Tips for Tomatoes: How to Spot and Manage Blossom End Rot
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Blossom End Rot
Blossom end rot affects tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squashes. Plants with blossom end rot show small, light brown spots at the blossom end of immature fruit. The affected area gradually expands into a sunken, leathery, brown or black lesion as the fruit ripens. Hard, brown areas may develop inside the fruit, either with or without external symptoms. The blossom end rot is not associated with soil contact or with damage to other plant parts. Unaffected parts of the fruit are generally safe to eat.
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Pictured above: Start of blossom end rot on tomato fruit. | |
Pictured above: Sunken, leathery lesions on tomatoes. | |
Solutions
Blossom end rot results from a low level of calcium in the fruit and water balance in the plant. It is aggravated by high soil salt content or low soil moisture and is more common on sandier soils. To reduce rot, water carefully to keep soil moisture even at all times, make sure that the root zone neither dries out nor remains saturated. Follow recommended rates for fertilizers for your cultivar of tomatoes as some types of tomatoes are more affected than others. The blossom end rot is not caused by a pathogen; there are no pesticide solutions.
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Program Highlights: Youth Agricultural Education | |
Image courtesy of Maria Durana. | |
As passionate as the SF Recreation and Parks Department's Urban Ag team is about growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs, we are equally enthusiastic about growing young minds! Word on the street is that exposure to nature during childhood has many benefits for their health and well-being, which is why we are so excited to highlight this year's Summer Camp Urban Agriculture programming. Hosted at Alemany Farm, this camp field trip gives an opportunity for youth from all over the city to learn about agriculture in an urban setting.
Throughout the day, the young campers participate in a series of hands-on farm-based activities. To learn about where their food comes from, campers pick apples, grind wheat for bread, make their own butter, and try new fruits and vegetables. The campers get to meet some of the most popular urban livestock animals – goats, worms, and bees. Campers have time to get creative with art projects using natural materials, for example, pressing flowers into fabric to create patterns, a Japanese art technique called ‘Tatakizome’. They also get to make their own native wildflower seed balls for supporting pollinator health.
Kids that come to this program are invited to bring their parents back to family events on the farm and show them what they've learned. In this way, our youngest community members not only learn about farming, they learn about how our parks and gardens belong to them too.
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Image courtesy of Maria Durana. | |
Alemany Farm's 19th Annual Harvest Festival | |
Alemany Farm's 19th Annual Harvest Festival
When: October 26, 2024, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location: Alemany Farm 700 Alemany Blvd San Francisco, CA 94110
Cost: FREE
Gather your friends and family on this beautiful day and join us for Alemany Farm's 19th Annual Harvest Festival! This fun and FREE community event will include a multitude of activities fit for the whole family. Treat yourselves to a day of live music, face painting, garlic planting, pumpkin decorating, free food, and so much more!
Please Note: Onsite parking will not be available for our Harvest Festival event. We encourage folks to use public transit or pedal power. If you are driving to the farm, you will need to find parking in the vicinity. For directions and other info on visiting the farm, see our Get Involved page.
Interested in volunteering for the event? We could use some extra hands with a variety of activities and areas. Contact us at community.gardeners@gmail.com for more info and to sign up for a shift!
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September
Q&A Panel w/ the UCCE Master Gardeners
Got a burning question about gardening and need advice from an expert? Join the Master Gardeners for this pop-up Q&A panel for all general gardening topics.
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When: September 12, 2024, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
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Where: Golden Gate Park Senior Center Community Garden, 6101 Fulton St
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Cost: FREE
- Registration: Email us at communitygardens@sfgov.org
Garden For The Environment: Grow Your Own Food
In this in-person workshop, learn to take full advantage of the unique gardening climate in San Francisco, where you can grow your own fruits and vegetables year-round!
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When: September 14, 2024, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Where: Garden For The Environment, 1590 7th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94122
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Cost: $25-$50
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Registration: Click Here
Master Gardeners: School Gardens
School Garden Leaders -- come to learn and share ideas at our fall workshop
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When: September 21, 2024, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Where: Ortega Elementary School, 1283 Terra Nova Blvd. Pacifica, CA 94044
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Cost: $20
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Registration: Click Here
Garden For The Environment: San Francisco Native Plants For Birds
You can have a beautiful native plant garden that attracts amazing birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Learn about the benefits of local, native plants and some of the wonderful birds drawn to this place and to these plants.
