Many crops have the potential for robust vertical growth when supported by a trellising system. Any viney crop can be transitioned from sprawling ground cover to a single vertical row through trellising. At Hidden Creek Farm, we trellis our tomatoes, cucumbers, and sugar snap peas. 

Tomato Varieties: Determinate vs. Indeterminate

• Determinate
  • ripen early and in distinguishable flushes
    • ideal for canning a lot at once
  • 3-4’ tall, “bush” tomato plants
  • less to no pruning and trellising required
  • stop shoot production once flowers form on shoot ends
  • smaller, more appropriate for container growing
• Indeterminate
  • longer growth period, can produce consistent fruit until frost arrives
  • 6-20’ tall
  • form flowers along sides of shoot and continue to grow
  • benefit from pruning and trellising
  • most heirloom varieties are indeterminate

Benefits of Trellising:

• Save Space
• Protect plants from physical damage
• More control over moisture/watering
• Increased air flow
  • Decreased disease
• Ease of harvest

Preparing to Trellis

1. Set up your stakes
   1. Choose strong wood or metal stakes that are 5-7ft tall
   2. Space your stakes to allow 2-4 plants (tomatoes/cucumbers) between each stake
   3. Pound stakes 8in – 1ft into the ground using a post pounder or mallet
2. Choose a trellising material
   1. Twine
      1. Polypropylene or nylon cording (doesn’t stretch like cotton or hemp)
      2. Added periodically as the plants grow
   2. Metal
      1. Hog wire/woven wire panels in 4 inch square grids.
      2. Easiest to roll out and attach to stakes before plants are in the ground.
      3. Attach ~2ft above the ground.

Trellising

1. Begin trellising when plants are about 2ft tall, or start to bend
   1. Twine
      1. Wrap twine end around 1st stake twice and tie securely
      2. Weave twine between tomato plants and around each stake. Sandwich plants between twine with the same weave on the way back (Florida Weave). Tie securely on final stake. 
      3. Keep twine taught to ensure adequate support
      4. Repeat every 6in-1ft as the plant grows

1. Metal 
   1. Weave plants through grid or use twine to attach vines to metal
   2. Weave plants carefully to avoid snapping stems. Keep ties loose to allow the vine to increase width as the plant grows. 
   3. Repeat every 6in-1ft as the plant grows

1. Beans and peas will attach to the trellising material on their own. They should not need to be tied but may occasionally need to be redirected towards the trellis.

Pruning (tomatoes)

Choosing one or two “leaders”. 

Most tomatoes have indeterminate growth, meaning they will continue growing as much as nutrients and the season will allow. Tomatoes start with one growth point at the top of the main stem and will continue to produce new growth points, called “suckers”, as they grow. “Suckers” are new growth points that form in the “axil” where leaf stems attach to the main growth stem. 

Choosing one leader, means keeping the main stem as the only growth point and pruning off all other growth points. Choosing two leaders means keeping the main stem and keeping one sucker near the base of the plant that will develop into a second main stem. Plants spaced 1ft apart should have one leader. Plants spaced 2ft apart can be pruned either way. At Hidden Creek Farm we have found the two leader method to produce the most fruit per plant and per bed foot.  

1. Remove any flowers at time of planting, so energy goes into leaf growth instead of fruiting (that the plant can’t support!) at this early stage
2. As the plant grows, remove all leaves and suckers below the first fruit cluster (except sucker selected as the second lead) .
   1. Try to remove the suckers when they are small to avoid leaving large wounds on the stem. 
3. Pruning above the first fruit cluster depends on how close the plants are spaced and how leafy the varieties are. 
   1. More pruning increases airflow which helps limit moisture and disease
   2. Too much pruning decreases shading on the fruits and can lead to “sun scald”; yellow or gray spots with a papery surface.
   3. One compromise is to allow suckers to develop one set of leaves before snipping off only the growth point. This keeps leaves for shade without extra vines. 

