Our first week of hot summer weather marks the change in seasons as far as farming is concerned. Our cool weather spring crops will start to do what plants do: send up stems, flowers and seeds. But that means that the leaves will often turn bitter and not stay in nice leafy heads for eating.
But the same hot weather will help our summer vegetables grow and ripen: flowering, fruiting and developing seeds is important for zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers because we eat those ripened fruits rather than their leaves and stems.
Farming in the Heat
Our crew will be out weeding this week, making sure that they stay cool and hydrated. During the hottest part of the day they will do projects in the shade or indoors.
Watering is key to beating the heat. We have drip irrigation running along each row of plants which drips water directly onto the soil. This minimizes evaporation so that we can use our water conservatively. The farmer knows which rows of plants need water and he is always mindful of switching the water lines throughout the days and nights to keep everything surviving during these heat waves.
We hope you will stay cool this week and enjoy the veggies coming your way.
We'll keep farming for you.
Reuben and Tessa
Willow Haven Farm
