Horticulture Update

Jim ShreflerExtension HorticulturistOkla. Cooperative Extension

Tulsa County Master Gardener Training

February 2013

Plant and Care for Plants Correctly – Variety Selection

Use Resistant Varieties!!!!!– Especially for tomatoes

Use Adapted Varieties– What is working for experienced

growers?– OSU Recommendations

Oklahoman’s Guide to Fruits, Nuts & Vegetables

OSU Fact Sheet HLA 6032 for home gardening varieties

Seed Catalogs – Reputable Co.

Oklahoma Vegetable Trial Reports

What’s New Resourceshttp://www.hortla.okstate.edu/– Select “Industry and

Producers”– Select “Vegetable

Information”

2012 Vegetable Trial Report– Tomato trials for fruit set

in heat– Heirloom Tomato Trial

What’s New Resources

http://www.hortla.okstate.edu/– Select “Industry and Producers”– Select “Vegetable Information”

Extended Season Leafy Greens Report

What’s New Resources

Southeast US Vegetable Guide

http://www.thegrower.com/south-east-vegetable-guide/

What’s New Resources

http://www.hortla.okstate.edu/

Select “Oklahoma Mesonet”

Select “Horticulture”– Pecan– Peach– Several Vegetable Choices– Turfgrass

What’s New Resources

Greenhouse Tomato Short Course

Advance Registration is $150, by Feb 22

http://Msucares.com/crops/ghtsc

Tomatoes- General Needs

Fertile and very well drained soil

Full sunlight morning and through mid afternoon

Protection from wind – Helps prevent blossom end rot

Crop rotation with other plant families: i.e. Corn, beans, squash

Use only shallow cultivation for weeding established crops

Planting & Caring for Plants Correctly – Watering

Tomato as an example

Proper watering is important for:– Vigorous plant growth– Fruit set– Fruit quality– Disease prevention

Tomatoes - IrrigationNeeds 1-2 inches of water per week– Rainfall– Irrigation

Strive to keep soil moisture uniform– This can reduce blossom end rot– Avoid getting too dry– Mulch helps here

Deep, less frequent watering encourages deep rooting

Drip or trickle irrigation is ideal!

Bedding and Mulching

Bed for drainage & increased root zone

Black sheet mulches warm soil

White Sheet Mulches, paper, straw etc. cool soil

Pro’s and Cons of Mulching+ Reduce water loss from soil surface

+ Maintain more uniform soil moisture

+ Reduces weeding needs

+ Keeps soil off plants and produce

+Reduced disease problems

-- Additional production cost

-- Plastic mulch removal

-- Insects & varmints

Keys to Achieving an Early Tomato Harvest

Optimize Plant Environment (air & soil temperatures)

Early Maturing varieties

Transplant size

Avoid Excess Nitrogen

Use Best Management Practices to Minimize Plant Stress

Steve Upson, Noble Foundation, 2012 Oklahoma Statewide Vegetable Meeting, Chickasha

Potential of passive growing technologies for optimizing plant environmentPotential of passive growing technologies for optimizing plant environment

Mulch filmMulch film

Mulch film + row cover Mulch film + row cover

Mulch film + row cover + hoop houseMulch film + row cover + hoop house

HighHigh

LowLow

southern: March 7-13central: March 14-20northern: March 21-27

Suggested transplant dates for hoop house tomatoes in Oklahoma

Order Acari

Egg, larva, nymph, adult

Sucking pest

DS: larva, nymph, adult

OW: eggs, adults

Hosts: many vegetable crops

Spider Mites

Twospotted

spider mite

Warm (hot!) season pests

Monitor with white paper

Dislodge with a stream of water

IRRIGATE !!!!

Spider Mite Management

Spider Mite Management

Non synthetic chemical options– Insecticidal soaps– Summer oils– Naturalyte (spinosad) – Pyrellin (natural pyrethroid)

Toxic to beneficial insects

– M-Pede – OMRI ListedThorough coverage needed

Spider Mite Management

Synthetic chemical options– Acramite– Kanemite

Summer Squash - General Needs

Reasonably fertile and good drainage

Needs warm soil to germinate

Full sunlight

Crop rotation with other plant families: i.e. Corn, beans – Soil born diseases

Keep weeds controlled

Black Plastic For Early PlantingsZucchini squash planted May 1st in southern Oklahoma – plastic can make a difference due to soil warming. Use white plastic or organic mulch with later plantings to cool the soil.

Summer Squash – TransplantsTransplanted– Large rootball is not

needed– Use transplants 2-3

weeks old for early yield

Summer Squash – Plants & Spacing

Plant by seed or transplants

Space rows 5 to 6 feet and plants 3 feet apart in row

Direct seeded – watch for seed eating rodents!

Transplanted– Large rootball is not

needed– Use transplants 3-4

weeks old for early yield

Squash – Insect Pest Concerns

Insects – Cucumber beetles– Squash bug– Aphids– Vine borer

Overwintered adults mate and move to cucurbit plants– Prefer squash, pumpkin– Will go to watermelon,

muskmelon etc.

Colonize crops in spring, build up and spread to preferred cropsFeeding adults and nymphs inject toxic saliva that causes brown, dead vinesAssociated with Yellow Vine Disease

Squash Bug

Look for eggs and remove themPut out plywood boards; bugs will spend night underneath boardWill hide under mulchMaintain crop vigor proper watering & fertilization)Remove and destroy crop debris as soon as possible

Squash Bug Management

Squash Bug Management

Contact insecticides (adults and nymphs)– Natural pyrethroids

Anti-feedant and insect growth regulator (nymphs)– Neem oil and Extract products

Row covers – early season

Summer Squash – Planting systems

Raised Bed

Drip irrigation

Mulch– For weeds, moisture

control, cleanliness– Plastic for early harvest– Organic mulch with later

plantings

Cover with fine netting for insects - until flower

Usefulness of Row Covers for Insect Exclusion in Squash?

Is it practical?

Is it cost effective?

Are there drawbacks?

What are the potential benefits?

What are the specifics on when and how to use this technique?

Treatments

1. Install row cover at transplant and remove at 1st flower

2. Install row cover at transplant and remove 2 weeks after 1st flower

3. Apply insecticides when insects present

4. Untreated

Treatments

1. Install row cover at transplant and remove at 1st flower

2. Install row cover at transplant and remove 2 weeks after 1st flower

3. Apply insecticides when insects present

4. Untreated

Squash Yield by Plant Date- Total Fruits / 6 Plants -

Treatment May June July August

Cover until 1st flower 24 27 1 0

Cover & delay removal 39 17 1 0

Insecticide 92 99 7 0

Untreated 22 14 1 0

- Transplant at the start of each month- Harvest as long as possible (up to 12 wks)- Data is for plots with 6 plants (initially)