of Alan D. Wilson

Abert’s Towhee.

Despite their somewhat drab coloring….their black masks as well as their funny hopping and scratching antics made them a welcome addition to my garden….until now.  My husband offered to bring out his BB gun, but I quickly nixed that idea….I like birds.

And so I did a little research about ways to deter birds and found out that some birds absolutely love to feed on seedlings because of their high sugar content.  Once the seedlings have grown two regular leaves, the sugar level goes down and most birds no longer find them appetizing.  So, I went back to the store to buy more vegetable seeds for the garden and also came away with the solution to my problem…..

Mysterious Happenings in the Vegetable Garden

Talk about a gardener’s best friend.  I can now enjoy watching the antics of my resident Abert’s Towhees while they cannot enjoy my vegetable garden 🙂

****I am currently in the process of creating a cutting (flower) garden with my husband’s help.  I cannot wait to share it with you.****

I HAVE ALSO SELECTED THE RANDOM WINNERS OF THE PENSTEMON SEED GIVEAWAY.  PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK TO SEE IF YOU WON 🙂

An (Almost) Empty Vegetable Garden and a Bounty of Seeds…..

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

I am what many people would call a “planner”.  I absolutely love to plan things ahead of time…..trips, schedules, and my garden.  As the month of August begins to wane, it is time to start planning my fall vegetable garden.

As a child, I would enjoy sitting down with my dad’s newest Burpee catalog, looking at the newest vegetable and flower seed offerings.  Now times have changed and instead of looking through a paper catalog, I was looking at a ‘virtual’ online catalog of numerous seed company sites.  One that I especially like is Botanical Interests.   They offer high-quality flower and vegetable seed at reasonable prices.  Even if you do not purchase seeds from them, they offer extremely helpful growing tips for each type of seed that they sell.  I have seen them for sale at some local nurseries and they are also available online as well.

Botanical Interests

Okay, back to my planning.  I have cleaned out much of my vegetable garden, which leaves a tomato plant (which weathered the summer heat very well under shade cloth), a pumpkin plant that is growing mostly outside of the garden and a few basil plants.  The landscape designer in me loves nothing better than a mostly blank palette 🙂  Tuesday evening, found me at Double S Farms having our weekly dinner with family and my mother (Pastor Farmer) brought out a wooden chest full of seeds.  She had more than she needed and offered to let me have some.  *I am often blessed by the generosity of the residents (my mother, sister, and her family) of Double S Farms.

Botanical Interests

Needless to say, I was in heaven.  The different seeds were stored in tiny plastic bags and then placed inside of little Gerber baby food containers.  I opened the broccoli container and was so happy to find 4 different types of varieties to choose from.

I filled up my share of Ziploc bags with all different types of seeds.  Have you heard the phrase “My eyes were bigger than my stomach?”  Well, in this case, I believe that my eyes were bigger than my vegetable garden.  I know that I do not have room to grow everything that I would like, but I have some definite favorites that I will plant.

The time to plant many vegetables and flowers begins in September in the lower deserts and I hope to find room to plant the following…..

Broccoli

Garlic

Scallions

Carrots

Lettuce

I am not sure that I have room for the following, but they can also be planted in September in our area:

Beets

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Celery

Eggplant

Peas

&

Radishes

I have also decided to plant some companion plants to help attract beneficial insects and deter damaging insects to my vegetable garden.

Bachelor's Button, Botanical Interests

 Bachelor’s Button / Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

I plan on planting Bachelor’s Button, Nasturtiums and Marigolds.  Each of these flowers can be directly sown by seed.

Bachelor’s Button can be planted September through November from seed and attracts many different pollinators to my garden.

 
 

 

Nasturtium is a powerhouse in the vegetable garden.  They repel damaging insects such as aphids, whiteflies as well as some beetles.  Another benefit is that insects that eat scale are also attracted by nasturtiums.  *A lesser-known benefit is that both the flowers and leaves of nasturtium are edible.  The leaves taste great with mixed salad greens and the flowers make a pretty garnish.

Marigolds are well known for their ability to repel damaging insects in the garden such as aphids, whiteflies, crickets and grasshoppers.  French Marigolds (Tagetes patula), also help to repel nematodes in the soil.  The bright flowers of all Marigolds attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Here are a few other great companion plants you may consider growing in and around your vegetable garden….

