One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that this profession really rewards those who are able to think and plan well in advance. Strawberries are a good example of this.
To help control soilborne diseases, we grow our strawberries on a five year rotation, meaning that they won’t be planted in the same place again for five seasons. In addition, because it also helps to control soilborne diseases, we like to plant broccoli in all or most of the strawberry plot in the season prior to planting. This requires us to know where the strawberries are going to be planted nearly a year in advance.
Another place we have to think well in advance is in the greenhouse. August and early September is the time that we wind down our transplant plantings. We tend to plant larger blocks and transition to varieties chosen to mature well in the shorter days and cooler temperatures of fall and winter. It works in our favor to plant large blocks because crops that mature coming into the cooler time of year are harvestable over a much longer period of time compared to those that mature in summer.
Cilantro, although it is usually direct seeded, is a good example of this. When it matures in June and July, cilantro is usually only harvestable over a ten day to two week period before it goes to seed. Cilantro that matures in November or December, in contrast, can be harvestable for up to two months. Because the soils here are often too wet to work up for planting between December and February, it really pays to make the last plantings of the year big ones. And that starts in the greenhouse now.
All this talk about winter shouldn’t overshadow the fact that we are just getting into the heart of our summer produce. We are just starting to harvest the tomato field this week, and the field looks great.
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