These are the dawg-days of farming…

…when your plot is not the sight for sore eyes it was back in April… when the humidity and the gnats seem to put a damper on every move you make… when your begging for rain continues to fall on deaf ears.  As bright as the sun may shine, these remain the dark days of farming in hot ole Savannah.

As far as the summer goes on Skidaway, it really is easiest to plant a good cover crop…and leave your plot to the whims of the Mother Nature.  Buckwheat has become the cover crop of choice for many more Farmers this year – it’s easy to grow…is great for the soil…helps your fall plants take phosphorus into their roots…and lastly: it does help to choke out those weeds that can’t see the sun for all the tall buckwheat growing above them!

Buckwheat in bloom

For those who like eggplant, okra and peppers… you may rejoice in the knowledge that these plants thrive in this hot, sticky humidity… in fact, for them, the hotter the better…or so it seems!

But for the rest of us:  Hang in there, Farmers!  Labor Day will bring a new season….for cool-weather crops AND less bugs!  And remember how wonderful it was to have those fresh tomatoes at Thanksgiving last year!  Hold onto that image as you plod through the rest of July and August… things will get better soon! (7/17/12)