GARDENING: Tomato woes continue in region: Why aren’t they ripening?

When temperatures are higher, pollen viability decreases. The result is reduced fruits developing and flower drop (due to lack of pollination). Temperatures below 59F will lead to poor fruit set and decreased yield.

The week of 90F temperatures slowed down the ripening and flower development. In addition, prolonged temperatures in this range negatively affected the overall plants, including their susceptibility to disease and insect pressures.

High humidity and lack of water also play a role. If you think about the recent June weather, it all comes together and explains the reason for tomato woes.

Overall, there is little you can do except wait it out. I am starting to see my cherry-type tomatoes ripen but my other canning and slicing tomatoes are nice and green. So far, no splitting from irregular watering or rainfall!

I am also dealing with critters this year like never before. First, it was the rabbits in the vegetable garden. They kept eating my young peppers, so I fenced the area with chicken wire. They somehow got inside and ate my second planting.

Either it’s something else sneaking in at night or the rabbits are living inside the fence. I lost my third planting as well. I put traps out, but the babies aren’t heavy enough to set them off. I am simply feeding them inside of the traps.

I love to make fresh Pico, spaghetti sauce and salsa during the summer. I need those peppers. So, I just about purchased a few new plants at $10 per plant. They were large plants, about a foot tall.

Then I started thinking about it from a mathematical standpoint. Peppers are in season in August and sometimes go on sale for 10 for $10. One pepper plant may or may not produce 10 peppers, however I have not had this happen.

Thus, why purchase a $10 plant when it’s easier to buy the peppers? After all, there is extra work involved in taking care of the plants, right?

I purchased a couple. There is nothing better than saying, “It’s made from scratch, with everything grown in the garden!”

Gardeners are truly resilient. Look under the definition of resilient in the dictionary and you will find a gardener. There is just something about the satisfaction of growing your own that outweighs the challenges.