On the Extension Line
Late summer crabgrass: time to let go? Chemical controls must be applied at the right time to be effective.
on the extension line
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On the Extension Line:How to Pick a Ripe Melon
Telling when a melon is ready to be harvested can be a challenge, or it may be quite easy. It all depends on the type of melon. Let’s start with the easy one. Muskmelons are one of those crops that tell you when they are ready to be picked. This can help you not only harvest melons at the correct time but also choose good melons when shopping. As a melon ripens, a layer of cells around the stem softens so the melon detaches easily from the vine. This is called “slipping” and will leave a dish-shaped scar at the point of stem attachment. When harvesting melons, put a little pressure where the vine attaches to the fruit. If ripe, it will release or “slip.”
On the Extension Line: Tomato Cracking
Tomatoes often have problems with cracking caused by pressure inside the fruit that is more than the skin can handle. Cracks are usually on the upper part of the fruit and can be concentric (in concentric circles around the stem) or radial (radiating from the stem). We don’t know everything about cracking but here is what we do know.
On the Extension Line: Brown County Fair
Be sure to check out the Brown County Free Fair in Horton, KS on July 12-18. A schedule of events can be found on our website: http://www.brown.k-state.edu/ along with this year’s Fairbook. You can also follow along on Brown Co 4-H and Brown County Kansas Fair Facebook page for results and pictures. This year’s fair theme is Blue Jeans & Country Dreams.
