Weeding

This week in Sustainable Agriculture we weeded and planted new spring crops! Weeding is a very important part of farming, though it can be physically demanding it greatly improves the life of the plants.

Weeding is beneficial because it decreases the amount of plants competing for space, water, and nutrients. Weeding allows for crops to be able to absorb the most nutrients and water that they can, so they can grow efficiently. To weed efficiently  hula hoes, weeders, and pulling the weeds out manually can all be effective. Hula hoes are used to cut down weeds and cut them at the root. Using a weeder or your hands can help pull the weed out at the root decreasing the probability that the weed will grow back and steal nutrients. Weeding combined with close plant spacing is a great to ensure efficiency with crop growing. Close plant spacing is important because it maximises the use of available land and creates a microclimate which also improves plants ability to grow. Without the use of close plant spacing crops might not grow as quickly or be able to mature fully resulting in loss of crop harvest.

Since it is spring we are able to grow a variety of crops such as strawberries, onions, carrots, and radishes. This season we decided to plant mostly onions. Onions are a great source of vitamins and minerals, and mature between three and four months. In order to plant these onions we harvested the remaining bok choy and broccoli we had in our bed. We also harvested our bell beans at the top of our beds and replaced them with chard and kale. Chard and kale are also high in minerals and vitamins. We planted these crops where we previously had bell beans because bell beans are givers and return nutrients to the soil while also providing edible beans. Because of this we are able to plant our crops knowing that they will receive the most amount of nutrients they can and that they will grow sustainably without damaging the soil.

Weeding and knowing which plants to plant seasonally is a great thing to know. Knowing which plants can be planted is a great for ensuring that the crops will grow healthily. Knowing why weeding is important is also beneficial. Weeds are competition for crops and can cause them to have a harder time growing and producing fruits and vegetables. So knowing how to deal with them is important. —Niki