Pickles By Rafash Brew LSU AgCenter AREA HORTICUL- TURE SPECIALIST Think, Thank, Thump Watermelons Summer just would not be summer without the sweet, juicy taste of watermelon. Especially in Union Parish, being the home of the Louisiana Watermelon Festival. This year is no exception, but when will the sweet juicy taste be here? When will the melons be ripe? How do you know that the melon is ripe or at its peak maturity? These are the questions many people want to know. These are the questions, posed to many extension agents and watermelon growers throughout the south. Do not allow choosing a watermelon to be complexing. Grocery stores strive to have the first melons in their store for consumers. Some grocery stores have melons for sale as early as May. Melons for sale in Louisiana as early as May in most cases were grown in South America or Mexico. Thereby some quality is sacrificed due to the shipping and/or extensive shelf life. Louisiana-grown melons generally mature as early as June. Washington Parish, one of the southernmost parishes in Louisiana which Quarterly Newsletter grows a considerable amount of watermelons, has a parish wide watermelon festival. They have a growing season about two weeks earlier than Union Parish, and in some cases they may have melons perhaps two weeks earlier than Union Parish. When it comes to proving who has the best overall watermelon in interior quality, they have to travel to the state watermelon festival held only here in Union Parish. They have traveled here for years to compete. The Interior Quality Competition of the Louisiana Watermelon Festival may be one of the most educational parts of the Louisiana Watermelon Festival. This competition is sponsored by the Farmerville Jaycees and the LSU AgCenter. This competition has grown over the years with a lot of high quality entries from the highly competitive spirited watermelon growers of Union Parish. The melons are not judged based on looks and taste alone. The sugar content is measured and recorded on each melon using a refractometer. A refractometer measures the sugar content, or soluble solids, from the juice of the watermelon; technically known as brix. How do we know that these melons are ripe? Perhaps the first thing someone may take into account in figuring if a melon is ripe is to look at the number of days to maturity for a particular variety. For instance, some varieties like the traditionally grown Jubilee watermelon mature in Rafash E. Brew Area Horticulture Specialist Northeast Region Union Parish Office 210 East Water Street Farmerville, LA 71241 318-368-9935 (office) 318-355-3038 (cell) Ouachita Parish Office 704 Cypress Street Monroe, LA 71291 318-323-2251 (office) 318-355-3038 (cell) Email: rbrew@agcenter.lsu.edu www.lsuagcenter.com Contributor: Dr. Allen D. Owings Professor LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station 985-543-4125
Continued Pickles about 120 days depending on growing conditions. This variety would have to be planted March 1st to be ripe by July 4th. Planting in the field March 1st, growers assume the risk of late freeze or frost damage. Days to maturity will vary somewhat with the variety, but respond more readily to the temperature when planted. A June-planted watermelon will mature in 75 to 80 days; and a March-planted melon will require 95 to 100 days to reach maturity. There are some varieties which mature in as few as 70 to 85 days. Summer Flavor 710, Starbrite, Stars N Stripes and Sugar Baby are varieties which mature within 85 days. Planting these varieties in mid- March under excellent cultural practices produces high quality melons by mid-june. Many growers start the seed of these plants in the greenhouse to avoid late freeze or frost damage. Plants are grown two weeks in the greenhouse and planted in the field in early April. Growers strive to produce melons prior to July 4. Melons ready for market prior to July 4 bring a better price in the market. These 85-day melons are hybrids with higher sugar content than that of the traditional Jubilee variety. By taking into account the number of days to maturity, growers can forecast the maturity of their melons quite easily. Harvesting watermelon may be a fun time for the family to play a guessing game, especially the first watermelon of the season. The first sign to look for in the home garden is the turning brown of the first curling tendril or curlicue from where the fruiting stem joins the vine. The melon is mature or close to maturity when the tendril becomes dry and brown. Many gardeners when harvesting, may use the brown tendril technique in combination with harvesting when the ground spot on the belly of the watermelon has turned yellow in color. This method assures a ripe watermelon without the thumping method. Cut the watermelon from the vine with a 2-to 3-inch stem. Always place the watermelon in a shaded area immediately after cutting to avoid sunscald. What about the consumer? How do they know an excellent watermelon by just