Theme: Elaine Swiedler

As mentioned last week, this is the time of year to plant our fall crops. So far, we’ve direct seeded beets, carrots, and spinach (more about that process here), and have transplanted broccoli and leeks, with many more to come. These cool weather crops don’t like the heat, but we have to start them now. By the end of September, summer crops will be done or winding down and we need a new supply of produce to harvest for you, so we’ll be planting and transplanting a LOT over the coming two months. 

August is always hot, and September too. So how do we start growing cool-season crops during triple-digit summer days? It’s all about moisture management.

Seeds need a moist and warm (but not too warm) environment to germinate. They also need moisture. Too much water will rot the seeds, but they’ll fry if there’s too little. Water also helps with temperature control. Optimal carrot germination temperature is in the mid-70s, but if it’s over 100 degrees, as it’s been the past few days, the soil is far above that optimal temperature for all but a few hours. We also use floating row cover, the white, lightweight fabric in the photo above. Row cover is most often used in colder months to trap in heat and protect plants from frost, but a lightweight summer version reduces the intensity of the sun, similar to what the shade cloth does for our peppers. The particularly finicky carrots get the row cover, but the other direct seeded crops just get water.