There has been a great deal of uncertainty this summer. In June, temperatures soared to 100 degrees. There was little or no rain. Home gardens were ravaged by the weather. As hot as ever, July followed June. The temperatures began to drop at the end of July and into August, and rain began to fall. It’s been quite a backward year. Growing a home garden was definitely challenging due to all of these factors. However, August has arrived. The rainy and cooler weather does not help produce ripen. Is there anything we can do? To speed up the ripening process, here are a few tips [1].
- Cut off all new growth. Too much energy is going to produce new fruit instead of ripening the fruit that is already there.
- Next, cut off any new blossoms. I have been seeing plants that went dormant due to temperature and lack of water, begin blooming as though it were spring. Simply break the new growth off. Larger new growth may require pruners.
- For tomatoes, pinch off the suckers. This is new growth coming up between branches.
- Pinch off tiny fruit. Eliminating small fruit will allow energy to go to the other fruit, making them larger.
- Possibly prune off leaves. Obviously, leave some leaves on. But a strong, healthy plant can afford to lose some leaves.
Simply because the weather is not cooperating does not have to mean trouble. Try to work with the weather to grow the best from your garden.
Notes:
- ^https://getbusygardening.com/tomatoes-not-ripening/ (go back ↩)
