Preparing Beds for Late Summer Crops
July 22nd, 2021
Our tomatoes are officially over for the summer and even though we know how much you love them, their absence leaves space for more late summer crops. Since we operate a no-till system on the farm, the preparation of the former tomato beds involves a series of tasks in order to get them ready for the next crop. The first step after we cut down the spent tomato plants is to go through the beds with the wheel hoe in order to remove weeds. Then, we go through our beds with the broadfork to help aerate the soil before adding our soil amendments like compost. Finally, we go through with the harrow in order to help mix in the amendments and smooth out the surface of the bed to prepare it for the irrigation lines. Once irrigation is installed, we’re ready to plant!
We broadcasted Sudex seed (a hybrid of sorghum and sudangrass) this week into a block of vacant beds. Sudex is a warm weather cover crop that will work to suppress weed growth by shading out weeds as it grows. As Sudex grows, the root system will work to decrease soil erosion and soil compaction which in turn should create more efficient drainage. Sudex is a fast grower so we’re already seeing signs of germination!
Did you know that both the seed pods and greens of cowpeas are edible? Young cowpea greens are tender with a flavor similar to spinach or sweet potato greens. They are best when cooked and can be substituted into any recipe calling for cooked spinach, kale, or collards. We’ve been harvesting our cowpea greens as a delicious summer leafy green and will have them available at the farm stand on Saturday from 10am-noon if you’d like to try some.
