We have had extreme heat and droughts summer. I have watered from our well to keep everything going. Why then are my tomatoes so late in ripening
The actual ripening, I think we are all impatient. Probably, it takes the same number of days each year, give or take a few. Flowering, pollination and that initial development of the fruit is probably hit or miss, every year. My ripe tomatoes are few although the plants are becoming laden with green fruit. Late spring and early summer weeks were characterized by such changeable weather, the plants were not comfortable ...
Do you remember the lettuce that was growing in the Chips Ahoy package? I transplanted them to a bed that has a lot of shade and they are growing!! In maybe a week I'll try to cut some for salad. I have NEVER had lettuce growing for a salad in August, before.
I remember the cookie bag of lettuce
. I also remember you making the recommendation to grow a fall crop of lettuce. That's common advice and must work well in many locations.
Weather here is arid. Late summer and fall days and nights have temperature swings of 30°f and more. Spring temperatures, with more moisture in the air, don't usually have that daily variation. Late season lettuce plants must be stressed and grow slowly. If conditions are "normal," I think lettuce is not locally our best choice. I'm making more of an effort in 2016 to find "potherbs" for late summer and fall. There is a packet of edible amaranth seed beside the back door, waiting to be sown this week, for example
. Hopefully, I'm not just relying on Asian greens from here on out ...
I swiped it from one of the kids plants while I was watering.
Teachers should treat students in an evenhanded manner. You should feel obligated to "sample" fruit from each student's garden
. Think of it as a "pop" quiz and report their grade. Yeah. Celebrate!
Steve