looking or thumping them in the store? Regardless if we are checking maturity or not we just cannot cut a watermelon without thumping it several times. This is an excellent method of checking maturity of watermelon in the grocery store. Thumping or patting the melon produces a pitch. A hollow sound produced when the watermelon is thumped or patted indicates a ripe watermelon or in most cases picking a baritone or bass sounding fruit assures maturity. Another easy method is simply rubbing your hand across the top of the watermelon and feeling for a rough surface on the melon. A sandpaper type fin- ish on top of the melon is a surefire way to say that the melon is ripe. One last strategy an individual could try; although this is not scientific, is the old broom straw trick. Place your watermelon on a flat surface. Take a strait straw from an old long straw broom and balance the broom straw across the watermelon. If the straw turns strait along with the melon, maturity is assured. Many people have their signature means of determining ripeness. Give some of these methods a try. Moon and Star Watermelon Variety
Plant Pumpkin Now for Fall Decorations PEACHES By Rafash Brew LSU AgCenter Area Horticulturist Throughout the country side over recent years many front lawns have proven that no Halloween or Thanksgiving would be complete without the bright orange pumpkins that signal harvest season. Many home owners are spending money on fall displays which include pumpkin as part of the display. As familiar a sight in fall as falling leaves, pumpkin makes fine pies and baked dishes, as well as jack-o-lanterns. It should be noted that of course pumpkin are not used only for displays but the average person consumes approximately.6 pound of pumpkin per year, compared to 14.5 pounds per average person per year of watermelon. Pumpkin, the popular name given to the fruits certain varieties of Cucurbita Pepo, a tender plant related to the Gourd. The fruits, which may reach an immense size, are born on long, sprawling, prostrate vines. The term pumpkin is not applied with exactitude. Sometimes varieties of Cucurbita moschata and C. maxima are called Pumpkins as well as varieties of C. Pepo; and other varieties of C. Pepo are known as squash. The term squash is sometimes restricted to varieties of C. maxima. The orange, furrowed fruits of jack-o -lantern or sugar pumpkins grow on sprawling, prostrate vines with prickly stems and leafstalks and large, lobed, triangular leaves. They are closely related to several kinds of squash, including acorn and zucchini squash. These pumpkins seldom weigh more than 2-20 pounds, some miniature pumpkins weigh only 1-2 pounds. Many are normally grown for decoration or their edible flesh is the nakedseeded varieties, which have hull-less, edible seeds. Mammoth pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) is related to Hubbard pumpkin and other winter squashes. The very large, pinkish-orange or gray fruits are usually pearshaped, often bulging where they touch the ground. They grow on prostrate annual vines with blunt, round or heartshaped leaves and yellow flowers. This particular variety of pumpkin may be grown for prize-winning fruit weighing excess of 100 pounds. Pumpkins for Halloween should be planted in early to mid-july. Apply 3-5 pounds of a complete fertilizer for each 100 feet of row before planting. Plant five to six seed in hills about 4 to 5 feet apart on rows 6 to 8 feet apart. Thin to one or two plants per hill. Apply a side-dressing of 1 pound (1 pint) of ammonium nitrate per 100 feet of row when vines begin to run. Keep soil moist for best production. Howden and Biggie are excellent varieties to grow for Halloween. The Connecticut Field is an old, popular variety. Recommended varieties of giant pumpkins are Big Moon, Full Moon, Big Max, Atlantic Giant and Prize Winner. The medium-size varieties that have done well in research trials are Spirit, Lumina, Big Autumn, Gold Rush, Autumn Gold, Gold Bullion, Howdy Doody, Dependable, Gold Medal, Merlin and Sorcerer, Frosty, Big Autumn, Neon, Magic Lantern and Aspen produce a dwarf vine that should be tried in home gardens. Many ornamental pumpkins like Jack-Be-Little, Baby Bear, Munchkin and Lil Ironsides can also be planted. Harvesting of pumpkins can begin when they are fully colored and their shell is hard or after a light frost has killed the vines. Leaving a 3 inch stem stub attached to the fruit and stored in a cool dry place tends to help the pumpkin to keep for several months however, they do lose flavor in long storage. The cooked flesh of pumpkin freezes well. Pumpkin can be purchased from numerous roadside stands, farmers markets as well as grocery stores. Consumers should look for and buy the different shapes, sizes and colors of pumpkin to add to their holiday season. Check your region for farm tours with pumpkin patches available. Remember going to pumpkin patches and allowing the youth to pick their own pumpkin creates a lot of fun.