Alyssum (attracts pollinators, beneficial insects)

Basil (attracts pollinators, repels damaging insects)

Chives (repels damaging insects)

Coriander (attracts pollinators, repels damaging insects, attracts beneficial insects)

Lavender (attracts butterflies & bees, repels damaging insects)

Petunias (repels aphids)

Rosemary (flowers attract pollinators, repels damaging insects)

Thyme (attracts beneficial insects while repelling damaging insects)

compost

I plan on preparing the soil in my raised vegetable garden by adding a mixture of compost and aged steer manure.  *If you are like me and do not compost (I really should), or have cows in your backyard (I really don’t want any), you can buy both at your local big box store or local nursery.  I apply compost and manure twice a year – in in late summer and late winter.

Other types of manure that are recommended for vegetable gardens are chicken and horse.  Just make sure that they are aged and not fresh – fresh manure will burn your plants.

compost

Nothing says “I love you” quite like a man who shovels manure for his wife’s vegetable garden.

I am so blessed 🙂 

**Many professional and amateur vegetable gardeners have their own special garden soil recipe and they all have great results using different ratios and types of compost, manure and other amendments.  What this really means to the backyard gardener is that there is no one ‘right’ recipe.  Rather, there are many.  The one overriding ingredient is compost.  Even if compost is all you use for your garden soil, you will grow great vegetables.

I tend to go organic when I work in my vegetable garden in terms of fertilizer, but I have been known to apply a slow-release synthetic fertilizer in the past.  If you decide to use a slow-release synthetic fertilizer, the labeling will tell you how long the fertilizer should last once applied.  However, in our warm climate, it will not last that long….cut the length of time in half to determine how long it will really last.  

organic fertilizers, Botanical Interests

Big box stores are now carrying a wide variety of organic fertilizers.  I saw an organic fertilizer blend there just the other day that combined both bone meal, blood meal, micro-organisms as well as myccorhizae, which would work just great in my garden.*Mycorrhizae is a fungus that forms an extremely beneficial symbiotic relationship with plants via their roots.

And so, this weekend will find me adding my semi-annual application of compost/manure and organic fertilizer to my vegetable garden and allowing it to rest for a week or so before planting my seeds, which will actually help the soil. 

I can almost taste my fresh grown vegetables…..

For more information about vegetable gardening including what and when to plant, you can check out this link.

Monthly Garden Bouquet – August

Hello Everyone…..I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far.  My August has been quite busy and filled with kids back in school, preparing to teach a vegetable gardening class, planning my fall vegetable garden, a baby shower (more about that later), knitting class, baking and writing for a magazine.

But, I did venture out into the garden to create my Monthly Garden Bouquet and this is what I came up with….

Monthly Garden Bouquet

My ‘Rio Bravo’ Sage is in full bloom and I love the light fragrance of the lavender flowers.  I decided to add a cluster of Gold Lantana flowers since they have been blooming in my entryway for the past 6 months.  I love their bright colors.

Monthly Garden Bouquet

I must admit that I sometimes overlook my Lantana.  They do so well and are almost always blooming.  They require no fertilizer or special attention except for twice annual pruning.  I think gardeners tend to pay more attention to the plants that take more care,  and ignore those that work hard and look beautiful without much effort, don’t you?

Before I went out into the garden to create my bouquet, I searched for a suitable vase or container to place it in.  I have used the same containers more then once for previous MGB posts and was determined to find another one.  It was then I remembered a special vase that I bought on a visit to Ireland over 9 years ago.

Monthly Garden Bouquet

My vase pictures a farm cat and her kitten.  It is from the ‘Landscape’ collection from Nicholas Mosse Irish Pottery.  I have other pieces of the ‘Landscape’ collection and they are beautiful,  painted with farm animals, flowers, and much more. 

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If you would like to participate in August’s Monthly Garden Bouquet (and I hope you do), here are the guidelines.

1. MGB begins on the 21st of each month and runs until the end of each month. Bouquets can be submitted during this time (or even later 🙂

2. Create your own garden bouquet as fancy or simple as you like.

3. I would appreciate it if you would provide a link back to my post inside of your MGB post, but it is not required 🙂 

4. Add your link to Mr. Linky below and that’s it!

I cannot wait to see what bouquets you create from your August gardens.

Have a great week!

Escapee From The Garden…

Some of you may remember that we planted our first family vegetable garden this spring.  The kids and I have had a great time planting the seeds, seeing the grow into full grown vegetables.  We harvested corn a couple of weeks ago and are picking cherry tomatoes daily.

Now, because this is our first garden, we have encountered some surprises.  In the spring, when we first planned on what we wanted to grow, we decided to plant some pumpkin seeds and even though it was too early to plant them (they would be ripe way before the fall).  But, the kids were so excited to be able to grow them that we went ahead….we could always plant some later in time to harvest them in the fall.

