A couple of days ago, I returned from being out of town visiting family on the east coast to see that our lettuce had grown significantly since we planted it three weeks ago:
For comparison, here is the size of the lettuce when we planted it:
In less than a month, we are already reaping the benefits of our efforts on this several day project! The lettuce is so vibrant and fresh, and without a doubt we feel that the time and energy we put into this project was more than well worth it.
Now, on to the latest videos:
Here is video number 3 showing the planting and irrigation setup for the lettuce bed:
Here is video number 4 showing the ball valve and drip emitter installation:
Next week: Part 5 of this video series, showing the installation of the irrigation timer.
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Ready, Set, Grow!
Rick and I have been growing vegetables in backyard raised beds for the past few years and have learned much from our experience. One thing we have learned and observed first hand is the self-evident notion that some plants thrive in areas of our yard that have more sun, while other plants grow better in shady areas. Case in point: lettuce. The lettuce we have grown tends to wilt in the hot afternoon sun regardless of how much water we give the plants.
What we historically did for this challenge was to shade the lettuce with large beach and patio umbrellas. Of course, gardening stores do sell shades specific for this purpose, but this year we came up with a more permanent solution, which was to build a raised bed for the lettuce in an area of our yard that gets some sun in the morning, but is shady during the hottest part of the day, the afternoon. This location will be especially important as the growing season progresses and the daily temperature rises.
The area where we built the lettuce bed is adjacent to our house, and in the morning until about midday, the lettuce receives sunlight and then as the sun moves across our yard in the afternoon, our house shades the lettuce. So far so good! The lettuce has been growing beautifully, but the real test will be later in the season as summer approaches.
Here are some photos showing the transformation of an unused weedy area into our lettuce bed!
Here is the area weeded and leveled for construction of the bed:
Here is the bed:
With added soil:
With plants and irrigation tubing:
A couple days later, the irrigation tubing is hooked into the system, drip emitters are installed, and lettuce plants are growing!
We'll post updates as the season progresses and stay tuned for a series of videos documenting the building of our lettuce bed!
One of the best ways to keep in touch with us is to join our email list. You’ll receive a free copy of Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on A Raw Plant-Based Diet eBook along with regular information about raw food and plant-based diets and periodic promotions for our classes, events, and other offerings!