PICKLES Plan Now for Strawberry Planting By Rafash Brew Area Horticulturist For years gardeners have grown the strawberry plant as a perennial with limited success. In Louisiana the greatest production is achieved from plants grown as annuals and some growers in our parish are producing strawberries with some great success. Speaking of plants the first step in successful strawberry production is choosing varieties adapted to the areas in which they are to be grown. The varieties at this time are: Strawberry Festival developed by the University of Florida. Earliest maturing variety, medium-long fruiting period, light red, medium to large berries, good quality, not susceptible to anthracnose fruit rot. Chandler - developed by the University of California. High yields fairly early, deep red berry, somewhat soft, good to fair quality, susceptible to the development of misshapen fruit when blooming during times of low temperatures. Camarosa - developed by the University of California. Camarosa is a little earlier than Chandler with more firmness, well-shaped fruit with only fair quality. Sweet Charlie - developed by the University of Florida. Early maturing, short fruiting period, light red berries, well to fair quality. Within the last 10 years, the production of strawberry plants in Louisiana has become extremely difficult because of the incidence of crown rot. Few plants are produced in the state. Growers obtain plants from commercial nurseries in California, Michigan, Oregon and Canada (Nova Scotia). Plants from each source have unique characteristics and problems. California Plants: Large leafy plants without leaves with medium late season maturity. These plants need to be planted in early October. Canadian Plants: Large leafy plants with a medium early season maturity. Fruit tends to concentrate at midseason.michigan Plants: Mediumsized plants with a large root system and early season maturity. SITE SELECTION Strawberries should be planted in a full sun site with deep sandy soil, having good drainage. The recommended soil ph for strawberries should be range from 5.2-6.0. Gardeners are urged to take soil samples and adjust the soil ph to the desired level before transplanting. A convenient water supply for irrigation is desirable. Often, small plantings (10-25 plants) are not successful because of bird damage. For successful home garden plantings, some type of bird netting is required. Larger plantings (100 to 500 plants) help to spread out the bird damage and allow gardeners to harvest adequate berries. Strawberries are a long-term plant and require a considerable amount of fertilizer to make a good crop. From 6 to 8 pounds of 8-24-24 or 8to10 pounds of 13-13-13 per 100 feet of row is sufficient for strawberries. Fertilizer needs to be put down in September, well ahead of planting. To avoid fertilizer burn, wait for a rain (1 inch to 2 inch) or irrigate before putting out mulch and planting. Strawberries should be side dressed in January or early February with ½ pound to 1 pound of ammonium nitrate or 1 pound to 2 pounds of calcium nitrate per 100 feet of row. Another side dressing in mid-march or early April may be necessary if the plants are pale green. These side dressings help to maintain plant vigor and fruit size through the fruiting season. MULCHING To prevent splashing of soil particles on the fruit, strawberries should be mulched. Pine straw or other natural mulches have been used for years. One bale of pine straw will cover a 25 to 30 foot row (75 to 100 sq. ft.) bed. Apply the mulch in late November and December. Be sure all the mulch is snug against the base of the plant and that the plants are well above the mulch. Black plastic mulch is used widely. The advantages of plastic mulch are earlier fruiting, prevention of dirt splashing on the fruit and weed control. Plastic 36 to 48 inches wide and 1 ½ to 2 mil thick is the size most often used in strawberry production. It is important that the plastic mulch be snug to the surface of the row and covered well on both sides of the row with soil. Gardeners are encouraged to have the rows settled and firmed by rainfall or irrigate before putting out