A proper start to August
Hope all of you had amazing long weekends out there - definitely a good one to be outside, by a lake, enjoying some pure Cariboo summer.
We start early on the hot days, just to get more productive hours in the day. I'm sure, like everyone, our brains and bodies just can't work as hard when it's hot. I am also really thankful to have irrigation in place here on the farm when it's hot, and a system that is mostly simple to turn on and off. I can't imagine not relying on irrigation, and most small farms couldn't. They don't have the volume to weather a setback from dry weather, and would need to have VERY good soil conditions in place to withstand periods of drought. But luckily, when you're small, it's pretty inexpensive to have permanent irrigation over your entire market garden. We have 2 plots on 2 benches, both set up with sprinkler lines that each have their own ball valve, so we can switch lines on an off easily without turning off the water. They also have segments in drip that can be switched on and off. The best tool in an irrigation system is a timer! Best investment you'll ever make. On hot days, we water in shorter bursts a couple times per day, to cool off the leaves of most of the plants. We also use shade cloth on the greens to keep them from getting tough and bitter. That's what's happening over here these days!
Pretty much everything is available from the farm these days: we're just waiting on the lemon cucumbers (picked the first one yesterday!) eggplant, garlic, and tomatoes. We almost have some sweet onions, and are really excited about the winter squash patch this year!
Hope you're all managing to stay cool these days. See you Friday!
- Brianna and the Puddle P team
