Onion Week
Known around here as "Onion Week" the past few days have been busy with the pulling and laying out of onions. Now that the harvest has officially come to an end we will be waiting and watching closely as they cure on the drying rack.
We have also finished pulling garlic as well. In a few weeks we are looking forward to adding these two items to our on-farm and online store as well as making them available at the Franklin Farmers Market.
RAY'S GROW-PRO TIPS
The 4 essential elements that plants need are Air, Water, Light, and Nutrients.
Today I want to discuss Water. Most people tend to under-water their plants. Not only do plants need water to grow and help in the aid of moving nutrients around to the plant, but the real secret to water in the soil is in feeding the soil microbiology. See, science seems to know more about the space in the sky than the space below our feet. What we do know is the microbes, earthworms, and all the living micro-critters need proper soil moisture to survive and thrive in order to aid in making micro nutrients available for the plant to uptake.
What I have observed to work on my farm is to consistently monitor the water. Every block and tunnel has an irrigation system and timer, and I am constantly adjusting as I see fit for the plants and soil.
My #1 tip:
Buy a timer and observe.
As the Japanese proverb goes: "the best fertilizer is the foot prints of the gardener."
ASHLEY'S KITCHEN
The other day, I was eating a delicious tomato + basil + mozzarella + cheese salad and realized adding a cucumber didn’t change the flavor much, but it sure added a great crunch--and I love a good crunch! So why not add cucumbers to most of your fresh salads of any sorts? Add it to your fresh salsas (diced), your sandwiches (sliced longways), tacos (diced) or dip it in hummus (cut into sticks or round chips). Or just keep it super simple and give your child a whole cucumber!
Have a great week everyone!
- Ray & Ashley Tyler
