Can't Bt this!

Tuesday July 4 

What a beautiful morning this was to be working outside on the Terraces at Kwantlen.  Some sunflowers have started to bloom, and the sorghum grass is getting bigger, and the pollinator garden is spectacular. Attendance was somewhat lacking in the morning, which just meant that we had to work extra fast to get everything prepared for this weeks’ market. A few students went to the orchard with Rebecca to harvest strawberries and garlic scapes, and the rest of us tackled the terraces. 

Red Russian Kale 

Our lettuce harvest was especially short this week, but there should be a little bit more to harvest next week. There was lots of arugula to harvest, however, the first batch of arugula that was planted that we are still harvesting is starting to become a bit more work than it is worth it for market and I suspect that this will have been the last harvest for the arugula in this lower south section. 

There was of course lots of kale to harvest as always as well as sugar snap peas , melting mammoth snow peas, and the last batch of scallions and radishes.

Lodging Scallions

During our walk about we noticed that the scallions had started lodging. This means that all of the tops had started to fall over, and energy was ceasing to go to the green tops, and start focusing on the bulbs. This is why it was the last week of harvest for the scallions.  After the market, the rest were all harvested and laid out on the side of the terraces in the sun to cure.  There is no rain the forecast up ahead, so the only concern about leaving them outside, would be the public.  Once they have been cured, they will store pretty well, and will be sold at market as shallots. Some diamond back worm and imported cabbage worms were found on just about every species of brassica we have planted on the terraces.  It was proposed that later in the day we would spray them with Bt.

Curing Scallions

Unmarketable Radishes

It was determined that this would be the last radish harvest while we were getting ready for the market.  The size, colour, and shape of all the radishes were very variable, and they just didn’t look that great. Once they were cut into they had some brilliant colour, however, they were extremely spicy and a bit tough in texture. It was decided that we would not sell them at this market, and brave students could take them home if they wished. After lunch, the rest of the radishes were pulled and composted, and the bed got prepared to be re-planted. The last of the spinach plants were also pulled, it is been a pretty crummy year for spinach, and enough was enough with those. 

Colourful Radishes

The strawberry harvesters returned to campus, and helped the rest of us get the finishing touches for the market.  The strawberries sold out within the first hour, and it was a beautiful day, so we had a fairly steady flow of customers. 

                       

Nice Mounds Ladies! 

After lunch and this weeks web of life presentation from Isabel, we were sent to work on some terrace tasks. Including pulling out the scallions and radishes, stringing up the tomato plants onto the stakes that were put in place last week, selecting a planting some squash to replace the scallions, and spraying the brassicas with Bt.

Species that were planted include: Goldy Zucchini, Sunbust Scallop Squash, Ambassador Squash, Diplomat Melons, and some seeds were given to us from a vendor at the market from an Indian squash, and we are a little unsure of what it is going to turn out like, but we decided to give it a go anyways! 

Eric took on the task of spraying the brassicas with Bt. 3 grams of DiPel was added to backpack sprayer filled with water and then Eric sprayed away. 

Some Purslane was harvested later on in the day but was not sold at market, it was distributed between the students that wanted to give it a try.