Natalie Hoidal & Marissa Schuh After a cool, rainy week with some impressive storms, we finally have a few warm days ahead of us (and some really really hot weather in the forecast). This should give recently planted crops a chance to perk up and catch up. Potassium deficiency or salt stress? We received some photos of tomatoes growing in a high tunnel this week with yellow leaf edges and necrotic tips. Sounds like a potassium deficiency, right? But, the photos didn’t quite match a potassium deficiency. The edges of the yellow ring were too neat, and the tips more crispy than what you might expect from a potassium deficiency. We reviewed the soil tests and saw off the charts potassium (literally, the UMN soil lab caps reporting at 300 ppm). So what was the culprit? Soluble salts! Salt stress in high tunnel tomatoes. Anonymous grower submitted photo. We know from our study of 100 MN high tunnels that most high tunnels have more fertilizer than they need (fertilizer is l...
Madeline Wimmer-U MN Extension Fruit Production Extension Educator Apples : Growth stage: Apple fruits ranging from 25–40 mm wide Whole apple tree dieback June-bearing strawberries : Growth stage update: Fruit ripening and harvest Planning for field renovation and care during late-season dry spells Note on strawberry pest management resources Additional fruit crops: Growth stage highlights Pears, plums, and summer-bearing raspberries Serviceberries from budbreak to harvest Note to readers: This is the 9th fruit update of the season—can you believe it!? The newsletter will be on pause next week, with the next update planned for the following week. In the meantime, previous issues remain available for reference, along with the Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide and the UMN Extension website for fruit farming and general fruit growing . Madeline Wimmer UMN Extension Fruit Production Educator Apples: Growth stage update: Apple fruits ranging from 25–40 mm wide Image: Zestar gr...