June 1 field report

Rows of green things (other than grass) are starting to become more visible out in the field.  The onions are starting to look like more than just skinny blades of grass, and long rows of dark green potato shoots are finally poking through the crusty surface of the soil.  The baby greens are almost ready for the salad bowl, and of course the radishes are looking good too. Sometimes I think I grow radishes just for the self esteem boost.  They make me feel like I’m doing something right – they all germinate perfectly and they grow really fast – faster than the weeds, actually.

The flea beetles haven’t found us yet! These are the tiny black beetles that usually devour the arugula, radishes, and everything else in the brassica family. I know this won’t last, but it’s one nice bonus of growing vegetables in a new place. Eventually the flea beetles will find me, and then the only way to prevent them from making millions of tiny holes in the leaves of brassica seedlings will be to cover the crops with floating row covers. For now, there’s one less thing to worry about.