Testing out the waterwheel transplanter

It may have been mentioned in recent weeks past, but we really mean it now when we say there is a lot of transplanting ahead for our crew this week.  Several big once-a-year plantings need to go in the ground including perennial herbs (parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary, mint), roma tomatoes and tomatillos.  Then, late cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, more onions, celeriac, celery, beefsteak tomatoes, zucchini. It’s a good thing to be busy this time of year because it means many good things are to come. 

We have to admit though, between the seedling sale and these big plantings, seedling management in the greenhouse has become a very big job.  We’re a little relieved to see these seedlings start to find their way into the field or your homes!

One thing that will help is the waterwheel transplanter we just found.  It attaches to the tractor and has a wheel that makes a hole and waters them.  Crew members sit on a platform behind the wheel and put plants into those holes.  It may not work well for every crop we grow, but especially for things like salad mix (that we do a lot of) A last-minute marketplace find, we think it will really help make transplanting more efficient and less taxing for our crew.