Slip and Slide!

Here's a photo of some freshly made beds that we put in just before it started raining. The first step in preparing the beds is to put down compost and organic fertilizers. Jeff then uses the rototiller to mix the amendments into the soil. Next, irrigation is installed, which simply involves laying out lines of drip irrigation. Finally, we lay the plastic mulch. The beds shown here will be used for tomatoes. The red plastic mulch is used specifically for tomatoes and serves numerous functions. In addition to warming the soil, preserving soil moisture, and practically eliminating weeds, the red color bounces red light back at the growing plants, which in turn stimulates a natural hormone in the plants that increases the production of blossoms and therefore fruit. I always think that the plastic looks like a giant slip and slide and I'm super tempted to take a running start and see how far I can slide. Self control gets the better of me, though, and I'm able to practice restraint. Good thing, too, because Jeff might fire me if I went around sliding on and destroying our fresh beds.