Limiting disease when pruning

1. Only prune when plants are dry. Most tomato disease transfers through water. Moving moisture that accumulates on clothes and hands as you prune will quickly spread disease.
2. Prune with sharp scissors or a knife to avoid tearing tissue and creating larger wounds. Wounds are entrance points for disease.
3. Clean tools thoroughly before using. Dirty tools can easily spread disease between plants. 

The post All About Trellising Workshop appeared first on Hidden Creek Farm LLC.

The two main ways to start crops in your garden are direct seeding and transplanting. Most root crops (except onions) work best when direct seeded. Most other crops can be direct seeded or transplanted. For transplanting, seedlings can be started from seed in trays or purchased from garden retailers ready to plant. 

Preparing to Transplant:

1. Harden off the plants by placing them outside a few days before you want to transplant. 
   1. This will get the seedlings used to cooler/warmer weather and wind, making them better able to handle the stress of transplanting.
2. Prepare your soil
   1. Create a weed free area
   2. Loosen and aerate the soil by hoeing or tilling 
      1. Creates pathways for oxygen and water and makes it easier for roots to push through the soil

Transplanting:

1. Determine your spacing.
   1. Recommended spacing is listed on seeding packets.
   2. The space between plants affects air flow (important for moisture and disease control), plant size, and number of plants.
2. Dig holes for the transplants
   1. Deep enough to cover the transplant with soil level with (or just above) the transplant’s soil
3. Carefully remove the seedling from its container by pushing up or pinching from the bottom
   1. Keeping the transplants damp, but not wet, will help with easier removal from the trays
   2. Avoid disturbing the roots as much as possible
4. Add nutrients through compost or fertilizer for heavy feeders
   1. Crops that are in the ground for a long time (broccoli, cauliflower) or have many rounds of harvest (tomatoes, peppers) will benefit from extra nutrients. 
   2. Nutrients added at the time of planting will be fully accessible to plants for weeks to months
5. Surround the seedling with displaced soil level with the surface.
   1. Tomatoes are an exception and can be covered an inch or two up their stem.
6. Water seedlings thoroughly.

Direct Seeding Root Crops

Preparing to Seed

1. Prepare your soil
   1. Root crops prefer well-drained, loose soils
      1. Most soil in Virginia meets these requirements. 
   2. Root crops grow best in raised beds
      1. Create raised beds through terraforming, hoeing up mounds, or adding soil to the existing area
2. Create furrows for planting by dragging the corner of a hoe through the soil in rows
   1. Seeding depth can be found on seeding packets. Most root vegetables need to be planted 2-3 inches deep.
   2. Spacing between rows can also be found on the seeding packets. Most roots require 4-6 inches between rows. 

Note on fertilization: Root crops benefit most from phosphorus. Too much nitrogen promotes foliage growth and “hairy”,  thin tubers. Nitrogen fixing bacteria called rhizobia, live on the thin root off-shoots of the tubers. Crops will grow these “hairy” roots to meet the nitrogen fixing needs of the surrounding soils. Consider testing your soils through VA Tech soil testing lab to determine the nutrient needs of your soils. 

Seeding

1. Sprinkle seeds into furrows.
   1. Seeding density can be found on seeding packets and may be listed as “seed spacing”.
   2. Seeds should be visible in a single, continuous line with no overlap. When in doubt, ere on over-seeding and thin seedlings later. 
2. Cover seeds with soil pushed aside by furrows
3. Water thoroughly.

Caring for Root Crops

1. Start thinning root crops when the seedlings are all germinated and easily visible. About 3-4 weeks after planting.
   1. Thin seedlings according to “seed spacing” listed on the packet. 
   2. Spacing is important to ensure roots grow to their full size.
2. Maintain a weed free area. 
   1. Weeds are direct competitors with root crops. They impact root shape in addition to germination and size. 
3. Water the right amount
   1. The soil has the right moisture content when you can press a handful of soil into a firm ball and your finger marks make an imprint, but no moisture escapes. When dropped, the ball should break into medium sized fragments. 
   2. Root crop depth averages up to 6 inches and is important to get water to all parts of the roots. 
   3. Overwatering can quickly lead to rotted roots.

