January begins with cold, wet weather

So far, the month of January 2015 has started off the year cold and wet. The 18,000-gallon capacity of the rainwater collection system is almost full, in part from December rains.

Most of the nighttime lows have been in the lower 30s, with an occasional dip into the 20s. A frost blanket over a raised garden bed of artichokes has so far proved competent at keeping them alive through the freezes.

Comments

Peppers started

Today, I started 25 Yolo peppers and 25 California Wonder peppers in rockwool.

Melons sown for 2021

20 buckets sown April 4, 2021. 9 seeds in each bucket. Seeds testes in 2018.

Summer begins

By the first week of June, the soil has dried out, and no precipitation is in the weather forecast. Watering is mandatory, and the Israeli melons in the field require it daily, as do the raised beds. In my raised beds, several tomato plants have died because I wrongly assessed that they were getting adequate water. They were not. I've made this mistake before, but I did not learn from my past failures. I simply must stop overestimating how long a good rainfall as we had in the last weeks of may will last. Last year, I started pumpkins on July 4 for an October harvest. I did harvest a few pumpkins in October, but most were ready in the last week of October or the first of November. In order to harvest pumpkins this year in time for Halloween buyers, I must plant them by the first week in June.

Sustainable Farm Journal

Search This Blog