In our current research project, “Strategies for Improving Biological Control of Insect Pests for Vegetable Growers Utilizing High Tunnels”, cut flower, pepper, and tomato harvest has started. The cut flowers have been harvested for the past three weeks, since the first of June, while pepper and tomato harvest began the middle of June. For grading purposes, total marketable fruit is counted and weighed, and the remaining fruits are sorted into different cull categories based on insect damage, cracking, pollination issues, blossom end rot, yellow shoulder, sunburn, and too small. 'Mountain Man' tomato cultivar appears to be setting fruit nicely. This cultivar has a taller growth habit than the other tomatoes being grown in the high tunnels at Dixon Springs.
As the crop load is increasing on the tomatoes in both the control and treatment tunnels, differences in plant growth and health have been observed. While we haven’t gathered any quantifiable data, the treatment tunnel (cover crops and cut flowers) has a darker green overall general appearance with better foliar coverage and less leaf mold symptoms than the control tunnel (no cover crop and no cut flowers). This issue contains more information on leaf mold in another article. Both tunnels are on the same fertilizer program and have received the same amounts of fertilizer since transplanting in April. The first tomatoes were harvested on June 14. Harvest data is being collected and will be analyzed at the end of the season to determine if any yield differences are discernable between the treatment and control plots.
Within the hydroponic tunnel, cucumber, tomato, pepper, strawberry, green bean, eggplant, and herb plots are harvested as needed throughout the week, some daily, some every other day, and some once per week. Small specialty melons have set several melons per plant but they still have a couple of weeks before they will be ready to harvest.
Sweet corn harvest began the third week of June from those that were able to get in early plantings, providing roadside stands with a good supply of corn before the July 4th holiday. Blueberry harvest began the first of June and is still continuing with midseason and late season varieties. Blackberries and peaches are also being harvested.