Family Vegetable Garden

Family Vegetable Garden

What we did not expect is how big the pumpkin plants have become.  We only kept 3 plants, although all the seeds we planted germinated.

The problem is that one or two pumpkin plants have escaped the confines of our vegetable garden….

Family Vegetable Garden

Now, I don’t think growing on the top of gravel is ideal, but the pumpkin plant(s) seems to like it….

Actually, they seem to love it better outside of the garden.  About 1/3 is inside of the garden and the rest is growing outside. 

Family Vegetable Garden

A couple of weeks ago, they began to flower and I was thrilled to discover a baby pumpkin starting to form.  

Guess where it is growing?

vegetable garden

Yep….right outside of the vegetable garden, nestled in dropped Bougainvillea and Palo Verde petals.

pumpkin

It is growing daily and we are so excited to have a fully ripe pumpkin in July or August.

Did I mention that I always tell clients and friends to “Do as I say, not as I do in the garden?” 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

June Days….Dry Grass, Sprinklers and a Harvest

Okay, I admit that I had a hard time with the title of this post.  I think it is because it is somewhat a mish-mash of topics.  But, the overall theme is that these all have occurred in this month of June.

When we built our home back in 1999, we selected an extra large lot….not so that we could put a swimming pool in, but so I could plant a large garden.  In place of a swimming pool, we did install a grassy area in the back garden for the kids and dogs to play on.  We do not have a huge amount of grass and most of my plants are drought tolerant, since we try to minimize excess water usage.  We do live in a desert after all.

The other day, I noticed some brown areas of grass amongst the green lawn.  So, I decided to put our small hose sprinkler head on those areas to help green them up.  Well, what do sprinklers and a warm, summer day have in common?  Kids!

Small Hose Sprinkler

Small Hose Sprinkler

Gracie was so excited about running in the sprinklers that she went and put her swimming goggles on.

My husband also had the great idea to let Kai go in the sprinklers as well.  After all, his wheelchair is waterproof….I think.

Small Hose Sprinkler

Small Hose Sprinkler

Now, the only problem is is that Kai’s dad can push him into the sprinklers whenever he wants 😉

Small Hose Sprinkler

It was so nice to see Kai outdoors, enjoying the sun and being able to “run” through the sprinklers with his sisters.

Afterward, the kids decided that they wanted to eat their lunch outdoors….

lunch outdoors

Okay, now for my harvest.  We have had so much fun with our new vegetable garden this spring.  One of the most impressive vegetables we have been growing is corn.

It is hard to believe that it was just late March when Kai first planted the corn seeds.

Kai first planted the corn seeds

The corn began to grow quickly next to the neighboring cucumbers.

cucumbers

Some days you could almost measure the growth by inches.

corn

And now for the grand finish….we harvested 13 ears of corn from our 7 corn stalks.  

corn

They tasted delicious…

corn

How have you been spending your June days?

Low Temps, June GBBD and Recovery

Ears of Silk in the Vegetable Garden

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Ripening Corn in My Vegetable Garden

In my vegetable garden, I’ve been closely monitoring the growth of our corn stalks and corn ripening stages; it’s been a fascinating journey.

Each day, these corn stalks grow noticeably by inches, and recently, we’ve observed a significant development – the emergence of the tassel, the male part of the corn plant.

Ripening Stages of My Garden Corn

Corn with tassle corn ripening stages

Corn Ripening Stages

Did you know that corn is actually an edible herb that comes from the same family as grass?

–Noelle Johnson
Closeup of corn tassel corn ripening stages

Corn Ripening Stages

As we marveled at the tassels, full of yellow pollen, we couldn’t help but notice another intriguing phenomenon occurring on the sides of the corn stalks – the formation of corn silk. Each silk strand leads to a single ovary, and when fertilized, it will ultimately become a single kernel of corn.

Corn silk on plant corn ripening stages

After Pollen Comes Corn Silk

Corn silk has started to form.  Each silk leads to a single ovary and when fertilized will turn in a single kernel of corn.

Now, when it comes to growing corn, it’s important to plant it in rows of at least three to ensure proper pollination.  My vegetable garden only has two rows. To compensate for this, my kids and I decided to assist with the pollination process by gently shaking the cornstalks daily. This action creates a delicate cloud of yellow pollen that falls onto the silk.

Corn silk with pollen corn ripening stages

After Fertilization Comes Corn Growth

Once the corn has been fertilized, the silk turns brown within 30 minutes indicating that it has been successfully pollinated.  If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the pollen sticking to the silk. Below is a complete list of the 9 corn ripening stages you might see when growing corn.

