Heat like this on the farm can be a real slog–constant wardrobe changes, desperate searches for that missing water bottle, and popsicle lunches. We spend a disproportionate part of our day dragging hoses from field to field to keep the irrigation rotated. The other part is spent trying not to pass out. But as bad as it for us, it’s even tougher on the veggies.
Most of the full-grown plants are pretty resilient. Their root systems are developed enough to find water well below the surface, and their leaves are rugged enough to endure the heat. The real challenge is keeping the babies alive. The greenhouse transplants in their hot little plug flats require constant vigilance–too little water is certain death, but too much water may introduce disease. The newly transplanted crops in the field and their teeny tiny root balls are constantly on the brink of melting away. We’re just pleading with them to hang on until the temperature drops and the rains come.
The seeds aren’t faring much better. The lettuce, which can be tough to germinate in your regular summer heat, has downright refused to emerge from the soil. Landon’s been carting it all over, from the basement to the cold storage room to the greenhouse and back, in hopes of finding that right balance of light and moderate temperatures. At one point, he had it basking in the shade of the mulberry tree like some Parisian in an Impressionist painting. If you notice a shortage of lettuce on the market table 8 weeks from today, you can blame the heat wave.