Complimentary Blueberry Juice

Here we are, arriving in September, and now we get the final push of our short 120-day growing season in Zone 4. There’s a bit of tension from switching from the insane go-all-the-time mode of June/July/August. There’s nothing left to plant. All that’s left is to collect….and prep for Spring 2025.

But even in Zone 4, yesterday, September 3rd marked my final transplant for the season. It’s a bit of a Hail Mary to plant Lettuce in Winnipeg on September 3rd. There’s no guarantee…however, if we have a nice fall, and we’re prepared, we just might have lettuce to last us through all of October.

This was a learned skill over several years discovering what was possible in a zero-till bed system. The late transplant was also a trial for timing in our new greenhouse (which has yet to be built), so we can learn the timing of what is possible. We’ve just never tried it this late before. In the absence of the new greenhouse, these newly transplanted lettuce seedlings will be under a cover for the entire duration of their post-transplant life and we’ll see how far they can get.

Fall rotation is tricky in Zone 4, mostly because the pleasant daily weather experienced by the human does not line up with the number of daylight hours available to a photosynthetic autotroph. Sunlight decreasing daily means the average days-to-maturity for each crop increases, and cellular metabolism slows down with decreased average high daytime and lower overnight temperatures . We’ve learned many a hard lesson over the years about getting crops established prior to September!

Mostly we’ve learned a lot about timing and such, and this year, I’m pretty excited about the fall greens availability. We will have lettuce for some time, as well as Arugula, Mizuna, Garland, Spinach, Bok Choy, Napa, Kale, Beets, and Green Onions, as well as a Black Radish and Radicchio trial.

The thing we have learned more than anything else is the value of row covers in an intense market garden permanent bed setting. Deploying this tool in a timely fashion and way ahead of time is a key tool in this sort of fast-rotation and season-extending context….all based around sunlight availability.

Covered above is the arugula, mizuna and bok choy. Yet-to-be-covered in this photo is two beds of lettuce.

So while the mood of the season has switched fully into harvest mode, there are still a thing or two on the leading edge of learning and possibility. Whether or not we can achieve those crops is entirely a matter of learning when the absolute last window is. And learning that is only possible by trying to do it.

We’ve learned you must seed Spinach – a 35 day crop – before August 1st, to achieve a Spinach crop that will not only produce 45 days later, but be able to regenerate once at 60+ days later. Likewise we’ve learned you must seed Napa Cabbage – a 55 day crop – by first week of July, to have it by mid-September….75 days later.

These things are only learned by trial and error in one’s growing zone, and seasonality limitations. And the seasonality limitations can be extended via tools such as row covers, or simple greenhouses.

It’s nice being in position at this point – after learning a lot through many failed attempts – that we have a full lineup of greens ready to go heading into fall time.

Can’t wait to see what extension our new greenhouse will provide!

Delicious.

Stay curious.

Graham

thanks for reading Complimentary Blueberry Juice