The Farm Stand

27, Aug, 2023 – Summer in Southern California is hot! And with the heat, many favorite veggies from spring bolt and form pretty flowers – great if you want to save seeds, but preventing bringing these veggies to the table and market.

Four-dimensional farming uses heat tolerant species to create cool micro-climates for heat sensitive plants to allow them to survive and thrive. Thus, vining, heat-loving, plants are directed to the trellis level where they can spread horizontally in full sun (or 80% full sun from the shade cloth layer). Example vines this year include Cuccuzza, Trompetta, Iranian, and Kombucha squash, Tomatoes and Cucumbers, Netted Melon (also cantaloupe) and Bitter Melon, Luffa gourd, and Pole beans. More on trellis farming in a future musing.

Additionally, bushing veggies trained vertically can create micro-climates for heat-sensitive veggies to acclimate, become strong, and thrive. An example is vertically-trained zucchini – the subject of another future musing. We just planted a row of “bonsai-ed” perpetual swiss chard in the canopy shade of the zucchini, which has the vast majority of its lower northern facing leaves removed to about 18″ at this point in late August. More on bonsai-ed veggies in a future musing.

Creating a micro-climate is inherently four dimensional farming – the goal is July through September shade (here in southern California), vining plants take time to first reach the trellis level, set at 6 ft 6″ – not too high to put them out of reach, not too low to hit your head while walking underneath. A row of tomatoes can provide shade even before reaching the trellis level and growing horizontally. Swiss Chard or other leafy green makes a good base to keep the soil moist.

Once the vine reaches the trellis level, it then can be trained or directed to shade the worst of the sun, but allow morning and evening sun to reach the ground level plants. Care should be made to, for heavy fruit, train along support structures. The Iranian Squash (Baker Creek) was promised to produce 10-20 pound squash. Instead, it produced 100-pound squashes. Melon cradles can help prevent trellis lines from scoring trellis level fruit, while support for hanging squash and melons from plastic netting bags or cotton mesh shopping bags can be tied to the trellis netting or supports.

Additional microclimates in a raised bed micro farm arise in the shadow of the raised bed walls, where planters can take advantage of the shade to grow heat sensitive herbs like parsley and coriander.