Tip of the Week: Is it time to harvest your onions?

"Neck rot is a disease of onions caused by a fungus called Botrytis"  It can be prevented before harvest so you ensure you won't see it creep in while storing your onions.

So when do you pull your onions out of the ground?!

"Onions should be harvested when the tops of about half the plants in the garden or field have fallen over. This is a sign that the onions are mature and need to be pulled out of the ground, keeping the foliage attached. (If you wait too long, the bulbs may sunburn without the foliage to protect them. )

The next, and most important step, is to allow the foliage to dry completely before removing it from the bulb. If green foliage is cut from the bulb and the bulbs are not dried, a soft rot such as Botrytis can easily set in soon after storing." -Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

Leave the onions out to dry in a shady place. Once you are sure the tops of the onions are dry, remove them and store in the onions in a cool, dry spot. Avoid plastic bags or bowls; they don't get enough air circulation in either option. 

Tip of the Week: Why Tomatoes Crack

"Cracks or splits can happen in tomatoes either in a circular pattern (concentric) or they may radiate out from the stem. Tomatoes crack when the skin of the tomato does not stretch enough to accommodate growth or internal pressure. Cracking may happen when the tomatoes are green, but most often happen as the fruit nears maturity.The most common cause of cracking is irrigation practices that lead to wide fluctuations of soil moisture from very dry to very wet. An influx of water after a dry spell causes the fruit to quickly expand and ultimately crack. Mulching the soil under the plants can help to regulate soil moisture.

Cracking may also happen when tomatoes are pruned too early, exposing fruit to the heat of the sun. The fruit suddenly heats up during the day and cools relatively quickly at night. The temperature differential is bigger than it would have been had the fruit been shaded. The resulting expansion and contraction of the epidermis and its cells can result in cracking.

To manage cracking, the first step is to start with varieties that are less susceptible to splitting. According to Kansas State University, Mountain Spring, Mountain Pride, Mountain Fresh, Floralina and Sun Leaper are smaller-vined types that have shown good resistance to cracking. Resistant varieties and maintaining soil moisture and fertilization will help to prevent cracking."- Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

 Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

Take a Tour of the Salt Lake County Jail Garden!

So you've been hearing all about our Salt Lake County Jail program, how the inmates then bring and sell the produce at the downtown farmer's market, but what does their garden look like? Well now you can see for yourself! Click the picture for details.




Charles Martin, front, and Marciano Estrada spread mulch for the Horticulture Program at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013. (Ravell Call, Deseret News)

Tip of the Week: Cucumber Beetles

"The western striped and western spotted cucumber beetles both occur in Utah, and feed on leaves, flowers, and fruit rinds. Both species begin activity in the spring, and are around for most of the summer. They are in their second generation now, actively feeding on the skins of watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkin, and cucumber. The ripest vegetables are most attractive to feeding.

The first step in managing these beetles is to monitor for their presence. Examine all plant parts including undersides of leaves, at least once/week, starting when vegetables begin to ripen. No thresholds have been set for mature plants, but in general, 4-5 beetles per plant may warrant attention. Keep in mind that most mature plants can support substantial numbers without serious damage.

Three alternatives to an insecticide application are to hand pick beetles (and drop in soapy water), use strips of yellow sticky traps baited with a cotton ball soaked in clove or cinnamon oil, or spray the plants/melons with Surround (kaolin clay), which acts as a deterrent."- Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

Tip of the Week: Tomato Bacterial Spots

Although rare because here in Utah, are climate is not humid and moist much of the time, we still can be affected by tomato bacterial spot. There have been a few cases this summer.

"Bacterial spot can infect tomato and peppers, and although spots can occur on both leaves and fruit, they are most commonly found on fruit. Spots are brown to black in color, circular, and surrounded by a yellow halo. They are slightly sunken and scabby.

The pathogen that causes this disease may be introduced to a field on infected seeds or transplants. It can then survive up to a year on plant debris that was infected the prior year. The pathogen becomes active once temperatures heat to the 80s and 90s, and when several hours of moist conditions occur. The bacteria are splashed onto leaves and fruit, causing infections. If conditions stay moist, new infections will continue until the plants are removed." - Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

What to do about it?

