Harvesting the Fruits of Your Labor
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Some of my favorite childhood memories are of summertime picnics in the backyard with my family. Good food, good laughs and, come August, lots of watermelon. It was just the right treat at the end of a hot summer’s day.
Melons belong to the cucurbit family, which includes squash, pumpkins and cucumbers. Recently, I was asked by a gardener new to growing melons how you can tell when they are ripe. Picking a melon at its peak flavor relies on harvesting at the right stage of maturity. For watermelon, some gardeners use the old “thumping” technique. They thump or tap the melon. If a hollow or dull sound is heard, then the melon is considered ready. However, not the most dependable method to test for ripeness. A more reliable way to determine proper harvest time is when the underside or “ground spot” turns from a greenish white to a yellowish or cream color. Ripe watermelons also tend to lose their glossy look and take on a dull appearance. Plus, watch for the tendrils nearest the melon to curl and turn brown.
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Keep an Eye Out for Tomato Disorders this Summer |
As we finish out July and head into August, gardeners are looking forward to harvesting their tomatoes. Tasting that first, freshly picked tomato is a joy every tomato grower knows. But this is also the time to keep a look out for some common disorders that may show up on tomato plants. These are issues not caused by disease but rather by environmental stresses.
One common disorder is blossom end rot. Blossom end rot is characterized by a sunken, dark area at the blossom end of the tomato. It often occurs on developing fruit during times of hot, dry weather. It tends to have the greatest impact on the earliest-maturing fruit. Blossom end rot results from the plant being unable to provide enough calcium to the fruit as its growing. Calcium can become deficient when there is a wide fluctuation in soil moisture. Although blossom end rot means that the plant does not have enough calcium within the developing fruit, it does not mean that there is a lack of calcium in the soil.
The best way to prevent blossom end rot is to avoid irregular watering. Consistent, uniform watering will help keep a steady flow of calcium from the soil to the fruit. Apply mulch to retain soil moisture between watering and avoid large applications of nitrogen fertilizer. As mentioned, it’s the first fruit formed that is usually affected, fruit that develops later in the season on the same plant can be fine.
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Soldier Beetles in the Garden |
A wonderful thing about the community garden I participate in is that together with vegetables, garden plots are often peppered with an assortment of flowers. As I wandered through the gardens the other day, I couldn’t help but notice how alive it was with the movement and sounds of insects. One insect that caught my attention is the soldier beetle.
We usually see the goldenrod soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus, also called the Pennsylvania Leatherwing. The adult goldenrod soldier beetle is dark yellow in color and reaches about ½-inch in length. It sports a black head with a black spot behind the head. It also has a black, oval-shaped spot on each wing cover. August and September are the months we see the adults most active in the garden.
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Timely factsheets for the Home Garden |
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Beef x Dairy Management Workshops |
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, in cooperation with the UW-Madison Animal and Dairy Science Department, will be hosting four in-person Beef X Dairy-focused workshops from July 29 – August 1, 2024. These workshops will provide Wisconsin’s dairy producers and cattle feeders with research-based information on nutrition, feedlot management, and carcass composition for beef x dairy crossbred cattle. Our featured speaker will be Jerad Jaborek, Beef Feedlot Systems Educator with Michigan State University, who has conducted research on beef x dairy crossbred cattle. Other topics will cover research at UW-Madison, and with cooperating farms, spanning from conception to consumption of beef x dairy crossbreds.
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Pesticide Applicator Training |
Training manuals are only available for purchase through the University of Wisconsin Pesticide Applicator Training state office in Madison. Local county extension offices do not have manuals for sale for any training category. You need to purchase your training manual from the state office https://patstore.wisc.edu/secure/collection/private/17 and scroll down to the Private Applicator Training section and then “General Farming”, “Fruit Crops”, or “Greenhouse and Nursery. If you need to order via a paper form to order your manual, please contact the Extension Office.
Cost is $43.00 for the training manual. When you receive your training manual, you will also be provided more information about training options. These training options are also listed below. You must purchase the manual before taking any training or testing options.
1. Online Video Training. These online videos can take the place of in-person or ZOOM training for the General Farm category. They will cover the same material as the in-person sessions. You will need to have a computer, a good internet connection, email, and audio capabilities. You will be sent a link to the training. Once started you have 14 days to complete the training. You will receive one completion certificate that must be shown to the test proctor to be graded at 50%. You will need to take the Exam in person at a participating County Extension Office or online with Pearson VUE (see item 4.). You can register at here and need to have purchased the manual https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d4DVfjmVBmP1ZRA You have 14 days to complete the training once you start the training.
2. A self-study option, is also available. For this option, you need to order the manual and when ready to take the test, contact a county extension office to set up an appointment to take the certification test. This option requires a passing score of 70%.
3. If interested in taking the test online, an option exists with a private company. Pearson Vue provides your results immediately and you get your credentials within 3 business days. Tests with Pearson Vue are $45.00 per test. https://patstore.wisc.edu/secure/collection/private/17
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This newsletter is a contributional effort from the following UW-Madison Extension Educators:
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An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.
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