April Seeding and Other Prep for May Market Open

This is the fourth blog in our series about planning ahead to open our seasonal on-farm market in May. We pick up from where we left off in March: https://www.chocolatesandtomatoes.com/post/march-2026-farming-more-high-tunnel-prep-more-seeding-and-seedling-field-transfers

Tomato and Cucumber Seedlings Planted in Tunnel

It finally got warm enough to plant the tomato and cucumber seedlings directly into the tunnel. We cut a unique hole into the fabric for each plant. That helps us cut down on weeds and to target the water directly to the plant.

Cucumber and Tomato Seedlings in High Tunnel at Chocolates and Tomatoes Farm

Caring for Previous Plantings

Even though it was warm enough overall to plant the tomato seedlings into the tunnel, we did have some nights that dipped below freezing and that still puts the tender seedlings at risk. We covered them with fabric a few times during April and early May just to be sure they would stay warm enough. The strawberry plants in the field were at-risk too. Although strawberry plants need the cold during certain stages, if the freeze kills the flowers, then the plants miss out on a fruiting cycle. We brought in more straw to protect them. (See May post for update.)

Adding straw to protect strawberries from freeze

Strawberry flowers on plant

Tomato seedlings in tunnel and half covered with fabric

Some Direct-to-Field Seeding Begins

In April, the soil in the field is finally warm enough for us to begin direct-seeding some plants that do better growing to maturity in the same soil rather than being transferred from place to place. That soil temperature is at least 40 degrees.

Although Farmer Mark uses the tractor to prepare the rows, some of the seeders we use are hand-walked. In these pictures, he is planting carrots! You put the seeds in the bucket (see far left). When you walk the seeder along, the ridge in the middle of the front wheel creates a small valley in the dirt, the bucket drops in the seed, the back wheel presses it in a little, and on the very back of the seeder is a little flap that smoothes the dirt over the seed. As you can see, by what Farmer Mark is wearing, it was still a bit chilly outside.

Seeds in seeder bucket

Handwalk seeder in field

Farmer Mark pushing seeder

More Seeding in Seed Trays

In April, we planted watermelon, squash, cabbage, broccoli, swiss chard, and tomatoes in seed trays. You might be thinking, didn't you already plant some of those things in a previous round? Yes!

• If we want you, the customer, to be able to buy cabbage, for example, in multiple months, then we need multiple rounds of plantings.

  • 1 seed = 1 head of cabbage so to give you 10 heads of cabbage in May, we plant 10 seeds at once; to give you another 10 heads of cabbage in July, we plant another 10 seeds a couple months later

  • In other words, part of planning ahead as a farmer is taking into account how long the customer buying season is, how much your customers will be willing to buy at once, and what months during the buying season will be optimal for growing, harvesting and selling.