Hello. I’m Haratake, a part-time farmer.
Today’s topic is Field No. 1. With autumn well underway, the weeds have lost much of their vigor. Thanks to Field No. 2 and others being completely overrun by weeds, I’ve become completely unfazed even when weeds grow thickly in this small Field No. 1 (laugh). I used to carefully pull weeds from the roots, but even then, I couldn’t keep the entire field perfectly clean. Now, I’ve changed my approach to letting them grow as long as they don’t interfere with the crops I’ve planted. To put it another way, I’ve changed my mindset that “weeds are bad.” This shift came after I started advocating natural farming methods. That said, letting them grow completely unchecked does affect crop growth. The weeds reach for light, covering the mulch and growing thick over the seedlings, blocking sunlight. That’s definitely not good. The right approach is probably to cut them back when they reach a certain height. I want to figure out that balance through practice going forward.
Now, about Plot 1… it looks exactly the same as always, haha.
(Photo: Field #1)
The edamame just won’t get any bigger, yet they’re still so green… When exactly is harvest time?! Since they won’t get any larger, I just want to know when to harvest them!! I’ve been thinking this for ages. Books say to harvest when they’re about 80% full, but what if growth stalls? I still haven’t reached the point where I can judge harvest time just by looking at the leaves and stems.
(Photo: Today’s Edamame)
That said, they’ve produced quite a lot of pods. Maybe because I applied more fertilizer compared to Field No. 2? They’re small, though… I tried eating one, but hmm, I can’t tell if it’s not quite ready yet or if I should wait a bit longer. However, I do see a few pods with larger beans scattered here and there. That’s the difference from the edamame in Field No. 2.
I pulled up an edamame plant to examine the roots. The reason for planting so many edamame is for the root nodules. Legumes absorb nitrogen and convert it to ammonia, forming these nodules on their roots. I’m not sure if this is a lot or a little, but since some have formed, even if only a few, I’ll consider it good.
(Photo: Edamame root nodules)
As for the melons, the one that was eaten by crickets the other day had vanished. That seedling also seemed to have lost its vigor and was just withering away. Looking at another plant, the stem was quite shriveled and looked like an old man. The melons there are palm-sized but have three fruits. I wonder if they’ll get bigger, or if they’re small but ready to harvest now… Since there are three, I decided to harvest one
.
(Photo: Harvested melon)
Finally… Regarding the potatoes I planted the other day. I tried the method that worked last time, planting them cut-side up and flat. But now, they look like they’ve been messed with… One potato has even moved over to the neighboring row. It definitely wasn’t the wind. Maybe a crow or something… Thinking about it, leaving the plants exposed like that does create a risk of them being targeted.
This week has been full of lessons. First, gain experience and develop a discerning eye. And second, crops left exposed become targets for animals. It’s obvious, but I overlooked it.
Until next time~
