A group of Junior Master Gardeners, their families and Master Gardeners Liz and Kathy gathered in the garden for one last harvest before the kids returned to school. We picked 83 pounds of produce and then capped off the evening with Dilly Bars and Fruit Pops at sunset! What a beautiful time of the day!
We were excited to find sweet corn ready to pick! We learned how to check for ripeness by carefully pulling back the corn silks to reveal nice-sized kernels and then checking their juiciness with a little poke. Those that were ripe we picked using our strong muscles! We remembered to pick only the sweet corn and not the popcorn. Not yet!
The tomatoes are ripening like crazy now, and we enjoyed finding so many varieties of color, shape and size! Those heirloom tomatoes the Junior Master Gardeners planted from seed back in April are now taller and wider than the kids! We did observe and wonder about the funny lines and cracks on some of the tomatoes we picked.
Growth cracks are often caused by fluctuations in water and fast-ripening in heat. Blossom end rot is a condition caused by a calcium deficiency. Catface is a funny name for a disorder that may be caused by cold temperatures in the flowering stage. The good news? All of the tomatoes we picked despite the funny lines and cracks are still good to eat!
The University of Minnesota Extension website has good photos and information about tomato disorders. Check it out! http://www.extension.umn.edu
- Contributed by Master Gardener Kathy Luoma
