Hey Mambo

We have arrived on our fourth and final farm called Il Cavicchio in Rastignano, Italy. We are actually farming veggies this time around, so my farming tips are back in action.

Today we planted tomatoes and zucchini in the morning, and squash and melon in the afternoon. It has gotten very hot here, so we take a break during the middle of the day.

Before we arrived, another WWOOFer prepared the land for planting. He set up the drip irrigation system and lined the rows with plastic to prevent weeds from growing.

To plant, we poked holes in the plastic, dug a hole, dropped in the plant, and then covered it back up with the finest soil we could find around us.

After planting, we pretty much drowned the veggies with water from the hose. The plastic helps to keep the water in and the weeds out.

After watering, we had to go back and make sure no roots were showing, otherwise they would be scalded by the sun. If they were, we just put more dirt on top.

Farming Tips:

1. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers grow best when planted in two rows, 70 cm apart from each other. Within the rows, the plants should be 60 cm apart. This takes into account how big their roots grow.

2. Zucchinis, squash, melons, and watermelons grow best when planted in one row, 1 meter apart. If you are using a drip irrigation system, they should be planted on one side of the piping, as close to the actual tube as possible.

I leave you with Rosemary Clooney, because this is what I have been humming to myself all day.