Starting to plant fall crops
When the weather starts to cool down we want to be starting to harvest the fall veggies by that time which means that they have to be planted much earlier.
Yesterday we did a big planting of bunchings greens which should take about six weeks in the ground before we are able to start harvesting them.
We transplanted chard, dino kale, red russian kale, collards and broccolini with lots more going in the ground tomorrow.
Planting in the early mornings with days in the mid 90s is vital along with getting them watered in very well to reduce the stress.
Ahead of planting we irrigate the area with water so the soil has more water in it for the roots of the plants to access along with lots of watering for the first week or two to get them established.
From now on through mid-October there will be transplanting every week as we are seeding in the greenhouse every week. We need to get everything planted early in the fall as the weather cools down and there is less daylight.
The direct seeding is every other week with a slightly different amount of crops. For carrots we do fewer large plantings while radishes are repeated small plantings.
Today is the final Picnic in the Park at the Davis Wednesday Farmers Market. Starting in September the market hours will be from 3-6 p.m and that will continue until next spring.
Even though there is a lot happening on the farm we made time for Andrew to go to a Tomato Russet Mite ID workshop on Tuesday by the Yolo County UC County Extension Office.
Russet mites have been a known pest but this year has been an unusually bad for them. They are very minuscule and need a microscope or hand lens to see them while they multiply rapidly.
Without successful treatment Russet mites will defoliate the tomato plants causing reduced harvest due to stress and more sun burnt tomatoes that can’t be sold.
It has not been a pest that has been focused on in the past as there is only one study conducted on Russet mites in California and it was done in 1980.
With the significant prevalence of Russet mites this year there will be a lot more attention put towards it with short term fixes and long term research.
