woah, sorry this is so late in being posted. Having a gig on Monday threw off my routine.
2 heads of lettuce today, a big bunch of lacinato kale, a couple eggplant (many of you got a japanese eggplant or two – the long skinny pink ones), a bunch of beets, siskiyou sweet onion, variety of tomatoes, sweet peppers (yay – and more on the way!), cukes, and zukes.
This week marked more or less the last bit of planting of the summer (though I have a couple beds of lettuce and chicories that still need to go in). Fall planting will be garlic and overwintering onions (for harvest summer 2014), and that’s more or less it, besides planting cover crop. Speaking of which, I just picked up crimson clover seed for most of my cover crop needs. I got it from Dekum Street Doorway a new feed and seed/ nursery business on NE 8th near Dekum. They are a daughter company of Linnton Feed & Seed, which I like a lot, so I was very happy when they opened up this new store much closer to home. Anyway the clover seed is coated in clay to help it germinate better which seems great to me. I’ve never seen it sold that way before so I’m excited to try it out. August 15th to September 15th is a good planting window for overwintering crimson clover as a cover crop. I just broadcast it using the recommended seeding rate and then either rake, hoe, or lightly till it in. Ideally it’s good to time planting so it gets a bit of rain soon afterward, or overhead irrigation if the rains hold off. Growing a healthy cover crop is one of the most satisfying parts of farming for me, and it’s a great soil improver. I’ll be putting in some bell beans (small-seeded fava beans) as well this year as a cover crop. And I may overwinter some large seeded favas for an early harvestable crop as well.
cheers!
Cully Neighborhood Farm 