What's Happening on the Farm

In a previous post, I talked about my effort to use a cover crop to help with a field with drainage issues.  Well, so far, so good. In the pictures below you can see the drainage affected area with the salt ring stretching towards the middle of the lane.  This is happening because the irrigation water is not able to…

You have probably heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers”.  Around here, though, it is more accurately sad that “March rains bring weeds”.  It may not have the same ring to it but pretty much sums up the next month on the farm. Spring in the Central Valley is when the weed wars really get heated up.  The days…

I know this doesn’t look like an alfalfa field.  Most alfalfa is grown for hay and is broadcast planted at very high plant populations which forces the plants to compete against each other for sunlight and grow very tall.  This alfalfa is grown for it’s seed.  I don’t want it to grow “vegetative” because it will waste all of it’s…

It is official… the tomatoes are out of “transplant shock”!  One of the advantages that tomatoes have over the melons is that they are planted deeper and far more resistant to cold weather. The tomato plugs are planted about 6-7 inches deep which puts the root ball firmly in the ground.  Also, immediately after transplanting, we run the drip irrigation…

You have seen the petal fall turn the orchard floor white, but probably have never even heard of sepal fall.  Admittedly, it is not nearly as aesthetic as its predecessor, but sepal fall has it’s own charm as the almonds appear to wear royal crowns.  The sepal is the outer “cover” of the bud and is the first to emerge…