Sunshine and Planting

The farmstand will be open this afternoon from noon till 5 pm.
This is the last Saturday of winter hours for this season. The asparagus is coming up. I estimate that we will begin harvesting asparagus starting sometime during the middle/ late part of next week (Thursday or Friday???) depending on how warm the weather is and how much sun we have. Summer hours begin when we harvest the first asparagus. The plan for 2024 is to be open from 10 am till 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday. We will be closed Sunday and Monday.This is the same schedule as last year.
In the early spring the sunshine makes a big differance on soil temps as the cold underneath is pushing up and the warmth from the sun is pushing down. If it is cloudy the soil tends to be cold in the seed/ root zone. Of course cold rains bring the soil temps down quickly also. When you are planting things like sweet corn, beans, sqush etc and are using organic/ untreated seed it is important that they begin to sprout as soon as possible. During the first few days after you plant them if the do not sprout quickly they are likely to rot or just to disappear. Once they are sprouted even just a tiny bit they are somewhat secure. During this time of the year I prepare the soil for the heat loving seeds but do not plant right away. I let it rain and in general sit tight. I am watching the weather forcast for about 3 days of bright sun (ideally somewhat warm also). Then I plant. Seeds that sprout in the cool soil (lettuce, peas, beets, dill, cilantro, spinach etc) can be planted anytime you get to it. If the weather conditions are not ideal sometimes I also presprout seeds in the house till the sprout tip is just showing and then set them out by hand. Again once they are sprouted they are much less likely to disappear or rot.
For us, this week has been dominated by lots of planting. We set all the onions, parsley, leeks, early cabbage, lettuce etc out along with various seeds. We plant with hope. God, we pray that you send your rain and sunshine and give us our daily bread. Daniel