The IMP advisory says that it's all about good sanitation around the tomato plant. Remove weeds in the garden. When watering, avoid the foliage of the plant. Try to water right at base of the plant. Use mulch to help avoid splashing when watering. Pruning helps create good air flow, allowing the soil at the base to dry in between waters. It's good to pull off the bottom leaves of the tomato plant. Lastly, remember to stake up the plant as it grows. Keep the branches and foliage off the ground.

Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

Tip of the Week: Beetleaf Hopper and Curly Top Virus

"Curly top can be a devastating disease, because it survives in a wide range of weed hosts, is easily spread, and difficult to manage. The leafhopper picks up the virus while feeding on infected weeds in spring. When weeds dry down, the leafhopper migrates to irrigated gardens and rangeland. A leafhopper can spread the virus from one plant to the next in 4 hours. A leafhopper can vector the virus for the duration of its life, but it does not pass on the virus to its progeny."- Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

"Symptoms vary according to the host plant, but in general, newly infected plants show inward or downward rolling of margins on the youngest leaves that is often associated with chlorosis, and plant drooping. Later, leaf curling and distortion increases, veins swell, and wart-like bumps appear on the undersides of leaves. Leaves are dark, thick, and brittle. The plant is stunted and eventually may die."- Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

Organic treatment options are as follows:

• Growers in areas that face continual virus infections should plant varieties labeled as resistant. Trials in southern Utah showed that the resistant labeled varieties Rowpac, Roza, Salad Master, and Colombian, fared well.

• Plant at a higher than normal density to lower the probability that every plant will be infected, allowing some plants to survive without decimating the entire field.

• Using remay (a white mesh fabric) over plants will prevent beet leafhopper feeding.

All of the information above can be found at the link below! Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

Tip of the Week: Spider Mites. Yuck!

I contemplated what to post this morning and then the light bulb went off. More than 10 people have come in our office this week to talk to our Master Gardener's about Spider Mites. Yuck!

"When conditions are hot, dry, and dusty, a complete generation from egg to adult may take as few as 7 days, allowing them to build from a few to many hundred on a single plant. As mites feed, they suck the chlorophyll from plant cells, causing stippling on the leaf surface. Severe infestations result in leaf burn, leaf distortion, and reduced yields. Keep in mind that some pesticides, such as pyrethroids, carbaryl, and imidacloprid, can actually increase spider mites by killing predators or by increasing the reproductive rate of the mites. When treating mites, choose products that are targeted toward this pest. Manage dust build-up on leaves, water plants down regularly." - Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

*Remember, in some cases, water can be your best friend. A lot of pests are small and can't handle high amounts of water.*

Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

New Posts Every Week!

Have you kept up to date with delicious recipe ideas for your fresh produce? What about looking into the forecast to be ready for if and when your garden sees a common Utah pest?

Don't forget to check out these pages of our blog. You'll find them updated weekly!

Thanks for the support!

Tip of the Week: Earwigs

"Earwigs are becoming quite a problem for Utah vegetable growers. The vegetable garden/farm, because it is a moist environment often surrounded by drier conditions, has lots of succulent plant tissue to feed on and many places for these insects to hide. We are entering the period where their populations are starting to peak, with a decline toward mid September." - Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetable IPM Advisory

Things you can do to keep your earwig count down:

·  Do not over water, or plant too tightly

·  Remove earwig hiding spots in the garden, such as old debris, mulch, and weeds, and cultivate the soil.

·  Trap earwigs:

• Lay traps of rolled cardboard on the ground at the base of plants. Clean out or replace traps daily (each morning). If reusing, dump earwigs in a bowl of soapy water. Rolled damp newspaper or sections of hose also work. Adding wheat bran inside the trap improves effectiveness.
• Place small tuna or cat food cans filled with oil (fish oil or bacon grease + vegetable oil) just below the soil line near plants; replace regularly

Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

Fresh Fruit Portal Digs our Prison Gardening Program!

Another article surfaced to inform more of the public about our prison gardening program at the Salt Lake County Jail.

“Certain fields of the green industry are a good option for some of these guys. We can’t forget that a lot of these guys have a felony charge and that does make finding a job harder. There are a lot of fields where that kind of mark on the record is an immediate out.”- Katie Wagner


Read the full article here!

Tip of the Week: Don't let thrips get you down!

