Authors: Natalie Hoidal & Marissa Schuh This week has brought some needed relief from drought, heat, and wildfire smoke. Temperatures have dropped dramatically and conditions have been excellent for field work, allowing farmers to catch up on weeding and all of the other tasks that got delayed due to weather in July. We are officially transitioning into fall planning mode: planning for the shift towards more disease pressure that comes with cool nights, planning for fall planting, and wildlife pests becoming more of a problem as harvest for crops like melons and sweet corn arrives. Scout and prep for an uptick in diseases We finally have weather that is pleasant to experience. The catch of the cool morning is an uptick in dew on plants – which can provide the wet conditions fungal diseases need to get established, as well as the water needed for bacterial diseases to move around. Continue to scout weekly – when scouting, make sure you check the oldest leaves and the densest parts ...
Author: Natalie Hoidal, Reviewed by: Cindy Tong & Charlie Rohwer Melons are one of the trickiest plants to grow, because the guidelines around harvest are confusing and often contradictory. I often hear growers express frustration because their melons seem ripe but don’t have much flavor, or because they spoil faster than they should. This article presents an overview of ripening, as well as harvest and storage tips for melons, watermelons, squash, and pumpkins. Some ripening basics Fruit and vegetables are typically assigned to two categories that define their ripening behaviors: Climacteric: Climacteric fruits and vegetables continue to ripen off the vine. They experience a rapid increase in respiration during ripening. They also often produce a hormone called ethylene after harvest, which can speed up ripening and senescence. If eaten at an immature stage, these fruits and vegetables taste bland, and the texture is often not as soft as it is meant to be. If left at room tempera...