plastic. If the soil is firm and moist at the time of transplanting, plants will usually not settle below the plastic, fewer plants will die, and growth and development of the plants will be enhanced. TRANSPLANTING Gardeners should transplant only welldeveloped plants, with good root systems. Best yields are usually realized when transplanting is done in mid- October to early November. Use a trowel to make slits to plant the plants. A 3-6 inch slit is large enough for the strawberry plant on plastic mulch. The bud and crown of the plant should be above ground and the roots below ground level. Plants set to high will suffer from root injury from exposure. Those set to low will usually suffer from bud or crown injury. Firm the soil around the roots to prevent drying out. After the plot has been planted, water the plants to settle the soil around the roots. HARVESTING Strawberries should be harvested when it is fully mature. Visit the garden every other day to harvest. It will be a race between you and the birds. Be careful not to stack the fruit too deep in containers to avoid bruising the berries. Wash only the berries that you are going to eat immediately. Washing the berries and then storing them in the refrigerator will start a molding process. Berries should be stored in the refrigerator immediately after harvest.
PANSIES By Allen OwingsLSU AgCenter Horticulturist Pentas For Summer Gardens HAMMOND, La. If you re looking for some great summer color for your landscape beds from now through our first killing frost this fall, the Butterfly series of pentas will give you that, and maybe even more. This seed-propagated hybrid is distinctive for its compact growth habit and flowers larger than other pentas. It also has excellent garden performance. Superb heat and humidity tolerance make this summer bedding plant a reliable choice for Louisiana gardeners. Expect excellent garden performance with this Louisiana Super Plant. The series includes a variety of colors Butterfly Deep Rose, Butterfly White, Butterfly Blush, Butterfly Deep Pink, Butterfly Light Lavender, Butterfly Lavender and Butterfly Red. This series of pentas has been selected as Louisiana Super Plants by the LSU AgCenter. Pentas (Pentas lanceolata) are also called Egyptian starflowers. The flowers are highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. The Butterfly series are great nectar plants. Clusters of five-petaled flowers are produced continuously all summer from spring to first frost. A single plant may produce 15 to 20 flower clusters at one time. The large blooms make excellent cut flowers. Pentas do well when planted later in the spring. June is not too late to consider a planting. In fact this year, pentas will do better if they are planted later because of our cool and very wet spring growing season. Ideally, plant pentas 12-16 inches apart in a well-prepared, raised landscape bed. They prefer full to partial sun. The mature height of Butterfly pentas is 18-24 inches, and they will grow to be 12-18 inches wide. You can also plant them in containers as a filler or thriller plant. Fertilize pentas at planting with a slowrelease fertilizer. They do not need considerable irrigation. Just water well to get them established, then irrigate once weekly in the absence of significant rainfall. Remove faded blossoms and lightly pinch overgrown plants to encourage continual flowering. You will have an abundance of butterflies anytime you have pentas in the landscape, and even more butterflies when you have Butterfly pentas. Plant pentas in combination with the Serena angelonias. You could also mix them with Profusion zinnias, lantanas, coreopsis, perennial verbena, butterfly bushes, agapanthus or ornamental grasses if you re looking for combination ideas.you can also consider the New Look and Grafitti pentas, which also perform well in Louisiana. You can see more about work being done in landscape horticulture by visiting the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station website. Also, like us on Facebook. You can find an abundance of landscape information for both home gardeners and industry professionals at both sites..