It’s Friday, my volunteer day at the farm and today we planted out a variety of shallots called Long Red Florence. Separating out each shoot from its pot, we popped them into holes roughly 6 inches deep that we made using a handy tool called a dibber. The poor things looked very vulnerable as they flopped over but it’s comforting to see that the ones planted out yesterday are already standing up.
The roots are delicate and we take care not to compact the soil when we fill in the soil. They are spaced roughly 12 inches apart in the mypex. Mypex is a black sheeting we use on some beds. Although it looks ugly putting plastic on the ground, it’s extremely useful because it acts as a weed suppressant, assists with water retention, and absorbs heat to encourage growth.
Written by Samuel Smith