The determinate tomato crop from the high tunnels at DSAC was picked out by the second week of August, which is a bit earlier than normal. A few late season fruits have set on the very tops of the plants, but I doubt they will amount to much of a harvest. The indeterminate tomato plants were removed from the high tunnel on July 15. While they could have continued to produce fruit, the time and labor of keeping them pruned and trellised to the single string while also keeping harvest aisles open was not worth the effort. Late season onions were planted back into the empty rows. Bell peppers are still producing fruit, and another large harvest is expected within the first week of September.
While we did have the typical issues with aphids, thrips, and stink bugs, the various worm populations (fruit worm, horn worm) seemed to be at higher levels and present for a longer period. Scouting began right after transplant, and weekly sprays began within the next couple of weeks. Sprays have been needed throughout the entire growing season and will need to continue until the last of the peppers are harvested.
For those planting annual plasticulture strawberries, field preparations and bed shaping should be underway if not already completed. Transplants in southern Illinois are typically set between September 10 and 15, and with the forecasted heat the first half of September, amble bed moisture will be necessary to ensure the new plug plants are off to a good start.
Another reminder for those with perennial plantings that set fruit buds in the fall for next season’s crop (blueberries are a great example), make sure to provide sufficient water over the next month or so. The September heat coupled with reduced rainfall may quickly remove moisture from the soil that those plants need to set a full load of future fruit.