Being the opposite of winter, which seems to drag on for months, spring is moving right along. Two months ago there was still a fair amount of snow on the ground. Now we're seeing plenty of 80 degree weather, with night time lows often in the 60's. Luckily there's a respite from the early summer heat this week, with several highs forecast in the 60's. Cooler, moderate spring/fall weather is best for many crops that mature too quickly, and sometimes don't mature properly, when spring turns into summer. There are some lettuce varieties that can handle more heat than others, but for the most part, many of the crops we grow prefer it cooler, and no crops like it hot.
It is a commonly held myth that 'the hotter the better'. This seems to me to come from a culture and society dominated by air conditioning, and that doesn't notice things like water scarcity or biological imperatives related to the food they eat. Actually, plants are a lot like people. Being outside and in the sun for 8 hours straight when in the 80's makes it easier to understand why plants don't really grow when it's any hotter. They just tolerate things. People claim to love hot weather, but mostly when they've got an air conditioned place from which to start and end every trip, or a pool to sit by, or at least shade to sit in. Plants don't have shelter, clothes or air conditioning, and can't move.
Broccoli, lettuce and other greens do best in the 60's and 70's, while tomatoes and peppers love it in the 70's and 80's. Once you're into the 90's nothing grows, and everything just hangs on for dear life, waiting for temperatures to drop. Even plants that can take very hot weather, like cotton and cacti, don't really grow when it's very hot. They go into sort of a short term hibernation, or dormancy, until conditions improve. Seeds do the same thing when they're germinating, waiting for optimal conditions before emerging. Tomato plants drop flowers during very hot periods to avoid the stress of forming/producing fruit when it's hot.
So far this year we've had a few things bolt, or go to seed, a little earlier than we'd like. For the most part, however, the cooler and wetter weather has been great, and most crops have hung on long enough to properly mature and 'size up' before finishing their life cycle (bolting, going to seed). You may notice the occasional flower on your Bok Choi or Tokyo Bekana that had just begun to bolt. As long as irrigation is adequate, and temperatures aren't too extreme for too long, even a crop that has started bolting will have good flavor and food/eating characteristics for a few days. Eventually it gets to the point that texture and flavor deteriorate (usually getting tougher and more bitter), and the crop is no good. We've had very little of this happening this year, and so the cooler is still over flowing with beautiful greens.
Speaking of greens, you'll see a slightly different mix of similar crops this week, with six things in the box. Because of the great spring we're having, and because we're practicing full productive capacity (probably around 1,000 CSA customers), we're got extra produce, beyond what the CSA requires, and more than we can sell at market. Much of that extra produce is going in the CSA boxes, with value averaging about 15-20% above what you paid. Our normal goal is to be 5-10% over, to be on the safe side, and in the unusual case something doesn't work out as planned.
-- Chris
