It seems this year more than ever we have received multiple calls about gardens just not producing or my garden just does not look good. Think back to the extremely wet spring and the short window of time you had to get plants into dry soil, not many plants/seeds do well when planted in wet chilly soils, they might grow but will never thrive. A soil test is a good investment to know what you have to start with as far as soil nutrients.  OSU Extension in Fairfield County can assist you with soil testing.  Call OSU Extension for details at 740-653-5419. You are not alone, many folks are struggling with garden issues due to our wet cool spring.

Have a tree that you pass regularly that you always wonder “what is that?”  Own a woodland and want to know exactly what trees you have? Name That Tree is the class for you!  This class is slated for 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at Coyote Run (Tabernacle)  9212 Pickerington Road, Pickerington. The cost for the program is $40 which includes lunch. For registration details go to https://woodlandstewards.osu.edu/. Please note registration closes Aug. 1. 

If you are concerned about losing flowers from your squash and zucchini, read on.

The male flowers bloom first and fall off the plant.  Then a week or so later both male and female flowers will bloom.  Male flowers are on long skinny stems called peduncles and at the base of the female flower is a swollen ovary or fruit.  It is important to have insect activity during the bloom time.  The blossoms stay open for about 4 hours and if they do not get pollinated in the time frame that they are open they will not produce a fruit, or it will be misshapen due to lack of pollination.

These plants can be hand pollinated with a small paint brush if there is a lack of pollinators. 

Other conditions can cause a plant to not produce fruit.  If it’s too hot only male flowers will be produced and female flowers will be delayed.  Drought stress can cause female flowers to abort.  Heat, drought, and too much water can cause the flowers to wilt and die.  In these instances, the pollinators are not able to transfer pollen from plant to plant.

High nitrogen levels can also delay female flower production causing fruits not to mature in time. Cucurbits can be pollinated by any insect pollinator, but they are most often pollinated by bumblebees and squash bees which forage in the morning while the flowers are open.   Source: Carri Jagger, OSU Extension Educator, Morrow County

The tomato hornworm is one of our best-known garden pests. It’s almost as big around as your thumb and can be 4 to 5 inches long. It’s bright green and has a hornlike hook at one end that can be either red or green depending on which of the two species you have on your plant. After feeding, hornworms move to the soil where they pupate and spend the winter. The following summer the pupae transform into five-spotted hawk moths and start the cycle over.

The life cycle of tomato hornworms - Tomato hornworms feed on the leaves and fruit of tomatoes and other vegetables including eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. They can quickly defoliate portions of the plant, reduce its productivity, and heavily scar the fruit. Toward the end of the summer when the caterpillars are fully grown, it seems they can eat about a leaf an hour!

Management of tomato hornworms- The first control option is to pick the caterpillars off your plant by hand. They won’t hurt you but the challenge is that they are well camouflaged. They are the same color as the foliage so it will take some hunting to find them when they are small. When they are big, they will be easier to find but then that means they will have grown and developed by feeding on your tomato foliage already!

Another control option is to use a biological insecticide known as Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt or a synthetic home garden insecticide available in local garden centers. Be sure to follow the label directions.  Source: Iowa State University Department of Horticulture

The OSU Extension Office Update is compiled by Connie Smith, program assistant and master gardener coordinator with the Ohio State University Extension Office in Fairfield County.