From Summer to Fall

The summer is flying by and the field is bursting with vegetables and weeds.  It’s easy to focus all your energy on harvesting the beautiful bounty and staying busy just by keeping the weeds under control.

The field in the beginning of  July.  The sunflower's growing to the right of me are now way taller than me.
The field in the beginning of July.
The sunflower’s growing to the right of me are now way taller than me.

But you must look forward as fall and winter harvest happens, because of summer plantings.  Over a month ago I began to start some fall crops like cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts in the greenhouse.

Red cabbage seedlings
Red cabbage seedlings

Now I’m doing my best to make space in the crowded field for these tasty crops.  Last week I mowed down beds that months earlier contained radishes, peas, and mustard greens.

A few days after mowing down the crops, the plant matter has dried.
A few days after mowing down the crops, the plant matter has dried.

After rototilling in compost and gypsum, these beds will be ready to welcome the first planting of broccoli and cabbage.  This process will continue to occur throughout the field over the next month.

Compost waiting to be added to the field
Compost waiting to be added to the field

Here in Sonoma Valley fall and winter crops need to be planted before mid-September, so they can get established before the weather turns cold and the days become shorter.