In smaller gardens (tinier farms!), hoses are generally a fact of life. In spring, it’s time to uncoil them all, check the fittings, and get set to deliver water largely by hand.
On BIG veggie farms, “hoses” are usually big … Read the rest
As far as winter irrigation in the greenhouse goes, melting snow in big barrels is the next best thing to a really long hose, a well and an electric pump. Fill ’em up, cover with clear plastic, wait a day … Read the rest
Something excellent and hard to pin down happened with the last planting of beets: they became HUGE. This was the fourth planting of the season, around mid-July (see them on the left), and the seedlings got caught in the near … Read the rest
The Friday harvest finally included winter squash, and a tiny little harvest it was. These guys were on their own when it came to water, we just didn’t have time and gear to irrigate—given a bit of a rain break, … Read the rest
Although there’s still plenty of moisture in the ground from recent rains, there’s no harm in supplying a little more to take advantage of the relative abundance of heat and sunshine that we’re getting, even as the days get shorter. … Read the rest
The pumpkin patch, recently a soothing sea of green, is now a mess of dried out leaves and expired plants. Most varieties were all but obliterated by the last month’s heat and lack of water—no rain, no spare irrigation. Still, … Read the rest
It’s supposed to rain tomorrow… I’m as skeptical as ever, still, as illogical as it is, you figure it’s gotta rain EVENTUALLY, so the longer it’s been, the more accurate the latest “60% chance of showers” forecast must be. Until … Read the rest