High Tunnels

Tomato harvest has been steady but less than mid-summer for the past three weeks mainly due to a more moderate flower set and fruits ripening slower, creating a reduction in overall fruit load compared to July. Peppers are continuing to size well and have allowed for a once per week harvest time...

Northern Illinois Orchards OpenApple season begins toward the end of August. Most orchards have announced their openings for the weekend of August 23rd, with almost all open by August 30th. This timing is driven largely by 'Zestar!', a...

Conditions in far southeastern Illinois have been similar to those around the St. Louis area as far as heat and high humidity levels. The sustained, elevated humidity along with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s have created conditions with heat index values ranging from 105 to 110 degrees...

WeatherJuly was wet, stormy and hot. End of story. But really, some farms received excessive amounts of rain all at once that left them with temporary flooding conditions that was then combined with days of heat. Between July 10-11, parts of northern Illinois received 3-5 inches of rain. Some...

No-till cover crop observationsPredator insects continue to thrive in the treatment tunnel (cover crops + cut flowers), including the many small spiders. The number of webs within all the tomato and pepper plants is impressive, especially as pest insects can be observed stuck in the webs. The white...

WeatherJune began with much-needed rainfall, with most areas receiving 1-3 inches over three days. Temperatures remained consistent at the start of the month, ranging from 70-80°F during the day and dropping to the 50s at night, accompanied by periodic showers and storms across the region. However...

Tomato and pepper harvests began during the middle of June, but the last week of June really saw an increase in ripe tomatoes. Typically, with transplants set out the first week of April, tomato harvest begins in late June, but the first really big pick is around July 6 or 7. This year I think the...

Mechanical termination of the annual ryegrass cover crop has continued to be a problem in the treatment tunnel. Some of the annual ryegrass plots have continued to regrow even after two cuttings. These last two cuttings were a challenge because the tomato transplants were already set and tied with...

Tomato and pepper transplants have been planted in all three high tunnels at DSAC. The control tunnel, no cover crop or cut flower treatments in last 4 years, was planted with tomatoes on April 9 and peppers on April 18. The treatment tunnel, cover crop and cut flower plots established the past 4...

Vegetable transplants are growing well in the greenhouse and should be ready for planting within our high tunnels in the next 2 to 3 weeks. Peaches are in bloom and the summer apple variety in my front yard was at tight cluster. In partnership with our local high school FFA clubs, we hosted another...