The post Transplanting Workshop appeared first on Hidden Creek Farm LLC.

Hidden Creek Farm trialed this practice in the winter of 2021 in conjunction with Virginia Extension. The project was based on the work of Greg Halich with the University of Kentucky and on a 2017 report, “Impacts of Bale Grazing on Herbage Production, Forage Quality and Soil Health in South-central North Dakota,” from North Dakota State University Extension.

A link to Greg Halich’s work: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1177&context=ky_grazing

A link addressing concerns for bale grazing in southern climates:

https://site.extension.uga.edu/forageteam/2020/09/bale-grazing-101/

Project Goals

• Improve soil health and forage growth
• Adopt an effective practice to supplement livestock winter diets to improve overall animal health and reduce stress
• Serve as model farm

Methods

• 39 bales placed in total
  • 3 rounds of bale placement
  • 24 head had access to 3 bales for 5 days at a time
• 12 bale sites, 4 control sites in adjacent pasture
• Soil sampling at each bale site and 15ft above and below each bale site
  • Sample at bale placement on 4 February and 12 March 2021
  • Sample 27 August 2021
  • Sample 19 February 2022
• Photograph bale sites to monitor forage regrowth

Results

• Increase in organic matter at bale sites compared to control
• Trend towards increase in phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron, and Est-CEC
• Visible darker green ring of forage surrounding bale sites
• Broom sedge suppression
• Regrowth of seeded clover and oat with weed pressure at bale sites

Forage regrowth at one bale site, April – August.

Aerial view of bale grazing pasture. Dark green forage ring visible around bale sites.

Figure 1. OM(%) sampling comparison. There is an increase in organic matter (%) at all sites between Placement and 12 months. This increase is significant for Bale, Above, and Below at 6 months. The significant increase in organic matter at all sites except control after 6 months suggests that hay bales may have a positive impact on organic matter. Organic matter remains elevated above placement levels after 12 months which suggests that bales may influence organic matter long term.

Figure 2. There is a trend toward increased phosphorous for Bale and Above and a trend toward decreased phosphorous for Control between placement and 12 months. This suggests that hay bales may have a positive impact on phosphorous. The increase in phosphorous at control sites after 12 months is likely due to the presence of cows currently grazing. There is high variation across the control sites that indicts high phosphorus (58 ppm) at the site closest to feed and shelter and low phosphorus (5-7ppm) at all other sites. This high variation is not present across bale sites which suggests bale placement helps with distribution of phosphorus.

Figure 3. There is no significant difference in potassium (lb/acre) for any sampling location between Placement and 12 months. This suggests that hay bales do not significantly impact potassium with in 12 months of bale placement. There is a trend toward increased potassium for Bale and Above and a trend toward decreased potassium in Control between Placement and 6 months. This suggests that hay bales may have a slight positive initial impact on potassium.

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• What types of plants you want to grow (cucumbers, tomatoes, basil)
• What varieties of these plants do you want to grow?
  • Variety influences flavor, color, and size (think tomatoes) and influences characteristics like temperature tolerance, drought tolerance, pest/disease resistance, and fruiting frequency
  • VA has heat and cold, so the best varieties to plant will change with the seasons
• Not all plants should be started in trays!
  • Root vegetables and other densely planted crops work better when direct seeded.
• See last page for notes about tomato, cucumber, and basil varieties

The seed packet is your best friend! All this information and more can be found on the seed packet. Any information not on the seed packet can be easily found in the seed catalog or on the seed company website. Keep your seed packets all season for easy reference.

