Extending Your Tomatoes at the End of the Season

Photo taken October 25, 2014 by E.J. Bennet

We’ve had several Master Gardeners in the past few years give us tips on extending and preserving the last crops of tomatoes. Their advice is still sound and worth trying. Thanks to E.J. Bennet, Joyce D’Agostino, and Carol King.

Speed Ripening

If you want to maximize your tomato output through the first frost, follow these steps in late August or early September to speed-ripen them on the vine:

Time to Divide Your Iris by Vicky Spelman

Photo:  Pixabay

It’s hard to beat Iris in your landscape with the numerous species and cultivars in almost every shade of color imaginable.  Plus, the foliage adds texture and interest to garden spaces even when the flowers aren’t in bloom.  

Growing Your “Third Season” Crops By Joyce D’Agostino

Leafy Greens Photo: Colorado State University

By now, many gardeners are enjoying the bounty of their warm season vegetables such as tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers. However we do know that these vegetables do not tolerate frosts well and their production will be done in the fall.

If you would like to continue to harvest into the fall, there is still time to plant a few hardy garden crops. Many of these vegetables are very nutritious and will help extend your garden harvests even after some frosts.

My Vegetables Are Too Hot! by Nancy Shepard

Shade screen over vegie garden. Photo by Nancy Shepard

With recent hot weather hitting 96 degrees before 10 am, I knew my vegetable garden would struggle. I remembered a presentation on growing vegetables in Colorado by Darrin Parmenter with CSU Extension in La Plata County several years ago. I was surprised to learn that tomato plants fail to produce if daytime temperatures get above 90 degrees by 10 am. He said the blossoms would abort their attempt to produce fruit. He also said that peppers were similar to tomatoes with mild peppers' optimal temperatures between 65-90 degrees and hot peppers' optimal temperatures between 75-90 degrees. And even my heat-tolerant lettuces will start to bolt and become bitter when temperatures are above 80 degrees.