Wrapping It Up

The time for outdoor soil disturbing tractor work is concluding. We don't want to unnecessarily leave any soil exposed over the winter months and our window to sow and establish a cover crop is shutting. We sow a mix of buckwheat and oats in August and September then switch to rye, which germinates and tolerates colder weather better, in October. The oats and buckwheat will grow a lot during the warmth of late summer and early fall but will die back over the winter and enable spring planting of produce crops whereas the rye will overwinter and grow tremendously in the spring which in turn will require a substantial amount of time to break down before we can plant produce, typically in July and August in those locations. All cover crops will scavenge for nutrients, harness the sun's energy, and add soil fertility and contribute to the soil food web for the benefit of next year's crops. They also add a nice and tidy element to the farmscape.

We have one more outdoor planting to make this year: the 2022 garlic! These raised beds are just about ready to go (you never know how long soil could stay wet this time of year) but will be re-shaped one final time before we plant the cloves on or around election day. After planting we'll apply a thick layer of straw mulch to insulate and protect the soil and cloves over the winter so they don't frost-heave out of the ground. The straw also suppresses weeds and retains moisture and adds plenty of organic matter. We'll probably require some help from members so if you still have hours to contribute for your discount your help would be appreciated! Also on this subject, over the next couple of weeks we'll spend workshift time in the barn splitting bulbs into cloves from the comfort of a chair (an easy-on-the-body event).

Last week we planted the final three beds of greens in the hoop tunnel and this coming week we should plant the five beds in the greenhouse, ending seven months of regular transplanting. It also ends eight months of seedling maintenance with daily watering of transplant trays. Once crops are in the ground in the tunnels they'll need added water every week or so until late November or whenever freezes become common then we'll switch to every two weeks.