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Are these things happening in your garden?

Has this summer gone by fast or does it seem like life is speeding up? One thing I will remember about this summer is that it has been hot and dry!!! So how has that affected things growing in your yard? Have you noticed some things are a bit wacky and not normal? You are not imagining that, things are not quite normal whatever that means these days.

The hot weather definitely affects yields in the vegetable garden. Another thing that I learned is that when the temps don’t cool down at night that also affects your plants. I thought when I saw them wilt down during the day that was the only heat related issue plants go through, but those warm temps at night affect them as well.

Your plants might look healthy, but not getting any vegetables - are you fertilizing too much.? One indication of that is way too much growth of the plant that is lush and green, but no fruit. Hot day and night temps cause flowers to drop off the plant and no fruit is formed. Tomatoes especially this summer have dropped flowers, when the temps at night are between 75 degrees and 85 degrees that will happen. And we have had nights that fit that category. Hot temps will also change the type of flowers plants produce ,which could be more or less female and male flowers. Many bees don’t like the hot weather, so they might not be there to aid in pollination.

Is this happening - I see fruit, but it is not getting ripe? Poor pollination could result in fruit that can’t grow. High nightime temps mean fruit doesn’t ripen. Interestingly, the pigment that turns tomatoes red is not produced when the temp is above 85 degrees! So fruit ripens in its own time, so we just need to be patient. Cooler weather will help these issues.

With summer coming to a close it also signals the start of Recruitment of the new Class of Master Gardener interns. Applications are now being accepted through October 01, 2022. The first step in becoming a Master Gardener is to fill out the application. This is the link to find the application - z.umn.edu/mg2023onlineapp. The application goes to the Master Gardener office in the local county Extension Office. We guide you through the process and get enrolled. The program consists of 2 parts - 50 hours of education that is done online from the first part of January through May, then you begin your 50 community service hours . After those parts have been completed within the year, you become an official Master Gardener. The Master Gardener groups in your county help you through the process and want you to succeed. It was one of the best decisions I ever made to become a Master Gardener over 20 years ago. You can reach out to me if you have any questions or if I can help in any way. Come join us!

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