With tomatoes suffering in the heat, is it better to pick early?
Q: I planted elephant ears bulbs this spring but they haven't done much so far. Why aren't they getting tall like others I see?
First of all, there are several varieties of elephant ears, height ranges from 1 to 8 feet tall and spread one to six feet wide. If the variety you have is the standard type and not a dwarf variety, there are some things that might help your plants reach their potential.
Elephant ears prefer moist soil with lots of organic matter (chopped leaves, composted manure, and the like) incorporated into the soil. These plants can even grow on the margins of ponds. It is also a good idea to pull any weeds around them to reduce competition for water and nutrients, also good to mulch around them for the same reason.
Most varieties prefer filtered sun or shade, although can tolerate sun if they have shade during the hotter part of the day. The darker varieties do well in full sun. These can be grow well in containers or in the ground, potted ones being excellent patio plants. A sheltered location to protect the large leaves from wind damage is also good.
Q: My tomatoes seem to be getting insect damage before they are ripe. Is it acceptable to pick them while still green to finish ripening inside, before the insects get to them, and still have the good, full flavor of a vine-ripened tomato? I have also noticed that my tomatoes don't seem to be ripening as quickly as I would expect.
Picking early is actually a good idea to prevent damage from insects, sun scald, and other tomato problems. The fruits can be picked as soon as they show signs of color at the blossom end, taking them to ripen inside in a few days. Although it is commonly believed that picking early leads to less tasty tomatoes and that they need to be vine ripened to taste the best, tomatoes picked early like this actually taste better.
Most of the blame for tomatoes being slow to ripen can be placed directly on the hot weather we have been having. Ideal temperatures for tomato ripening is between 68 and 77 degrees F. When temperatures are over 85 degrees F, the fruits are unable to produce lycopene and carotene, the pigments giving tomatoes their color. Other factors might be too much nitrogen or too many fruits on one plant. It is recommended to cut back a bit on fertilizer once the plant has set blossoms. As for the fruit, removing about one-fourth of the fruit is an option. Our biggest problem at the current time is the hot weather, only time will correct that.
Q: My lavender plants are doing poorly. I water them well every morning and they get afternoon sun. What could be the problem?
Lavender is a Mediterranean plant that prefers full sun (6 or more hours a day) and dry, sandy soil. Watering every day is probably too much in this case.
Readers can pose questions or get more information by calling 417-874-2963 and talking to one of the trained volunteers staffing the Mas-ter Gardener Hotline at the University of Missouri Exten-sion Center in Greene County located inside the Botanical Center, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, MO 65807.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Ask the Master Gardener: Should tomatoes ripen inside or on the vine?