The solstice has passed, and the days are lengthening, and most of us are starting to get that gardening itch again, and we can scratch that itch by starting transplants for Spring planting. For cold-hardy crops such as lettuce, kales, swiss chard, and spinach, you can do this in a small greenhouse or a very well-lit room in your home. As for the warm crops of summer that we all love, such as peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant, these will require an indoor set up of grow lights and a heating or warming pad for the transplants. Your set up can be as minimal or as expensive as you desire. You can start your transplants in egg cartons or buy nice trays from online growing sources. Light is your key issue, so pay close attention to your plants and provide the best available light source you can.
Moonstruck Farms will be starting a YouTube channel in the coming weeks to provide more details on how we start our transplants, prepare our fields, and more of our on the farm activities. Stay tuned to our Facebook Page or Instagram for the announcement of the details of where to find us. Meanwhile, we will be starting more of our trays, with carnations being a huge emphasis this year. We love their gorgeous scent, and they seem to be extremely hardy here in our microclimate. We even found a variety that is supposed to provide the larger blooms we all love. Stay tuned, everyone. We are looking forward to sharing a fantastic 2021 with all of you!!
Your local farmers markets are just returning from the holiday break, with the Phelan Certified Farmers Market returning on Monday, January 11, 2021, from 2 pm to 5 pm at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan. The market is inside the Phelan Community Center and adjacent parking lot. The market will move back to the Phelan Community Park and remain open until 6 pm as soon as the weather and daylight hours allow. The Wrightwood Farmers Market is entirely outdoors still, so the weather will dictate the days they are open. They are due to open January 8, 2021, 3:30-4:00 pm for high risk and 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm for the general public. Please watch their Facebook page. The Winter weather will dictate whether they are open or not. Once again, Happy New Year, and thank you for your fantastic support of your local farmers markets! Let’s make 2021 the best year ever for your local farmers markets and small businesses!
