Much of the St Louis Metro East received varying levels of rain on Father’s Day, with reports of rainfall from 0.2 to 2.5 inches. Many watched the doppler radar excitedly as rain appeared to be coming right at them, only to see the storm dissipate or skirt around them before finally getting any real rain, resulting in highly variable rain amounts from otherwise close locations. The region is still on the dry side and more rain is needed.
The asparagus and strawberry harvests are completed. Overall, the asparagus crop was reported as average to good, and the strawberry crop was reported as average to excellent. Cool spring conditions were good for an extended strawberry harvest window this year, but water was a limiting factor for those not irrigated.
In harvest now are black raspberries and early season peaches like ‘Desiree.’ Also in harvest from the field are various greens, green tomatoes, and zucchini. To clarify, some markets have a strong demand for mature green tomatoes over fully ripened tomatoes. Probably within the next week or week and a half, sweet corn and early-season blackberries like Natchez, Sweet-Ark™ Ponka, and Sweet Ark™Caddo will be in harvest.
The apple crop looks good overall. Some frost ringing is visible on select cultivars after the region experienced a freeze event on April 23, which was a 1-in-10-year event for that late of a freeze to have occurred.
Photo: Frost Ring on 'Gala' Apple. Photo courtesy of S. Miller.