At the end of August, and the first weeks of September we really start to see the transition into fall on the farm. The insects and weeds are nearing the end of their summer life cycle, and focus all their energy into the transition as well. It seems as thought weeds will sprout and produce seed within one week, the bug really go to town on the crops that have been stressed by weeks of temperature in the 90s, and the high humidity and heavy dews create the perfect breeding ground for many plant diseases.
To keep the harvest coming, we are planting new crops on a weekly basis and will continue this planting until early October. This week we are planting more kale, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, cucumbers (destined for the high tunnels), radishes, turnips, and carrots. We also started our new strawberry plants in the greenhouse, where we are propagating new plants that will be planted in the field mid-September. These new plantings are what give us energy to continue after a summer of hard, hot work. They represent new life, the transition into cooler weather, and a change of pace from the frenzy of summer.
As I mentioned earlier, controlling pests is a real challenge at this point in the season, and because we are 100% Certified USDA Organic there are limited options to control pests. Here's another video where I explain how we use biological controls for worms in our crops. The example I show is in kale, but we also use this method for any crop that is susceptible to worms (i.e., sweet corn, brassicas, and tomatoes).