"Onion thrips are the most destructive pest of onions in Utah, not only for their heavy feeding, but because they vector the iris yellow spot virus. They thrive in hot, arid conditions. Feeding symptoms include whitish streaking of the foliage, plant wilting, and during July and August (when bulbs are rapidly enlarging), reduced bulb size due to loss of plant vigor."- Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetables IPM Advisory

Don't let the thrips get you down! There are some great resistance techniques that are completely organic. If you already see them, use your hose to spray a hard stream of water on your plants. Spraying heavily will dislodge and drown them. By applying straw mulch, you can severely reduce thrip populations. To avoid thrips in the future, plant your onions with your carrots. Companion planting is a great way to avoid pests!

Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

Tip of the Week: Squashing Squash Bugs

Now that your squashes are beginning to blossom and some may even be producing, it's time to watch out for squash bugs. In areas of heavy eating, leaves and plants will wilt and eventually die if the numbers become excessive. Physical monitoring from you can play a huge help. Look on the undersides of your squashes' leaves for eggs. Use duct tape to remove them!

Squash bugs hatching

"It is very important to monitor for eggs (look on the undersides of leaves at V’s of leaf veins) because when they hatch, the nymphs are very easy to treat (or, remove the eggs altogether). Nymphs will often feed in clusters on the undersides of leaves and sometimes on the developing fruit. As they get older, they disperse and are more difficult to treat. They feed by sucking plant juices, causing yellow speckling and browning." -Utah State Extension Small Fruits and Vegetables IPM Advisory

Removing eggs with duct tape

Sign up to receive this and more weekly IMP advisories by visiting USU Extension!

Organic Forecast's garden tips page is officially up and running!

Have you been waiting to see your weekly tips about pest management and how to keep your garden still organic?!

Well, our Organic Forecast page here on the blog is up and running! The first tip has been posted.

Check in weekly for new garden tips!

Fresh Produce, Fresh Start for Salt Lake County Inmates

Another great article about the garden program at the Salt Lake County Jail!

Click here for the full article.

Salt Lake County Jail Gardener

Building an Army of Natural Enemies to Defeat Pests!

In Edible Wasatch's Summer 2013 newest magazine, Katie Wagner of our horticulture department here at Utah State Extension, wrote an educational and creative article on how to attract the natural enemies we all so desire in our garden. She writes, "This is accomplished through three simple steps: 1) plant shelter and food plants, 2) reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides toxic to natural enemies, and 3)grow a diverse garden."

Read the full article by clicking the image below! Find a hard print copy of the magazine at local stores near you. Visit the website to find out more!

USU Extension's Inmate Gardening Program makes local news!

It's true! Utah State University Horticulture Extension runs a garden program here at the Salt Lake County Prison!

Katie Wagner, an assitant horticulture professor, teaches these minimal security inmates how to grow organic vegetables, how to control pests in the garden, and what to keep an eye out for throughout the growing season through multiple classes at the jail.

This program allow the inmates to learn something valuable while 'doing their time' behind bars. They are rewarded by being allowed to take part in the program and work outside in the garden a few hours a week. Once harvesting begins, you will see a handful of them at the Downtown Farmers Market selling their produce. And trust me, it's all delicious!

It's not about making money for the prison, says Sgt. Mike Johnson, Salt Lake City Prison. Learn more about why this program is so rewarding for the prisoners by visiting the video below.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Inmates-grow-sell-produce-at-farmers-market/QsEyy3rr5U6amSxC2ITwkw.cspx

A Tradgedy for an Important Pollinator

A sad tradgedy concerning over 25,000 bumble bees dead in a parking lot in Orgeon was traced back improper use of pesticides.

Here is a letter sent to all of Utah State extension from an Entomologist and a professor from Utah State concerning the matter:

All:

You may have already heard this news, but if not, I wanted to make you aware of a large bumble bee kill in Oregon.  The insecticide Safari (dinotefuran) as was applied as a foliar treatment to linden trees in bloom to control aphids.  Please get the word out to your clientele of the danger to bees of applying insecticides to trees/plants in bloom.  This was a misuse of the product because the label was not followed. 