Calculating Start Date:

• When do you want to harvest the crop? Work backwards from there.
  • Stay within the appropriate harvest season
• Use the “days to maturity” listed on the seed packet. Is this from seed or from transplant?
  • Some seed packets will specify the amount of time in the trays
• Stagger seeding dates to spread out the harvest.

Seeding in Trays (demonstration)

1. What size tray should you use?
2. Choose a good potting soil or mix your own with soil from your yard and compost or another source of nutrients and organic matter.
3. Moisten the potting soil before filling trays
   1. The soil has ideal moisture content when you can squeeze the soil in your fist and some moisture appears between your fingers, but not enough to drip. The soil should hold its shape, but crumble easily.
   2. Pre-moistening the soil helps it better absorb water later. Dry soil will absorb water unevenly and cause most water to runoff or through the soil.
4. Fill the trays with soil by gently spreading it across the top and tapping the tray to gently pack it down.
5. Make holes for the seeds with your fingers
   1. Seeding depth is indicated on the back of the seeding packet
6. Drop 1-3 seeds in each hole.
   1. Seeding density depends on the crop and is listed on the back of the seeding packet
   2. Extra plants can be thinned or separated and replanted when the seeds germinate
7. Cover the seeds with soil, tap the tray gently to pack down, water in to compact

Caring for Your Seedlings:

1. Find a sunny spot, like a south facing window, or invest in full spectrum fluorescent lights
   1. A sign of too little sunlight is “leggy” seedlings with long, weak stems. This makes seedlings fragile and difficult to transplant.
2. Keep your seedlings at 60˚F-75˚F
   1. Peppers at tomatoes prefer warmer soil temperatures to germinate (at least 55˚F) and lettuces prefer cooler soil temperatures.
   2. If germination is a problem, consider adjusting the temperature with a heated seedling mat.
3. Do your seedlings need a bigger tray?
   1. Seedlings that spend longer in trays benefit from being “potted up” into larger trays as they develop.
   2. This gives the seedlings access to more nutrients and limits they likelihood they will become root bound.

1. Root bound is when the roots become so dense and intertwined that the soil stays in a dense block. This limits pores for oxygen and water and makes it more difficult for roots to expand into new soil when they are transplanted.

Transplanting:

1. Harden off the plants by placing them outside a few days before you want to transplant.
   1. This will get the seedlings used to cooler/warmer weather and wind, making them better able to handle the stress of transplanting.
2. Determine your spacing.
   1. Recommended spacing is listed on seeding packets.
   2. The space between plants affects air flow (important for moisture and disease control), plant size, and number of plants.
3. Dig holes deep enough to cover the transplant with soil level with (or just above) the transplant soil.

Varieties:

Tomato Varieties –

• Heavy feeders, need fertile soil

Determinate vs. Indeterminate

• Determinate
  • ripen early and in distinguishable flushes
    • ideal for canning a lot at once
  • 3-4’ tall, “bush” tomato plants
  • less to no pruning and trellising required
  • stop shoot production once flowers form on shoot ends
  • smaller, more appropriate for container growing
• Indeterminate
  • longer growth period, can produce consistent fruit until frost arrives
  • 6-20’ tall
  • form flowers along sides of shoot and continue to grow
  • benefit from pruning and trellising
  • most heirloom varieties are indeterminate

Cucumber Varieties –

• Heavy feeders, need fertile soil
• Benefit from warm, moist soil
  • steady supply of moisture
  • consider mulching to conserve moisture and heat

Vining vs. “Bush” Cucumbers

• Vining
  • Sprawling or trellised
  • Many varieties
• “Bush”
  • Less space, ideal for container planting
  • fewer varieties

Basil Varieties –

• Four basic types: sweet basils, small-leaved/dwarf basils. purple-leaved basils, and basils with specially scented leaves (lime, chocolate, cinnamon, etc.)
  • Different varieties can cross pollinate, consider when planting near each other
• Avoid temperatures below 50˚F, prefers 60-80˚F
• Consistent moisture
• Pinch flowering tops to encourage continued leaf production.

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