Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Salad Mix

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: John Ferree <john AT seldomseenfarm.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Salad Mix
  • Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:35:14 -0400

Hey Rachel

We've been experimenting with various direct seeding methods for salad. . . similar to your experience, we planted 8 rows w/ planet jrs then dropped back to six rows after problems developed.  yields were certainly good with 8.  with all the water we're putting on lettuce in summer we expereinced significant rot problems with high seeding rates, despite cutting at ~4 inches.  dropped the rate back and saw some improvement unless it didn't stop raining (which it did most of this season).  Seems like you can get away with dense seeding rates, but are more limited in harvest timing.  you let it go even a few days too long or water at harvest stage and rot becomes a serious problem.  other salad mix mehods we've used are more forgiving on harvest period and rot. 

what type of seeder are you using?  i'm not happy with planet jrs for salad. . . but it's all we have for the moment.  wonder if anyone is using a sutton with better results?
cutting by hand? 

john

Rachel Evans wrote:
We plant about 9 rows on a 48" bed (60" centers).  We used to do 5,  
but like 9 better.  Definitely more pounds per foot.  The challenges  
are you have to hand weed, but we take care of most of the weeds  
beforehand by creating stale seed beds (prepping the bed at least 2  
weeks in advance, germinating the weed seeds with irrigation,  
cultivating them out with our basket weeder, or flaming them out) so  
the salad mix comes up in a pretty clean bed.  We cut each planting at  
least twice, and sometimes three times, depending on how it looks/ 
tastes.

I'm pretty happy with our system...It's one thing we have pretty  
figured out.  Let me know if you have other specific questions.


--
Rachel Evans
The Sunshine Farm
37 Highway 97A
Chelan, WA 98816

509-670-8958
rachel AT sunshinefarmmarket.com




On Sep 17, 2009, at 6:58 AM, Chris Corbin 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
_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

    
_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming


  




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page