June gloom is a little early, and that is perfect for all your tomato transplanting if you have not completed it yet. Plant with a tablespoon of Epsom salts to prevent blossom end rot, and don’t forget to provide a nice all-around organic fertilizer for a boost of fertility. If you have planted already, and blossom rot appears, you can dilute the Epsom salts in water and spray onto the plants. To prevent your plants’ sprawling everywhere and boost production, you can prune your tomato plants. In the “Y” of the branches, you will see a new sprout; pinch this so the plants will produce more lateral branches and fruit. If the ugly green tomato worms come to visit, this will be visible by the leaves and fruit being eaten voraciously. Look for these guys in the early morning or evening and discard them to your chickens, or you can use an organic spray called Bt (Baccilus thuringiensis, a bacteria found naturally in soils) which will provide protection against any caterpillar.

At Moonstruck Farms, the projects are still stacking up as we complete the plans for the transformation of the farm. We have plans for greatly expanding our flower production and enhancing our fruit and tomato crops, with a few specialty crops still being grown, like our bok choy, broccolini, and herbs. This time of year, the Spring flowers are coming to an end, but the blooming of the gladiolus and lilies has begun signaling that summer is just around the corner. We are still planting peonies, and the summer flower trays are going into the ground along with direct seeding of sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos. We now realize that we will be planting year-round as we continue to plant hundreds of perennials such as Shasta Daisies and add in many Fall planted Spring flowers such as biennials to add Foxglove, Delphinium, and Larkspurs to our selections.

The Phelan Certified Farmers Market has experienced tremendous growth, demonstrating that great things come in small packages. Visit the Phelan Certified Farmers Market every Monday (except a few holidays) year-around 2pm to 6pm at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan inside the Phelan Community Park. However, just a few miles away, the Wrightwood Certified Farmers Market has created its own “vibe” and services the wonderful community of Wrightwood and surrounding cities with a different line-up every Friday, 4pm to 7pm, currently inside the Wrightwood Community Center parking lot. Thank you for your continued support of both markets.