Plastic Mulch

This year I am experimenting with using plastic mulch.  I have been using drip tape for several years,  it really changed how I water my crops.  Last year I used landscape fabric for Sweet Potatoes and Okra.  I was hooked.  Less weeding and earlier crops, I knew I am using more of this next year.

This year I am planting Tomatoes, Peppers, Okra, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes, Watermelon, and Canteloupe all in plastic mulch. 

It takes me 30 minutes to 60 minutes per bed to lay the plastic.  The plastic in the high tunnels is much easier than outside. 

Why Plastic Mulch? Here is a nice list of advantages from
http://uconnladybug.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/plastic-mulches-for-the-vegetable-garden/

Advantages:

1. Increases soil temperature, allowing earlier planting and earlier harvest, and promotes plant growth in cooler climates.
2. Soil compaction is reduced which improves root growth.
3. Fertilizer leaching is reduced because excess water runs off the plastic.
4. Water logging from excessive rain is avoided.
5. Drying of soil from evaporation is reduced.
6. Crops are cleaner and less subject to disease caused by soil-borne pathogens because they are not in contact with the soil or rain-splashed soil.
7. Weed control with black plastic eliminates the damage to roots caused by cultivation to remove weeds.
8. Weed control (black and colored mulches).
9. Harvest of crops can be 2-14 days earlier with black plastic and as much as 21 days earlier with clear plastic, depending on the crop and the temperatures.
10. The “chimney effect”:  CO₂, which is required for photosynthesis, builds up under the plastic and can only escape through the planting holes, causing a higher concentration around the growing leaves.

There are some disadvantages too.

 1.   Cost of mulch and irrigation equipment.
2.    Soil erosion can increase between the mulched rows.
3.    Weeds may grow through the planting holes close to the crop plants.
4.    Must be removed from the garden annually, along with the drip or   soaker hose irrigation tubes.  

However I believe the advantages over power the disadvantages.

 Here are some pictures from this year, so far.

Here is "Hoop B"  the big tomato building.




Cherry tomatoes


Cucumbers and Zucchini




Peppers




Watermelons








Okra




Sweet Potatoes





Enjoy!

Plastic Mulch

Pepper time

Things are looking good for my peppers in one of my high tunnels this year.  While most of these are Bell peppers, I do have one row that is Anaheims, Jalapenos and Shishitos.  The Habaneros go outside.  I have never had good luck with them inside the high tunnel. I don't know why.



Lafayette, Flavorburst and Gourmet


"Ace" out doing itself again


Grande Jalapenos



Shishitos


This year I am trying a new pepper support system. Usually I put posts in line with the plants and run twine down both sides of the plants. I have found that I smash the leaves and branches down and end up with some poorly shaped bell peppers.  So this year we are putting up posts every 10-12 feet and are attaching cross pieces to each post.  Then run twine down on each side of the plants to serve as support from the wind.  As the plants get bigger, we will attach longer cross pieces and widen out the strings or only put strings on the outsides.  So far I am very happy with it and it didn't take very long to set up or many materials but build as most of the cross pieces were headed to the burn pile!

Here are some pics

End of the Row


A little Closer



In row post


There are more than 320 pepper plants in here.  After two bad pepper years, I am hopeful for a bumper harvest this year. 

We have more peppers going in outside. I just got the plastic mulch down yesterday. They will be transplanted later this week.

Pepper time

No Rain, Day 44 and Counting

The title says it all.  Today is day 44 without significant rainfall.  We had 20 or 30 drops several times, but that doesn't count.  To go with that, we have been having highs in the 90's and south winds at 25-35 sustained for the past 4 days.  Starting to understand what the Dust Bowl went through.  Wheat harvest is starting, (a month early), center pivots have been running non-stop and dryland crops look poor.  Nonetheless, I am pushing forward. 

I have been watering almost around the clock to stay ahead, most things are looking good. We are really starting to harvest a crops and sales are picking up at the markets. 

