Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] Crops for May

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Pam Twin Oaks <pam AT twinoaks.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Crops for May
  • Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 04:36:59 -0400

In response to Lisa, who said " Thanks everyone.  The tomatoes go in at the beginning of April, so having greens in the tunnels is a space problem.  I got a few greens
squeezed in at the beginning of March this year and they have already
bolted.  The answer might be another tunnel so I can succession plant
more reliably during March. " here's what we do:

We plant greens, scallions, radishes, turnips in the tunnel in September-December. In March we clear spots every two feet down the middles of the beds, dig holes, drop some compost in, and transplant tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers. While those new plants are small they don't need much space. Next we start harvesting the winter crops on the south side of the beds. First the plants right in front of the new crops then the whole row. Then we harvest the north side. This gradual transition keeps us in harvests.

Inevitably we do sometimes need to clear more of the old crop than we can use. We always prioritize space and sunlight for the new crop. You can see more in my slideshows about hoophouse crops on Slideshare.net. Just put my name in the search box and select the slideshow you want to watch.

And for outdoors, I'll recommend garlic scallions: when you plant your main garlic crop, set aside all the cloves too small to grow choice bulbs. Plant these higgledy-piggledy shoulder to shoulder in close furrows in a little spot that's easily accessible in March/April/May. Close the furrows and mulch the area. In early spring, when the plants reach about 8" tall, dig up and sell teh plants in small bunches of 3-6 (a little garlic goes a long way, and gets a good price when other vendors only have leafy greens)

Pam Dawling
 
Author of Sustainable Market Farming, Intensive Vegetable Production on a Few Acres
sustainablemarketfarming.com
facebook.com/SustainableMarketFarming


  • [Market-farming] Crops for May, Pam Twin Oaks, 05/11/2015

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page