Baby Tomato!!

We have a baby tomato on the tomato transplant!!  So exciting!  It is smaller then the tip of my finger, but I have big plans for that tomato. 

End of week 6

   Have you ever watched the movie, 'Oklahoma'?  Besides teaching me how to spell Oklahoma, I loved the music.  The opening scene you see a cowboy riding through a gorgeous corn field.  It is beautiful.  That is how I am seeing my little 24 corn plants.  They aren't that tall, but they now stretch from my fingertips to my arm pit.  Loving it.  My cucumbers are also loving the corn plants.  So glad I decided to plant them together.  In fact, the corn that I didn't plant with cucumbers isn't as tall or as dark green as the ones where the corn and cucumber are together.  I guess plants really do appreciate companion planting. 
   The watermelon and cantaloupe plants are starting to grow into each other.  I probably should have thinned the plants back, but I didn't want to lose any of them.  I hope that doesn't my plants in the long run. My first cantaloupe flower emerged today.  A deep yellow, hidden by the green leaves.  I have read a ton of websites about male and female cantaloupe flowers, how to tell them apart, how to pollinate them, etc..  This looks to be a male cantaloupe flower since there is no ball of fruit under the flower.  I will take a picture of a female flower as soon as one pops up. 
   My sunflowers are looking a little sick to me.  They aren't a vibrant green, very pale.  I will be reducing the water schedule with them also in hopes that I can bring them back like I did the corn. 

End of week 5

  I have been drowning my corn and cucumber plants.  I did a bunch of reading on signs of over watering plants (yellow, slow growth) and most places said to stick my hand/finger into the dirt and check for moisture.  When I stuck my finger in and pulled up a muddy mess.  I decided to check it every morning and finally after 4 days the dirt was no longer wet.  I hope the plants will continue to grow, and hoping I didn't do permanent damage to them.
   I noticed this week that one of my corn stalks was red.  Immediately read up on that and it could be diseased, or perhaps the rogue red corn seed was placed in my corn packet on accident.  I decided to leave it alone and not pick the corn plant and hope for the best.  Hoping that maybe it was just a sign of over watering the corn. 
   The strawberry plants are flowering like crazy.  Each day I go outside and notice a few new flowers.  One of the 5 strawberry transplants looks like it is dying.  I was hoping that some of the plants would be able to make it through the summer, but this heat might be too much for the plant to handle. 
   The sunflower is getting taller.  My tallest one is about 8 inches tall.  Zinnias are finally getting taller also. 
   The watermelon leaves are growing so fast.  I noticed this past week that a couple of cantaloupe or cucumber plants got mixed into my watermelon.  Cantaloupe and cucumber plants look so much a like that it is hard to tell which one it is.  I guess I won't know until fruit develops. 

End of week 4

   Down to once a day watering.  Not sure what to do with all my extra time since I am not watering throughout the day anymore.  I still go out several times a day to 'check' on the plants- can't help it I find new growth addicting. 
   I am loving growing corn.  The fast growth that it has is perfect for someone who is in need of instant gratification.  The corn is looking a little yellow to me, and so I read online that I was probably over watering the plant.  Guessing that once a day has been to much.  Instead of spraying the hose on the gardens and have just turned on the hose to a slight stream and walk around watering each plant- similar to a watering can.  I read that most plants don't like to get their leaves wet.  Wet leaves can lead to mold, fungus, disease, and browning.  So, I try to avoid wetting my leaves. 
   The cucumbers have started their true leaves.  They are so soft to touch, it feels like there are little fuzzies covering them. 
   The tomato transplant looks to have finally recovered from transplant shock and rewarded me with 2 yellow flowers this morning.  Highlight of my day- not kidding. 
   The cantaloupe have 2 true leaves now, the watermelon lags behind a bit with only 1 true leaf.  I didn't know that Arizona produced the second largest crop of cantaloupe, just behind California.  Glad to know that, it means that I might get a melon or two this summer. 
   The zinnias and sunflowers are still growing, just not very fast.  Looks like they put more time into storing up for future growth then current growth.  I think I need to have a few lessons in patience.  I am sure they will catch up.

End of week 3

   Still having a hard time not picking the cucumber plants to smell the roots.  I limit myself to 1 a day, will stop now though because I am worried that I might pick them all.  The corn is about 4 inches tall right now.  They sure grow fast, I think it grows overnight.  Some odd green sprouts are coming up in the corn squares.  Not sure what they are, I can't remember what I had planted there in the fall.  I even tilled the area before planting a few weeks ago, surprised that some seeds would survive and be able to sprout. 
   The tomato transplant looks like it hasn't changed since I planted it several weeks ago.  I did read that transplants go through "transplant shock" when you take them out of their containers.  This tends to stunt growth for a few weeks while the plant recovers.  Will hope it is that.  The Strawberry plant doesn't look like it had any transplant shock.  Today a pretty white flower was showing through the green leaves. 
   The cantaloupe leaves are getting so big.  Okay, probably not that big to most people but huge compared to the zinnias and wildflowers.  They have 3 leaves now, so 2 sprout leaves and 1 true leaf.  The true leaf shows what the plant will actually look like.  The first 2 leaves are just sprouts that help feed the plant until the true leaves develop that can then use photosynthesis for nutrition.  The zinnias and sunflowers have also developed their true leaves. 
   I only watered twice a day this week.  Don't think the plants even noticed since they are all growing like crazy.

End of Week 2

   Still watering the gardens 3 times a day- thinking I need to slow it down.  The far east bed doesn't get any sun until 11 am so not sure if it needs this much water.  Tons of growth this past week, especially with the cucumbers.  They are popping up everywhere.   I am currently trying to break my addiction of picking the little sprouts and smelling them.  They already smell like a cucumber. 
   The corn has sprouted and is about 1.5 inches tall,  watermelons have popped up, and so have the wild flowers and more zinnias.  Even the sunflower finally made its way to the top of the soil.  Seeing the plants start to grow has given me more motivation and encouragement.  I enjoy going out and watering 3 times a day so that I can check on the growth of the plants.  My kids tease me and say that there is a new baby in the house- or actually out of the house- since all my time is spent reading and watching.  What a great hobby.

First Week

   Not much growth yet.  I have been watering 3 times a day for the past week to keep the soil moist to allow the seeds to germinate.  Was worried about the zinnias for a bit because I kept reading that some people see sprouts at day 3-5.  Well, mine finally showed up at day 6.  I think it was due to the cooler weather, if it had been warmer I am sure they would have come up faster.  Most of the other plants said to allow 7-10 days.
   Interestingly, the cilantro that I planted in my failed fall garden has sprouted.  It is probably loving all the water this past week.  The strawberry transplants have formed flowers and even some fruit.  I did read that you should pinch off the flowers the first year of the plant to allow for more flowers next year.  However, since most strawberry bushes won't survive the Arizona summer I am allowing all flowers to develop.  I pulled off one of the strawberries this morning and ate it.  Best strawberry ever- super sweet, juicy, deep red- the best!
   The cantaloupe plants have sprouted as well.  Hoping to get a few good cantaloupe this year.