Lise and Rachel space out kohlrabi transplants for planting
Since plowing our fields in mid April, we've quickly filled them up with our earliest plantings. Carrots, beets, peas, spinach, potatoes, onions, leeks, lettuce, greens, radishes, salad turnips, napa cabbage, kohlrabi and next year's strawberries have all gone into the ground over the last two weeks. Some of these crops, like potatoes, onions, and leeks, are a one-time planting. We plant multiple varieties that will mature at different points in order to have a more continuous supply during their regular season. Other crops, like lettuce and greens, are planted in many successions over the course of the season. Lettuce is probably our most frequently planted crop, as we will put in a new planting every week until September!
Once crops have been seeded and transplants planted, we cover many of them with a floating white row cover. It may seem like a shame to cover up such beautiful new green plantings, but this row cover is very important for the health of many of our crops. Not only does it keep our plants a little warmer (and thus speeds up their growth), but it also protects them from certain pests. Basically, it helps give our plants the best start possible. Plus, it's always exciting to take the row cover off a few weeks later and see their amazing progress. It won't be long before the farm will be looking less like a white moonscape and more like a lush green wonderland!
Next on the docket for us: more plowing so we can do even more planting!