Garden Pests

Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes

By this time of the year, most people are during tomato harvest. I have been noticing blossom end rot is showing up now.  This show up as a black or brown rotten area on the bottom of the tomatoes. There are several causes of this, all coming together at the same time.  The main causes are when watering is inconsistent, when temperature in either too hot or cool which interferes with water uptake, soil has a lot of clay or salt content, and during fruit set the calcium in the soil cannot maintain uptake to the fruit.

Prevention is the most method of control on blossom end rot.

Blossom end rot cannot be reversed on a tomato once it’s set in, but you can take these steps to slow and halt it. Add calcium to the soil before planting and preserve affected plants by applying calcium immediately. You can use products specifically developed to treat, prevent, and slow blossom end rot in tomatoes like Tomato Rot-Stop Follow package directions for application.

Pick affected fruit to reduce stress on the plant and allow it to direct its energy to other tomatoes.

You cut out spots on harvested fruit and eat remainder. Blossom end rot does not make the rest of the tomato inedible. However, if tomatoes have been infected by fungi or mold, discard them.

Also, Work in plenty of compost and organic matter into the soil before planting, so that the plant’s root system has a better chance to grow strong and deep. Add quick-release lime when planting tomatoes so that there’s plenty of calcium in the soil and it’s absorbed quickly. Tomatoes grow best when the soil pH is about 6.5. DO NOT OVERDOSE THE SOIL WITH TOO MUCH CALCIUM.

Keep your tomatoes’ water supply even throughout the season so that calcium uptake is regular. Tomatoes need 1-3 inches of water a week. They perform best when watered deeply a couple of times a week rather than superficially every day. The best prevention in mulch plants once established to maintain moisture levels. Once blossoms emerge, apply tomato fertilizer that is high in phosphorus (the second number in a fertilizer’s three-number series), like 4-12-4 or 5-20-Too much nitrogen (the first number) or large amounts of fresh manure can prevent calcium uptake.

If their plants are severely damaged by Septoria leaf blight, fruit size will be reduced, and further development and ripening will be slowed.

Heavy rain can also lead to fruit cracking as nearly mature fruit take up more water from the plant than they can really use. Harvesting fruit before it is fully ripe can help avoid the problem if more rain is expected. Certain varieties are more prone to cracking than others like Early Girl, so do some research on the varieties you select before planting next spring. They should mention that they are crack resistant.

Landscaping

Garden Art: Something from Nothing

Adding some garden art to your backyard does no require a lot of money, who doesn’t love something made from nothing? Gardens seem to be a natural home for all things re-used and up-cycled…it just seems to make nature happy, doesn’t it? And, it lets us be uber-creative as well… So, time to visit the local junk shop, because here are some ideas for garden art that will give personality to any yard, porch or garden!

Using old glass insulators on copper rigid tubes

Using old glass bottles on wooden dowels

Real Estate (Farm & Ranch Land)

Farm Credit Services of America Updates Benchmark Farm Values for First Half of 2018

Farm Credit Services of America Updates Benchmark Farm Values for First Half of 2018 in the grain belt states served by Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) appear to have adjusted to a new normal. Even with seasonal fluctuations, farmland values have remained generally consistent since 2015.

 

“Farmland values are largely dependent on geography and have adjusted to reflect their market’s current supply and demand,” said Tim Koch, chief credit officer for FCSAmerica, which tracks the values of 64 benchmark farms in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

 

Farmland values peaked in the last half of 2013 in FCSAmerica’s lending territory. Nearly five years later, Iowa has seen the largest drop in values at 17.8 percent, followed by Nebraska at 17.6 percent. South Dakota’s farmland is off 10.8 percent since it peaked in the fourth quarter of 2013.

 

Twelve benchmark farms in South Dakota showed no change in value, three increased and eight decreased in value.

 

FCSAmerica appraises its benchmark farms twice a year, in January and July. In addition, the cooperative compiles records from farmland sale in its four states. The cooperative’s objective in using the benchmark farms is to track real estate values without the influence of changes in land quality on sale prices.

 

Overall, farmland prices and the quality of land held steady through the first half of 2018. Public land auctions increased 56 percent in South Dakota, 23 percent in Iowa and 7 percent in Nebraska. However, the overall availability of farmland was unchanged from 2017, with private and realtor sales declining in each state.