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When: September 21, 2024, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Where: Garden For The Environment, 1590 7th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94122
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Cost: $25-$50
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Registration: Click Here
October
Deciduous Fruit Tree Care (Fig & Apple)
Maintaining your fruit tree's health is important for ensuring you continue to get abundant harvests year after year. Learn how to properly care for your fruit trees now that the harvest season is coming to an end. We will go over watering, pruning, pest control, and overall health checks.
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When: October 12, 2024, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
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Where: Park Street Community Garden, 20 Park St, San Francisco, CA 94110
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Cost: FREE
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Registration: Email us at communitygardens@sfgov.org
Sauerkraut Making
Bring your own jar and join us for this fun hands-on workshop where you can learn how to make your own delicious sauerkraut from our very own pickling expert and program director, Mei Ling!
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When: October 19, 2024, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Where: Ogden Terrace Community Garden, 601 Prentiss St, San Francisco, CA 94110
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Cost: FREE
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Registration: Email us at communitygardens@sfgov.org
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Gardening Tips from your
UCCE San Francisco Master Gardeners:
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What to Do in Your Garden |
August
- Maintain drip irrigation systems for most effective water use; check for leaks and missing or broken emitters.
- Continue sowing seeds for cool-season crops including beets, turnips, cabbage, radishes, broccoli, peas, kale, collard, spinach, arugula, and lettuces.
- Water citrus trees in containers once a week or more often in hot weather.
- Remove runners from strawberries to encourage buds for next year and to strengthen the plant.
- Plan your vegetable garden for crop rotation to avoid replanting the same types of plants - especially tomatoes and peppers in the same area for two consecutive seasons. If you don’t have enough room to rotate, carefully remove any “sick” plants from your garden and consider growing disease-resistant plant varieties.
- Prune fruit trees to control height, maintain shape, and eliminate suckers.
- This is the month to plant autumn bulbs such as autumn-flowering crocus (Crocus speciosus), meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale), and spider lilies (Lycoris).
- Fertilize azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, and rhododendrons with an acid-type fertilizer. Use a soil health-improving organic fertilizer for all plants in bloom.
- Prune berry vines after the fruit is harvested.
September
- Plant bulbs for spring colorful fall flowers (pansies, violas, mums, stock, snapdragons, cyclamen) and cool season vegetables: garlic cloves (2 inches deep and 3 to 6 inches apart).
- Fertilize azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons with organic fertilizer for acid-loving plants.
- Pull up veggie plants that are no longer producing; compost only those that show no sign of disease. Add disease-free garden waste, grass clippings, pruning material, and leaves to compost.
- Begin planting your winter garden to take advantage of the final longer days of fall to support the plant's early growth period. In November the sun drops lower and growth slows considerably.
- Turn compost to keep it moist. Cover before rains start to retain moisture; cover during rainy weather to avoid the pile becoming waterlogged.
- Check drainage systems. Install downspout diverters to direct runoff to landscape trees and plants. Watch for standing water near tree trunks and the root zone of trees; divert all standing water. Refresh the spring application of mulch to bring it to a depth of 2-3 inches.
- Clean and disinfect pruning shears that contact infected plants. Air dry and oil shears immediately after use to avoid corrosion.
- Organize tool shed and inventory supplies for the upcoming season.
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Manage weeds in the rainy season before they flower, using mechanical (non-chemical) methods such as cultivation, hand weeding, or mowing.
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Take all recommended steps to maintain fire safety. Fire danger remains high during dry, hot months.
October
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Plant California natives so they can get established through the winter months. Check the UC Davis Arboretum All-Star plant database for ideas. The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) website is another great resource.
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Reduce the watering time on irrigation controllers monthly by 25%. Consider turning off irrigation controllers if rain is adequate. New plantings should be irrigated regularly until they have become established. Comprehensive information about water conservation in irrigation is available through the University of California’s Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS).
- Avoid working on wet soil or using heavy equipment on wet soil, which can cause poor aeration and compaction.
- Add fallen leaves and plant debris to your compost pile, or leave them on the ground to serve as natural mulch.
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