We just finished the last major project of ‘09!  Though we’re still busy harvesting and we still have a myriad of small tasks to accomplish, it feels really good to have next year’s strawberries planted.  Strawberries are (of course) super popular.  Some of our CSA members and farmer’s market customers had never eaten berries picked at full ripeness, and they’ve been floored.  Multiple folks mentioned they could never go back to supermarket berries, even organic ones (something I discovered years ago).

At 4500 plants, next year’s patch is 25% larger than this year’s.  I know I could sell even more if I grew them, but devoting that much time to picking them is something I’m not yet willing to do.  My “go to” varieties are Seascape & Chandler.  Chandler (a June-bearer) is superbly sweet early in the season, but once our coastal weather gets slightly warmer, the well-rounded flavor of Seascapes (an everbearer) can’t be beat.  I always like to try new varieties, however, so I’m also planting some Albion, Tristar, Eversweet, and S1B (a new June-bearer bred by Lassen Canyon Nursery).  Speaking of which, Lassen Canyon Nursery is now offering the 1st Certified Organic strawberry plants in the country, grown at Prather Ranch in Macdoel, CA.

Ever since I began planting my strawberries into black plastic mulch, I knew I couldn’t go back.  I now have way less problems with weeds, mold, and slugs than when I planted into bare ground or straw mulch.  For the last number of years, I’ve been fall-planting my strawberries and keeping the patch for just one season.  The plants set roots in the fall before it gets too cold, then when spring comes they’re ready to rock.  The first year berries are extra large and the plants have very little disease.  I am keeping a portion of this year’s patch over for a second year for comparison, but I’ve been quite happy with my method to date.

WooHoo!  We got done planting next year’s garlic today, just before the rain resumed.  The patch is 4800 row feet (or twelve 100’ beds with 4 rows per bed) with 5-inch in row spacing, and is the largest patch I’ve yet grown.  The beds were well prepared and well fertilized, and I’m feeling hopeful for an abundant harvest 8-9 months down the road. The beds had been rained on before planting, so we were scratching off the first flush of baby weeds while planting.  In the… Read the rest of this article »

We have finished our tomato plantings, more or less ( a few holes to fill in).  We’ve been staggering the plantings over the last month.  The largest ones are “New Girls”, “Sun Golds”, “Mortgage Lifters”, “Shady Ladys” and a few other varieties that were potted into 4” pots in mid April.  We hoped to have our first planting the third week of April, but we were unable to prepare the soil in time.   The weeds are growing about as quickly… Read the rest of this article »

We are starting to use black plastic mulch to control weeds and conserve water AND heat the soil to have our crops mature earlier.  It is a boon.  I also realize the burden this places on the earth, adding plastic to the landfills and using petroleum to make it.  Is it recycleable?   On another topic, about GMOs, I saw this comment:   “You guys need to get your heads on straight. seroulsly we all cant afford going around buying seeds all the time, herbicide, pesticide, wasitng (sic) valuable… Read the rest of this article »