Weeding beans with the wheel hoe & collinear hoe

The beans in the high tunnel germinated well, and outpaced the weeds for a time. (This is likely thanks to new 1-inch water line. I’ll write about that very soon because we’ve noticed a huge difference.)

When the beans were about 2 to 3 inches tall, we pushed a wheel hoe between each row and down the pathways. This tool does a fantastic job of uprooting relatively small to medium weeds.

After working over the beds with a wheel hoe, we used a collinear hoe to get in close to the baby beans. A collinear hoe has a long, thin blade that’s collinear to the earth. It’s a precise tool, unlike traditional, heavy, clunky hoes. It is one of our favorite tools. The hoe linked above also lets you stand upright. If you have a home garden, you may want to consider a collinear hoe.

But a word of caution. While wheel and collinear hoes are wonderful tools, you have to pace yourself, just like with any garden task. If you don’t, you risk injury. Slow and steady wins the race against weeds.

We also weeded these beans at least twice by hand, mainly to pluck out stubborn grass. To keep the grass from taking root again, we remove it by the bucketful. (All those clipped bits of grass are from when Jason used the weed trimmer along the sides of the tunnel.)

In the past, we’ve basically gone through this same process only to have deer mow down every last bean. The only beans that would survive were the ones that happened to be weedy enough that the deer didn’t notice them. What a relief to go through all this work and know they’re protected in the deer fence.

~ Stella

Growing cilantro

This is the farm’s cilantro patch. The coriander plant thrives in cooler weather.

We’re starting the CSA in the second week of June, and this cilantro will probably be ready to cut then. We’ll clear-cut the mature stems, leaving short stubble that will produce a new batch.

Cilantro is the herb name for the plant’s leaves. The plant itself is coriander, and its seeds are the spice of the same name. The entire plant is edible, including the roots. Cilantro leaves and stems are best fresh, since the flavor all but vanishes when dried.

Jason starts cilantro from seed in the basement, under grow lights, and we transplant the little clumps in very early spring. Cilantro thrives in cold weather, while heat makes it prone to bolt, or go to seed.

Some cooking websites say cilantro doesn’t store well. This definitely is not the case with fresh-cut stems. We cut cilantro when it’s cool, in early morning, before the plant absorbs field heat. If you put the cool stems and leaves (unwashed) in a baggie or container with a good seal, they’ll last for plenty long. Just wash before use, and chop the leaves and stems together.

While cilantro calls to mind salsa and guacamole, it adds another layer to many dishes, like a bowl of pho. However, not everyone is a fan. Some people appear to have a genetic aversion to the herb, and it smells like soap to them.

Coriander seems to have been grown by the Greeks since at least the second millennium BC. The plant journeyed to the Americas in the 1600s.

~ Stella