Driest Spell Continues

Before and after potato hilling. Piling soil up around the plants temporarily eliminates weed pressure and also provides additional space for the tubers to grow. Now they just need a decent drink.

I'm pretty sure we're in the midst of the driest stretch of weather during any growing season of the past 15 years. Fortunately it hasn't been hot too often and generally the weather has been pretty glorious. Most crops are being irrigated every 5-7 days. We still haven't set up irrigation on the garlic, potatoes, or carrots. If it doesn't rain this week we'll probably need to figure that out or sustain lower crop yields.

Overall the farm is in great shape, probably partly due to the lack of rain and the resultant lower weed, pest, and disease pressure, but also because of our great farm crew. June, July, and August are big months, although June is interesting because it's sort of a transitional period between insane intense spring planting and the big heavy harvests of summer crops. With the right mindset and a glimpse of the bigger picture it can all be fairly enjoyable (the bigger picture being autumn will arrive eventually with cooler weather and less to do).

That said, we're not quite out of the big spring planting period just yet. This week we have 3,000 sweet potato vines to plant; about 6,000 leeks; another round of beans, edamame, lettuces, and herbs; as well as the first of the cantaloupe. There will be a slight gap then we begin the 2nd half of the season's plantings at the end of June with 7,000 strawberry plants for a 2024 harvest; followed by the big fall brassicas broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, rutabaga in mid-July; as well as carrots, lettuces, fennel, greens, and much more in late-July through September. In July the big harvests should commence with carrots, garlic, and onions. August brings potatoes and winter squash. September is sweet potatoes. October is all of the other roots. But let's not get too far ahead.