If your tomatoes dropped their blossoms instead of setting eagerly awaited fruits, you’re not alone. The weather for the last month or so has been quite inhospitable for tomato fruit set.   Most plants have experienced colder temperatures than what is needed for pollination to be successful. In stark contrast, we had a brief period of unseasonably warm weather.   Warm-season crops, which include tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers and melons, require temperatures above 55…Read more about Spring Weather Unkind to Tomatoes[Read More]

As summer is nearing its end, gardeners will soon be harvesting their onions, which may just bring tears to their eyes.   Onions are ready to harvest when the tops bend over at the neck. Gently lift the plants out of the ground to collect the bulbs and avoid bruising the tender skins. For short-term storage, spread the plants in a single layer, leaving the tops attached, and air dry 2-3 days in a well-ventilated…Read more about Onions Can Bring You To Tears[Read More]

As you plant out your vegetable transplants and seeds in the garden, have you ever wondered what happens if you grow a zucchini squash next to a giant pumpkin? Do you end up with squashkins? Will planting cucumbers next to watermelons yield cucumelons?   These two examples are not likely to cross-pollinate one another, so the answer is probably “no.” Plants of different species usually do not cross-pollinate in nature. Cross-pollination does frequently take place…Read more about Squashkins and Cucumelons?[Read More]

A common complaint among vegetable gardeners is that their squash plants have a lot of flowers, but many of them just fall off without producing any fruit. This same observation can be made of cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and gourds, all of which are collectively known as “vine” crops to home gardeners. These plants are all members of the Cucurbitaceae family and are also commonly referred to as “cucurbits.” All of these vine crops produce separate…Read more about Squash Blossom Drop[Read More]