a newbie victory - YAY!!

15 years ago

i am just beyond excited!! i just picked/cut my first zucchini AND broccoli crown!! so THIS is why we garden! i'm so proud of myself! there were days, many, many days where i was just so confused and felt like iwas chasing my tail. well, i still feel that way, but at least i've got something to show for it, lol!! oh happy, happy, joy, joy! i could just burst!

my zucc's are really coming in too! i've maybe 3 more that'll be ready any moment now. i'm worried tho because the leaves are just gi-normous and am feeling that i really should trim them again, but am not sure which ones, or how many. do i trim the really huge older ones?

anyway.. the broccoli head isn't that big, well, it's rather small actually. i would have been happy to leave it a bit longer, but i saw a little bit of yellow peeping and i panicked, i plucked it. i'm now wondering if the other 2 or 3 will be as small as well. hmmm...

is there anything i can do about getting the existing little brocc's bigger? at the rate i cut the first one, it's barely enough for my 8 year old! i'm hoping dearly that i can get to where i feel like i know what i'm doing - like my dearest nana (grandmother) who was an incredibly prolific gardener. i started gardening in her honor and oh how i miss her now.

well, i just wanted to share my little success. i know it's not much, but felt you all would at least understand a little bit.

thanks!

angela :)

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Comments (3)

amlinde78
15 years ago
That is wonderful to hear, I started a free service to help new gardeners become successful. It sends out reminders whenever you are supposed to go something in the garden such as when to plant, when to harvest etc. Let me know if it helps or not.

As for the broccoli, once you harvest the main head you can add nitrogen (20-0-0) to the soil to help with side shoot production, I don't know what else you can do this late in the season to help besides that. Add about 1/4 cup per 10 ft row, so not very much.

Here is a link that might be useful: VegeNag
emmers_m
15 years ago
'grats to you! And your first success was with some more challenging veggies - at least they are for me. I remember my newbie victory (back in the day, a year and a half ago) of green beans and radishes. I was thrilled, but later discovered those two crops at the top of all the 'easiest for beginners' lists (aka the 'any idiot can grow' lists) But bugs have made my brassicas and squashes a challenge, so I'm impressed by your success!

I don't know of any way to increase the size of your already growing heads, but depending on the type of broccoli you planted you may get enough side shoots to make it more worthwhile.

Congrats again,

~emmers
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wordwiz
15 years ago
Angela,

I've been gardening, off and on, for 50 years and I still get giddy when a plant I haven't grown before or a system I have not tried produces fruit. As a kid, I helped dad in gardens that started off as maybe 1/20 of an acre to over 1.5 acres, but this year is the first time I have ever grown broccoli (Calabrese). About a week ago, I dragged my wife out to the back of the yard, where the broccoli is growing, to show her the first head that had formed. Even though I am growing it for her and our daughter (they love it, I'm with George Bush - won't eat it!) she didn't share my excitement, not even a bit!

Mike