The 9 Corn Ripening Stages

A fascinating and critical part of the corn growth cycle are the corn ripening stages. Understanding these stages can help farmers and gardeners alike determine the best time for harvesting corn. Here are the key stages of corn ripening:

1. Vegetative Growth:

This is the initial stage of corn development, where the plant focuses on building a strong root system and growing tall stalks and leaves. During this phase, the plant is primarily concerned with capturing sunlight and nutrients to support future growth.

2. Tassel Formation:

As the corn plant matures, it begins to develop the tassel, which is the male part of the plant. The tassel consists of long, slender structures that release pollen into the air. This pollen is essential for fertilizing the female parts of the plant.

3. Silk Emergence:

Concurrently with tassel development, the corn plant also produces silk, which is the female part of the plant. Each silk strand corresponds to a potential kernel of corn. The silks emerge from the ear (the part of the corn plant where the kernels will develop) and extend outward.

4. Pollination:

Pollination is a critical stage in corn ripening. Wind plays a crucial role in this process. Pollen from the tassels is carried by the wind to the silks, where fertilization takes place. Each silk strand must be pollinated for a kernel to develop. Proper pollination is essential for a good corn yield.

5. Kernel Formation:

After successful pollination, the fertilized silks start to develop into kernels. Each kernel corresponds to a single strand of silk. The kernels begin to swell and fill with starch, nutrients, and moisture.

6. Milk Stage:

At this stage, the developing kernels are filled with a milky fluid that contains sugars, proteins, and other nutrients. The kernels are still soft and not yet fully mature. This is a common stage for sweet corn harvest.

7. Dough Stage:

As the corn continues to ripen, the milky fluid in the kernels starts to become more solid, and the kernels become dough-like in texture. The corn is no longer suitable for sweet corn consumption but is ideal for certain types of corn products like cornmeal or hominy.

8. Dent Stage:

The kernels in this stage develop a dent at the top, giving the stage its name. The kernels have lost most of their moisture content and are considered mature. This stage is important for field corn varieties used for livestock feed and processing into various corn products.

9. Physiological Maturity:

At this final stage, the corn plant has reached its maximum dry weight. The kernels have hardened and have a low moisture content, making them suitable for harvesting. This stage is crucial for corn grown for grain production.

corn stalk with corn ripening stages

Multiple Ears of Corn on a Single Stalk

Surprisingly, some corn stalks produce not just one, but two ears of corn. While a typical corn stalk yields at least one ear, many varieties can produce two. Interestingly, the second ear forms after the first and is always smaller in size.

I bet you didn’t expect all of this corn trivia when you started to read this post, did you?  Well, I love learning new things and vegetable gardening is somewhat new to me and I find so much of what I have learned fascinating.

I hope you enjoyed this exploration of corn ripening stages in my garden. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Container Corn is “For The Birds”

A Vegetable Garden, Revisited….

Well, I have to admit, that in the past, I did not truly understand the allure of vegetable gardening.  Sure, I had to grow my own plot of vegetables in college for my horticulture class – but that was for a grade.  I also dutifully helped people create their own gardens, but I never had one for myself.  

That was then, and this is now….I am completely hooked on vegetable gardening!  Each morning, I go out to see how my plants are doing and the kids hurry home for school and check to see if there have been any changes.  Their favorite thing to do is to find the newly ripened cherry tomatoes to eat – they never make it to our salads.

vegetable gardening

Vegetable gardening

I just love this view outside of my family room window.  I can see the tops of my corn just over the fence and my flowering Palo Verde in the background.  The Palo Verde flowers are providing a nice layer of mulch for my garden.

At first, it seemed like it was taking a long time for my small plants to begin growing.  I celebrated each time a tiny seedling germinated, but it seemed to take a while for them to really get going.  But, that is probably because I was watching them so closely every day, which reminds me of the saying “A watched pot never boils.” 

That is where pictures help to provide a healthy dose of reality for me.  Below, is a picture I took of our little garden, just two weeks after planting from seed….

vegetable gardening

Vegetable gardening

*The transplants in the seed trays were for an upcoming service project and I also gave some to my mother for her garden.

Now, I know that I did not organize my plantings very well and probably have done quite a few things wrong, but that is what is fun about gardening.  You can learn so much just by doing.  For example, you should have three rows of corn in order for them to pollinate each other.  Since I do not have that much corn, I will have the kids help with the pollination, so they can learn even more about how things grow.

That is where pictures help to provide a healthy dose of reality for me.  Below, is a picture I took of our little garden, just two weeks after planting from seed….

vegetable gardening

*The transplants in the seed trays were for an upcoming service project and I also gave some to my mother for her garden.

