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  • From: Jennie Lee <tulipcreek AT dixie-net.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Soil prep
  • Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 10:31:59 -0600 (CST)

Dear list -
I have a questions about spring soil preparation.
Spring soil prep is tough on my farm because of a combination of heavy winter and spring rainfall, heavy clay soil, and the fact that my vegetable land is located in a creek bottom with very poor drainage. Because my operation is small enough that I do all my transplanting by hand, getting the plants in the ground isn't usually a problem - but getting the beds made up is.
Last year I seized on some dry weather in early March to till in my winter cover crop and hill up my beds. The soil I sent off for testing around this time indicated pretty good fertility levels for my soil, especially N levels. I transplanted beautiful, healthy, hardened off tomatoes, peppers and eggplants into these rows about 6 weeks later, in mid-april, in warm, relatively dry weather, and they all promptly turned a sickly yellow. I did not till the rows again before putting the plants in the ground. The plants turned green and began to grow only after several applications of fish emulsion and Neptune's Harvest and 4 weeks in the ground.
My sense, based on what I've read, is that I tilled early, stimulated a lot of soil activity when nothing was in the ground to benefit from it, and then planted into relatively depleted soil. Is this possibly an accurate interpretation of events? I should have sent off another soil sample at the time to see what was going on, but I was too busy fretting and fertilizing to get it together.
So, I guess my question is: when is the best time to plant in relation to tilling? Should I always till immediately prior to planting, and just hope for a long enough period of dry weather to fit it all in? Any other hypotheses to explain what happened to my transplants? I don't want to put them through that again this year - it was agonizing for all of us. Insights and observations would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance -
Jennie Lee
Oxford, MS
Zone 7a
From wshoemak AT inil.com Tue Apr 1 11:36:22 2003
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From: "Bill Shoemaker" <wshoemak AT inil.com>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] floppy cucumbers
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 10:36:17 -0600
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After following this thread I thought I'd jump in. Like all vegetables, =
cucumbers are alive after being harvested. Therefore, they respire, =
which means they'll quickly lose moisture, shrivel and become floppy if =
appropriate measures aren't taken. The two most important things you can =
do to prevent those kinds of results is to quickly cool the veggies down =
and to make sure moisture loss doesn't occur.

The actual optimum temperature for cooling each vegetable differs. =
Onions, potatoes, cabbage and others can be cooled down to 35-40 degrees =
F and held quite a while without seeing deterioration. Others, like =
cucumbers, peppers and melons, are susceptible to cooling damage below =
50 F. But cooling them down asap after harvest to the optimum low =
temperature is essential for preserving quality. And not just =
appearance. As vegetables respire, they consume their natural sugars, =
becoming less sweet and flavorful. Two great examples are sweet corn and =
zucchini. Let them sit on a picnic table outside in the shade overnight. =
Then fix them for dinner. Not too good.

Others mentioned techniques for holding moisture in, like using an oil =
coating or plastic wrap. That's why cucumbers at grocery stores are =
often waxed. But these techniques have limited value if the product =
isn't cooled down. A great technical publication that can help you learn =
about postharvest handling of veggies and fruits comes from the =
University of California, "PostHarvest Technology of Horticultural =
Crops". Not very good bedtime reading but it can make a huge difference =
in your effort to preserve quality in your harvested crops.=20

Editorial Note: On the other hand, this publication gives some insight =
into why fruits and vegetables in mainstream markets look okay but are =
sorely lacking in culinary and nutritional value. The industry takes =
great pride in being able to handle the product for 5-7 days and it =
still looks good to the consumer. I think it's great that market farmers =
pick one day and sell on the same. What better insurance for quality in =
the products? Still, cooling your produce down will make even happier =
customers. It is by far the most important factor in preserving quality.

Bill Shoemaker
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
Univ of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center


Cucumbers, I pick them early morning from the vine and by the =
afternoon=20
they are soft and floppy,=20



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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>After following this thread I thought I'd jump in. =
Like all=20
vegetables, cucumbers are alive&nbsp;after being&nbsp;harvested. =
Therefore, they=20
respire, which means they'll quickly lose moisture, shrivel and become =
floppy if=20
appropriate measures aren't taken. The two most important things you can =
do to=20
prevent those kinds of results is to quickly cool the veggies down and =
to make=20
sure moisture loss doesn't occur.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The actual optimum temperature for cooling each =
vegetable=20
differs. Onions, potatoes, cabbage and others can be cooled down to =
35-40=20
degrees F and held quite a while without seeing deterioration. Others, =
like=20
cucumbers, peppers and melons, are susceptible to cooling damage below =
50 F. But=20
cooling them down asap after harvest to the optimum low temperature is =
essential=20
for preserving quality. And not just appearance. As vegetables respire, =
they=20
consume their natural sugars, becoming less sweet and flavorful. Two =
great=20
examples are sweet corn and zucchini. Let them sit on a picnic table =
outside in=20
the shade overnight. Then fix them for dinner. Not too =
good.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Others mentioned techniques for holding moisture in, =
like=20
using an oil coating or plastic wrap. That's why cucumbers at grocery =
stores are=20
often waxed. But these techniques have limited value if the product =
isn't cooled=20
down. A great technical publication that can help you learn about =
postharvest=20
handling of veggies and fruits comes from the University of California,=20
"PostHarvest Technology of Horticultural Crops". Not very good bedtime =
reading=20
but it can make a huge difference in your effort to preserve quality in =
your=20
harvested crops. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Editorial Note: On the other hand, this publication =
gives some=20
insight into why fruits and vegetables in mainstream markets look okay =
but are=20
sorely lacking in culinary and nutritional value. The industry takes =
great pride=20
in being able to handle the product for 5-7 days and it still looks good =
to the=20
consumer. I think it's great that market farmers pick one day and sell =
on the=20
same. What better insurance for quality in the products? Still, cooling =
your=20
produce down will make even happier customers. It is by far the most =
important=20
factor in preserving quality.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bill Shoemaker<BR>Sr Research Specialist, Food =
Crops<BR>Univ=20
of Illinois - St Charles Hort Research Center</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&gt; Cucumbers, I pick them early morning from the vine and by the=20
afternoon <BR>&gt; they are soft and floppy, =
<BR><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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