How dry is it, I spend 4 plus hours today putting down plastic mulch for my outside peppers.  I had to run the tiller back and forth to pulverize the clods.  I ended up with a decent bed, but the soil to cover the plastic looked like this.


Here are the 4, 70 foot rows.  The plastic mulch is covered with dust, that is why it is gray and not black.


The peppers in the high tunnel are really looking great!





Pickling Cucumbers are looking really good and I am picking every other day to keep them at the right size. I have sold out for the last three markets.  They are blooming and setting like crazy!



Inside Zucchini is looking good, Kinda concerned, it isn't blooming as much as normal. 


We have been picking zucchini outside for two weeks too.


Cucumbers are looking rough, the wind has really hurt them. I am hoping they start producing soon.


Not planted in this picture, but I got half of my melons planted and they are up. I hope they didn't fry in this heat in the plastic mulch.


Not planted in this picture either, but my Okra is really popping up.


Sweet potatoes went in on Thursday, not in this picture. Waiting for the last 100 to come in the mail soon.


Inside onions are looking nice, some really huge onions in there too!


Outside onions are bulbing up nice, like the crack in the ground?  They got a good soaking after this picture.


My pride and joy, tomatoes are LOADED!


Picked a few Cherry tomatoes tonight, big ones aren't quite ready.


Sold our first Green beans of the season on Saturday also planted the 4th planting on Saturday. 


Still need to transplant peppers (later this week), get more cucumbers and zucchini planted. 3rd planting of tomatoes are suppose to go in this week.  Also need to weed some things and dig potatoes (plants are already dieing too hot!)  I also have 3/8 of an acre of winter squash to plant.  Finally, I have to get thing harvested and sold.

Sorry for the long post, but I need to share some success.  We have had too many failures already.

Enjoy!

Jay

No Rain, Day 44 and Counting

24-caret Carrots?

If you haven't tasted freshly picked carrots, you've missed out on the true flavor of the vegetable. Growing up, we always ate store-bought carrots, and I thought they were good. I'd willingly eat them whenever they were offered. But, man oh man, the first time Jay brought me a carrot fresh from the garden, I realized what I was missing. I don't know if it's the sugar content or just a more vibrant flavor, but they are delicious.

Of course, carrots are good for your eye sight. But, did you know the vitamin A they provide is also good for your skin and immune system? Unlike many vegetables, cooking carrots actually increases their vitamin content, increasing the vitamin A from 150 to 270 percent of your daily recommended amount.

The Fruits and Veggies Matter site, which I use for most of my nutritional info, made me laugh a bit tonight. It says, "Pick carrots that are deep orange in color." They obviously don't know how Jay gardens. The site goes on to say, "More beta carotene is present in carrots that have a darker orange color. " So, I did some research. Do the other colors have less nutritional value? According to this source, they actually provide more health benefits. Even more reason to pick a purple carrot. If you are interested in this science behind it, here's what they wrote:

Anthocyanins and pigments of the flavonoid (as opposed to carotenoid) class are found in purple carrots. In the human body these pigments act as powerful antioxidants, immobilizing harmful free radicals. Anthocyanins can also help reduce the risk of heart disease by slowing blood clotting.

This year, we will have four different colors of carrots: orange, yellow, red, and purple. The red and purple will be planted this fall, but this orange and yellow varieties (Napoli, Yaya, Nelson, Mokum, and Amarillo) are now big enough for harvest. The ones I pulled tonight are about 7 inches long and about an inch in diameter. Their skins are so tender, there is no need to peel.

Most of the time, we eat carrots raw or boiled to fork-tender with a bit of butter. To change things up, I might sweeten them with honey (also from our Farmers Market), agave nectar, or a bit of ginger. I love that, when I ask our girls what they want for supper, Natalie will always say, "how 'bout tarrots!"

Earlier this year, there was a month or so when we had more carrots than customers. That gave me a chance to try out some new carrot recipes, stretch my culinary wings. Here are a few my favorites:

• Paula Deen's Carrot Souffle
• Simple Roasted Carrots
• And, of course, Jay's amazing Cream-Cheese-Filled Carrot Cake

24-caret Carrots?