irrigation

Missing The Beach Farm



When garlic harvest is done, Betsy and I will be able to pay some attention to the Beach Farm. I miss it. I stopped in on Monday for twenty minutes to pull the garlic grown there. I was pleased to see our tomatoes, lettuce, and even peppers were well on their way even though I've paid no attention. The drip system was never installed since Sandy took out the system. Incidentally, our Orbit automated timer survived saltwater inundation. I should write them a letter! 

 Tomatoes and lettuce in their new locale. You can see the mish mash of drip hose.

Peppers I swore to do well with this season. So far so good for not even trying.


Beach Farm Morning



I am now beginning to curse the peas for continuing to produce. Tomatoes. Tomatoes. Tomatoes.

We get a handful or two each time we visit. Chard is pumping out the leaves now. And, I've decided to wrap up the broccoli for the season.

Despite the side shoots, and this lone central head yet to fully emerge.

I've released the broccoli from its tent, baring all to the sun and passers-by who wondered what ugly offspring could have needed to be covered so. Lay all the eggs you want, cabbage moths! By this weekend, or maybe Monday, Poblano seedlings I started two weeks ago will be in this bed, and an eggplant or two, and a hot pepper of some kind or another. And the other beds retro-fitted for green bean seeds.

The tomatoes are putting on some growth now, beginning to rise to the first run of netting. When we get back, I expect, the tomatoes will be at least twice as tall. 


I left for the farm around 6:45 am so that I could test the system, particularly the overheads, while no one was at the farm. Sour luck, the before work crowd was there. I waited till they were off, and tested, tested, tested.

Outside of imperfect coverage, it generally works. The overheads are needed for broadly seeded beds where dribbling emitters would be tedious. Herbs like parsley, the greens, the seeded carrots, and leeks are all good examples. Each tomato has its own in-line emitter -that works well, and was easy.

Refreshing on a hot day.


Beach Farm Haul



Broccoli, bitter hot greens, snaps and snows, parsley (which is the best).

And the garlic scapes (say that 10 times fast). They were added to stir fry, bread, still some left over -maybe pesto with the parsley, but do they compete or complement?

The irrigation has me pre-occupied. It's been 15 years since I fiddled with this stuff. It's fussy, detailed, not at all like the dumb, bluntness of last year's flood irrigation system.

These made a garden neighbor issue, "ooh, fountains." Fussy thanks to wind, changing water pressure, and spray patterns. Will get it right before we head off to Minnesota.

And all the paste tomatoes waiting for the peas to give it up. So far, peas ain't callin' it quits.