Now, I know that I did not organize my plantings very well and probably have done quite a few things wrong, but that is what is fun about gardening.  You can learn so much just by doing.  For example, you should have three rows of corn in order for them to pollinate each other.  Since I do not have that much corn, I will have the kids help with the pollination, so they can learn even more about how things grow.

Below is a picture taken two weeks ago of my tomato plant in the right back corner and there is such a difference.

vegetable gardening

You can see above my tomato plant has grown quite a bit in just four weeks and I have pumpkin growing in the foreground ( I realize that we sowed the pumpkin seedlings too early and will probably have pumpkins this summer, but the kids were so excited to grow some right now).

Now, come see the garden at just six weeks after sowing the seeds.  I must admit, that I am a little bit proud of our garden 🙂

vegetable gardening

The corn is now taller then the fence and I can see the corn flower starting to emerge.  

vegetable gardening

Our single tomato plant is growing so beautifully and produces quite a few tomatoes for us.  I will be planting a lot more tomato plants next time – maybe give each of the kids their own plant.

vegetable gardening

Our climate is ideal for growing watermelon and I cannot wait to see the flowers start to appear on our watermelon plants.

watermelon

The  flowers are starting to appear on our cucumber plants.

cucumber

I love the large leaves of the pumpkin plant.

pumpkin

My tiny oregano plant is starting to look more like a little plant then just a couple of leaves.  *This is a macro-view and the plant is actually still quite small.

oregano plant

You can tell that I have already started to use some of my basil 🙂

basil

My sunflowers are starting to grow tall.

And I can see that flowers are almost ready to appear….

sunflowers

Some years, it seems that we go straight from winter into summer and skip over spring.  But this year, we have had a lovely spring, but now that temperatures are climbing into the 90’s, I have covered some of the garden in shade cloth (the corn are too tall and do not require shade).  This helps to protect the leaves and vegetables from becoming sunburned.  

My daughter, Ruthie, is so proud of our little garden and made me a sign for the garden for Mother’s Day.  She cut it out of wood (with her dad’s help) and painted it for me.

our garden

Thank you so much for letting me show you how our garden is growing.

I will post another update soon, probably as soon as I see some flowers.

Have a great day!

A Vegetable Garden…..Completed!

Well as promised, this is the last installment of the creation of our vegetable garden.  The journey has been quite a bit longer then we had anticipated due to some unexpected interruptions….a dead car battery & a broken arm.  

Now we had all of our materials and my husband was going to get started on cutting wood and creating the fencing for our new vegetable garden.  All along, I had a picture in my mind of how nice our little fence would look and I was anxious to plant my seeds.  To be honest, I was getting tired of spending my evenings just staring at pictures of corn, cucumbers, watermelon and sunflowers on my seed packets.  I wanted them in the ground so I could stare at real vegetables and fruit.

Vegetable Garden

 I had our whole afternoon planned out so we could finish our garden, when the phone rang….

Our oldest daughter had fallen down the stairs at her apartment complex and had broken both of her feet.  We rushed to be with her at the hospital.  It turns out that she broke her left ankle and her right foot.  Needless to say, it was going to be very difficult for her to get around.

And so, two days later we were all gathered out in the garden again and started working on the fencing.  My oldest daughter and her husband came out to visit and our youngest kids were so anxious to see her because they had been so worried about her feet.

crutches

My daughter is able to use a wheelchair and crutches to get around, but must stay off her feet as much as possible.  She cannot drive for 6 weeks, so has to rely on her husband and family to drive her to and from school where she teaches.

It was a perfect day….beautiful weather, time to finish the garden, and all of my kids under one roof for at least a little while.  My husband started to put the fence together with help from the kids.

creation of our vegetable garden

 The fence went up quite quickly and I could hardly wait to get inside and start planting.  First, I planted a tomato plant.

creation of our vegetable garden

Then it was time to deconstruct our Children’s Flower Garden and take the surviving flowers and plant them in our new garden.

creation of our vegetable garden
creation of our vegetable garden

Geraniums typically do not survive our hot summers, and are treated as winter annuals.  I have some examples of them surviving the summer and so we will see how they will do in their new location. 

Now the kids and I were ready to plant our seeds.

creation of our vegetable garden

Our third oldest daughter, is most excited about planting watermelon seeds.

watermelon seeds

My son had fun planting corn, which is a great plant to grow because they germinate quickly and their seeds are large and easy for a child to plant.

pumpkin

We are planting two separate crops of pumpkin – one right now, and the other later this summer.

I could hardly believe that we had FINALLY finished.  That evening, I just sat outside by our new garden, just feeling so content and happy that all was finished.

Now, we wait for our seeds to sprout….

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