Sprout Farm Newsletter August 15, 2026 sproutfarm.net open 9-5 daily

Hello Everyone,

What a difference a week makes! Last weekend we were swimming in a breathless heatwave and now we have those perfect summer temperatures that the snowbirds love. I put off some of my harvesting chores because it was either harvest the veggies or collapse from the heat. The veggies lost. This is perfect weather for the Falmouth Road Race and the crowds will be celebrating the race from Woods Hole to Falmouth heights. The race is one of those unique landmarks of summer on Cape Cod. Where else do you find a seven mile race?  Nowhere, just Falmouth.

We are seeing the end to some of our garden favorites. The second and third summer squash plantings didn't do as well as the first planting. Translation- we are out of our own summer squash and cukes. Jay will be bringing is some of these favorites from the Big Apple in Wrentham. You've trusted their peaches and apples for years, now you can enjoy some of their other crops. The sudden popularity in lettuce means that what we planted weeks ago is being harvested starting on Mondays and we are  sold out of lettuce by Friday. The process begins on Monday and goes until we run out of that row of lettuce. This is a first for us and we weren't prepared for changing our habits.

The greenhouses are finally producing a reliable amount of tomatoes. Our original tomato house is still producing some nice fruits but it takes a lot of climbing up and down the movable stairs to find what we need. I still don't understand why the horn worms only attacked one greenhouse and not all three. I'm not complaining, really. I'm just curious. I haven't seen any of them lately. The other two greenhouses are planted with determinate varieties so they are at ground level and much easier to harvest.

This is the time of year when we transplant our fall crop seedlings into the garden. I haven't looked into the seeding house to see what's growing but I see green things as I pass by and I keep hoping none of them are for me to transplant.

The chrysanthemums are still a few weeks away and we aren't selling them before they crack color. Jay concentrates on the mid-late season mums rather than the early varieties. The early ones are tempting but they don't seem to have the long lasting blooms of the later varieties.

While we do not sells spring bulbs I know some of you will be planting them soon. It is tempting to wait for them to go on sale but the best selection is always the beginning of fall and the bulbs benefit from the longer stay underground.

The kittens are four weeks old tomorrow. They are still under the desk and now under the bureau. Mom can't follow them there. They are beginning to come when called and they are attracted to light. They don't know it yet but they are going to be getting lots of light next week. Jay says it's almost time to move them to the sun room so they will have their own entrance to the porch and the living room. I was looking at the drapes this afternoon and wondering how many more kittens are going to use them for their first climbing lessons. The pulls and snags are almost invisible unless you know where to look. Today they climb the hamper, tomorrow the drapes. It is too early to see if we bring them outside before they go to their new homes. Watching kittens encounter grass for the first time is a caution. Their scamper slows down to a stop and sniff. Fortunately for them mom always welcomes them back after an outing in the great outdoors. The sun room is well stocked with kitten climbing posts and cat toys.  The furniture is more than well worn and perfect for kittens.  They wouldn't listened even if we did tell them to get off the chair, so we don't. 

That's all for now. Try to enjoy this spell of breathable weather before the next heatwave.

Stop by and see what we have growing for you,

Jay and Phyllis Sprout