Lots of weeding and the first fall crop close to harvest

The leafy greens were not a fan of the hot temperatures we had and needed all the water we have been giving them to grow well.

While trying to handle heat they also have to deal with the weeds that are growing just as fast as the plants which we are trying to control.

Weeding is one of the most important tasks on the farm so that we give the veggies we want to grow the space and nutrients they need.

Getting ahead on the weeds is always a crucial part of the puzzle but there is always so many other tasks to do on the farm. Although some of the summer crops are slowing down we are seeding and transplanting lots more crops

Luckily we are able to use the weeding tools we have for a majority of the weeding although there is some hand weeding we still have to do. For our direct seeded veggies we have to weed them soon after they germinate and getting too close to them with the tine weeder or finger weeder could pull them out of the ground.

Fortunately the weeds aren’t too hard to pull out and if we get them now it takes less time then if we wait until the weeds larger which wouldn’t take too long.

As shown in the picture above, the lettuce is growing really nicely and we have had it covered with some shade cloth mainly to prevent some birds from eating the tips of every head of lettuce.

We may even have the first head of bronze little gem lettuce for the fall at market on Saturday. It likely won’t be too many but lots more will be coming in the upcoming weeks with our constant planting of lettuce.

Like every week of this time of the year we are seeding more lettuce in the greenhouse while transplanting lots more in the field.

What we are seeding in the greenhouse right now will not be harvest until closer to the New Year with everything starting to grow much slower as the days get shorter and slightly cooler

The forecast for the next week is cooling day from the heatwave we had with a number of days in the low 80s.

Even more important right now for us than the daily high is the daily low as it can have an impact on our summer crops. For basil when it drops below 50 degrees it starts to go bad while tomatoes ripen slower in those temperatures.

Getting that low is not on the forecast but it will be likely once the calendar turns to October.

With the sun rising later in the morning and the temperatures not being as hot we are starting work slightly later once there is more light.

This change in weather happening means its also time for us to begin harvesting our winter squash. First we have to cut the squashes off the plant and let them cure in the field for a few days before we put them in the barn.