Thank you,

Diane

Diane G. Alston

Entomologist and Professor
Utah State University
5305 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT  84322
Voice: 435-797-2516
diane.alston@usu.edu
www.utahpests.usu.edu

The EPA notified OPMP this morning regarding a large bumble bee kill in Oregon involvinga landscaper using a pesticide to control aphids in linden trees at a Target parking lot.  EPA has been notified that as of last night (8pm ET), the State of Oregon has issued a 180 day “don’t use” moratorium on the product.  The investigation is ongoing. This event indicates a need to remind users of pesticides about the absolute importance of reading and following the label – and to pay particular attention to WARNINGS.  While this was not a result of an agricultural application and was an urban use, the EPA has asked if OPMP can work thru the land grant system to get the word out through extension and education offices to reinforce this very important message to the agricultural community.  EPA is contacting their stakeholders.

With agricultural production in full swing all across the country, OPMP requests your assistance through outreach and education to remind all users of pesticides of the importance of following the label.  This helps to ensure good pest management while protecting wildlife, their habitat, and the environment.  It is especially important that urban gardeners and homeowners, who may not be as familiar with the content of the label, have access to this important information.  We are requesting your assistance in communicating this information to your communities.  Information could include the following:

                                                                                                                                                                                          

Use of any pesticide in any way that is not consistent with label directions and precautions is illegal. It may also be ineffective and dangerous. The basic steps in reducing pesticide risks are:

·         Choose the form of pesticide best suited to your target site and the pest you want to control:

o   First, identify the problem correctly and then, choose the least-toxic pesticide that will achieve the results you want and be the least toxic to you and the environment.

o   When the words “broad-spectrum” appear on the label, this means the product is effective against a broad range of pests. If the label says “selective,” the product is effective against one or a few pests.

o   Read the label before buying the pesticide, read the label before mixing or using the pesticide each time, and read the label before storing or disposing of the pesticide.

·         Determining the right amount to purchase and use: do not assume that using more pesticide than the label recommends will do a better job. It won’t.

·         Find the signal word—either Danger, Warning, or Caution on the pesticide label. The signal word tells you how poisonous the product is to humans.

·         Choose the form of pesticide (aerosol, dust, bait, or other) best suited to your target site and the pest you want to control. Certain formulations work better for some pests and/or some target areas than others

·         Using the product safely and correctly:

o   Never apply pesticides outdoors on a windy day (winds higher than 10 mph)

o   Wear protective clothing, don’t smoke or eat

o   Mix and apply only the amount you need

o   Watch for negative effects on wildlife (birds, butterflies, and bees) in and near treated areas. If you see any unusual behavior, stop using that pesticide, and contact EPA’s Pesticide Incident Response Officer

·         Store and dispose of pesticides properly.

o   Follow all storage instructions on the pesticide label.

o   Always store pesticides in their original containers, complete with labels that list ingredients, directions for use, and first aid steps in case of accidental poisoning.

State and local laws regarding pesticide disposal may be stricter than the federal requirements on the label. Be sure to check with your state or local solid waste agency before disposing of your pesticide containers.

Summer Organic Gardening Workshops!

Join USU Extension's horticulture assistant professor, Katie Wagner, every Sunday morning at Wheeler Farm to cover many topics about organic, backyard gardening. No registration is required and every workshop is free and open to the public.

This is the time to get some answers about your own garden too! The heart and soul of USU's Horticulture Extension office is to educate and answer our followers questions.  So bring your morning coffee, a lawn chair, and a desire to learn everything organic! Hope to see you there!

A Guide to Common Gardening Questions

This user-friendly guide provides basic, research-based recommendations for successful vegetable and fruit production in Northern Utah. Sections include Garden Preparation, Garden Soil, Garden Maintenance, and Nutritional Benefits. CLICK HERE to order your copy!

The publication includes a chapter on garden preparation, including sections on getting started and site selection, variety selection, garden layout and planting, starting garden plants from seed, container gardening, raised bed gardening and season extension. Chapter two, garden soil, includes sections on garden soil and soil testing, three common soil problems, organic matter, soil amendment, backyard composting and compost pile construction. Chapter three, garden maintenance, includes sections on garden fertilization, garden irrigation, pest control and disease avoidance, weed control, insecticide and herbicide application and fall-time garden turn down. The final chapter, nutritional benefits and resources, includes information on nutritional benefits of a garden and USU resources and cited fact sheets. Pages: 116 | Size: 8.5 in x 5.5 in

'Heirloom Beans' a featured article in Edible Wasatch

"Heirloom Beans: Delicious, Nutritious and not so Ambitious" was one of the featured articles in the Winter 2012-2013 issue of Edible Wasatch. CLICK HERE to view the entire issue.