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  • From: BillOhio <billohio AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Planting methods for Salad mix
  • Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:17:02 -0400

Chris,

We set out transplants on roughly a 6x6" grid, which works out to about 7 rows usually on a 4' bed. We do need to weed pretty intensively once or twice until the leaves fill in but not much after that. I pick leaves individually for several weeks depending on the time of year and with taste testing. We don't wash our lettuce at all, which is contrary to what everybody else does...But I start picking when the dew comes on and the lettuce is cooling out in late evening, using a trouble light off the truck battery with an inverter. Folks know what they're getting and we sell 40+ gallon bags every week we have it at the market. They know if we take time to wash it the price will go up. It keeps 10-14 days when customers get it home, which they like.

It's my most profitable crop per square foot. With the wide spacing the leaves are huge and beautiful. I set out maybe 15-20 varieties at a time. Challenges this year were rabbits (they loved the red varieties) and getting up in the morning after picking until 11:30 or so the night before. I call it "moonlight lettuce"--better name could be "moonlight madness" LOL.

We've got 100 square feet almost ready to pick now. I'll wind up putting up low tunnels to do the next rotation.

Bill Huhman
central Ohio
http://picasaweb.google.com/billohio
Twitter:  FarmerBillOhio
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 4:05 PM, Chris Corbin <corbincdc AT gmail.com> wrote:
Hello all,

I live in Ames, Iowa (Zone 5) on a two acre veg farm.  Our major constraint is obviously the amount of available land so we have to intensively manage every foot.  We have been planting salad mix at 4 rows per bed.  I have been reading about people planting  up to 12 rows per bed. 

My Questions for those that have planted at this density:

1) Is this a better solution for weed control?
2) Do you get more pounds per foot?
3) What are the challenges with this type of system?
4) Do you only cut the area once and then replant or can it be cut multiple times?
5) Other advice website suggestions, books?

Thanks


--
Chris Corbin
Onion Creek Farm 
(641)780-5446

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