Whitsend Market Garden

A few things to say about the situation(s) on the farm.


We have had some interesting (and exasperating) challenges, but somehow we seem to be pulling off an equal number of big successes.

So much of farming is about timing. A couple of weeks ago, there was a short period of cool temperatures (15-24 degrees) in the forecast. The moment I was waiting for. I cleaned up a bed reserved for leaf crops, and as the cooler weather arrived, I planted a 100-row foot of Spinach. The planting coincided with 1/16th inches of rain, which helped. Previous sowings of Spinach had poor germination, and I had held off seeding the next succession, hoping to get a break.

The cold bed (referred to in previous post) had some success germinating Spinach, with the rows closest to the irrigation trunk hose having the best germination rate. I suspect the basic concept of the cold bed is sound, now I just have to figure out how best to insulate it without shutting out the sunlight.

Another cool weather crop, Brussels sprouts, have done ok so far. Keeping this long-season crop healthy has required careful watering and some shade from row covers. The row covers have also excluded the Flea Beetles, allowing the plant respite from other stressful conditions – this crop grows best with long, cool springs, and long, cool autumns – not exactly suited to eastern Ontario’s short springs and hot summers.

Most crops in the Cabbage family (such as B-Sprouts), have had a challenging time. The heat and lack of rain have not been kind, and irrigation can only hold the line as far as their growth is concerned. Under stress, they suffer from pests that otherwise are quickly overcome. Flea Beetles and cabbage moths have done some damage, in some cases nearly destroying entire leaf clusters. The mature Kale plants were particularly ravaged, and I thought they were a write off. We started some new Kales in the nursery to grow before fall, but to my astonishment, the brief spell of cool weather has allowed the plants in the field to bounce back. Of the two varieties, the Red Russian Kale appears to have done the best.

Radish, Arugula, Turnip, and Rutabaga were barely able to sprout before flea beetles ate their leaves. With only so much protective row cover to go around, much of the crop was damaged or lost. This bad situation has also turned around, and more Radishes are on the way. The main casualty was the Rutabaga – it requires several months to grow, and so I cannot replace the ones that did not survive.

The Broccoli suffered the same fate to some extent, and the timing of the second Broccoli crop was off – the transplants succumbed to the heat after a few days in the field. We have a few more in the nursery now, though it is getting late in the year, and the we have almost run out of broccoli seeds.

Bad year for leaves, good year for fruits. The Winter Squashes have surpassed my expectations, and after a slow start, the summer Squash, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes are rebounding.

Despite Cucumber Beatles and lack of rain, I have managed to get the Winter Squashes through the seedling stage, and now they are galloping across the beds at an alarming rate (many of these plants are new for me; I had limited space available for them, so they were squeezed into some awkward areas). The Pumpkins, Delicata, and Orangetti are starting to size up – expect the Orangetti to arrive on your doorstep in about 4-5 weeks. At the rate its vines are growing, it may be at your place before I can cut them!

The Corn has started to brown off at the Tassels, a sign that the plant is near maturity. We husked one last Sunday and found that the Kernels were not yet filled out. This sign indicates either that the cob needs a couple more days, or did not receive enough moisture.

The bulb onions have been saved from the European Leek Moth. The rescue effort required removing infected leaves, which will probably slow the growth of the bulb somewhat. The Bulbs themselves seem fine and I am looking forward to trying some of these out. The Yellow onions should be ready for September, with the Red ones to follow in October.

The Kidney beans have started to fill out, and it is just a matter of time before the pods begin to dry. The next round of Green beans is coming along, and the first round of beans looks like it may provide us with a second flush, as it has started to flower again.

My biggest concern is the mice. They have taken a couple of pounds of Potatoes, and are now including Radishes in their menu. My next worry is they will go after the beets (these are a favourite of their larger cousins).

I use straw for moisture retention, weed suppression, and control insects. It fills many of the same roles that row cover does, but is more aesthetically pleasing, biodegradable, and cheaper. However, it is providing a place for the mice to live, and this has caused me to reconsider its use for next year. In the meantime, I have to reserve some memory space for locating the mouse traps.

Overall, this has been a good year. Not an easy season for a sophomore effort, but I am certain that as I continue to evaluate the results, new ideas for improvements will start to flesh out.

In the meantime, let’s hope for a reasonable amount of rain, cool temperatures, and lots of sunlight.

Talk to you soon,

Bob