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  • From: <wiediger AT msn.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Watering Lettuce Beds
  • Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 10:48:16 -0500

Allen,
We use 3-4 lines of drip in each bed and plant a row of mesclun (band of
seeds) on each side of the drip tape - making for 6-8 bands of mesclun in
each bed. We lay the drip, mark the rows with an Earthway seeder, band the
seed by hand, cover with rake or hoe (lightly), and hand water the surface.
We continue to have water with a wand until about 80% germination, then go
to drip exclusively until harvest (about 17-18 days). We only get one
cutting now until September or so from each seeding, but the value of the
harvest makes it worthwhile.

Paul and Alison Wiediger
Au Naturel Farm
http://aunaturelfarm.homestead.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Allan Balliett" <igg AT igg.com>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 7:37 AM
Subject: [Market-farming] Watering Lettuce Beds


> I'm running into a fair amount of unanticipated trouble keeping my
> cutting mix lettuce beds watered.
>
> What's happening is that I'm getting rot on the lower leaves of
> buttercrunch-type lettuces. My customers like the fluffy head
> lettuces in the mix, so I include them. I'm also getting some areas
> of the beds that just fall down. I assume that this is a fungus, also
> due to watering from overhead.
>
> The beds are within open hoophouses, so they have not been subject to
> the outrageous amt of rain we've had this season in Northern
> Virginia. I've been hand watering them and have been using mister
> irrigation. I was initially using broadcast beds, but have moved to
> following Anna Edey's suggestion to transplant 4inch within row/4inch
> between row. Unfortunately, I'm still having rot using this method.
>
> I am not overwatering the lettuce in any of the usual sense. It does
> appear that leaf lettuce is not having the same problems, HOWEVER, I
> would really like to use my black-seeded simpson and other head
> lettuces in the mix.
>
> I'm thinking of using mixing to start the seeds and during early
> growth and then move to a drip system. Imagining that I'd need 4
> tapes to a bed, however, makes me cringe at installing drip,
> especially since it locks into transplanting, something I'd sure like
> to avoid. Anna Edey went to an underbed watering system, which, about
> now, seems like a very intelligent choice.
>
> I'd appreciate hearing your suggestions and how you deal with similar
> issues.
>
> Thanks
>
> -Allan Balliett
> The Plains, VA
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