Midwest Vegetable Guide - 2022 - 147

Fruiting Vegetables - Horticulture
nearly all fruit is catfaced so it does not detract from the
fruit's marketability. Variety selection is the most practical
way to limit this problem. Exposure to some herbicides (e,g,
2, 4-D or dicamba) can lead to similar fruit deformation.
Cracks, radial and concentric: Rapidly growing fruit and
fruit exposed to the sun tend to crack more readily. Cracking
is more severe under hot, dry conditions followed by rainfall.
To defend against growth cracks, select crack-resistant
cultivars, maintain healthy foliage, and carefully manage
water availability through irrigation management and the use
of plastic mulch.
Micro-cracks or rain checks: Very small cracks in the
epidermis (called micro-cracks or rain checks) sometimes
develop on fruit shoulders under highly humid conditions.
Rain check is often more severe on fruit that has been
exposed due to poor leaf cover. To minimize the problem,
maintain healthy foliage and select varieties with good
foliage cover.
Sunscald: Fruit exposed to the sun may overheat and develop
sunscald. The affected area turns white and does not ripen.
The tissue may shrivel and sink in. It is most common when
foliage does not shade fruit exposed to hot afternoon sun.
Damage is usually confined to the area of the fruit with
greatest exposure to the sun. Tomato variety, mineral
nutrition, staking and pruning methods, and disease pressure
can all influence the amount of foliage cover. This disorder
also is observed on peppers and fruit of other vegetable crops.
Zipper scars: These may be caused when the blossom sticks
to the developing fruit. Zipper scars are especially common
during cool weather. To avoid this problem, select resistant
varieties and maintain proper greenhouse temperatures.
Harvesting
Eggplant for fresh market: Harvests can take place every
few days once fruits ripen to a glossy finish. Fruit sizes
depend on variety. When the skin sheen gets dull and seeds
turn brown, they are past their prime. Fruit quality diminishes
late in the season. Fruit should be handled carefully to avoid
bruising. Time from transplanting to harvest ranges from 80
to 100 days.
Peppers for fresh market and processing: Harvests can
take place every few days once fruit reaches marketable size
or color. Careful selection of early-ripening varieties and
passing up green harvests will maximize the yield of colored
fruits in our northern climate. Fruit quality diminishes late in
the season. Time from transplanting to harvest ranges from
70 to 100 days.
Tomatoes for fresh market: Harvests can take place every
few days once fruits start to ripen. Small-fruited varieties
such as 'cocktail', grape, or cherry tomatoes can be harvested
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'on the vine' by cutting clusters of fruit. To avoid
unnecessary extra handling, place these clusters directly into
sales containers. Time from transplanting to harvest ranges
from 70 to 90 days.
Tomatoes for machine harvest and processing: Ethephon
applications may be used to accelerate and concentrate fruit
ripening, facilitating once-over machine harvesting of
processing tomatoes. If needed, apply 3.25 pts. Ethephon 2SL
in 5 to 70 gallons of water per acre as a spray over the entire
planting when 10 to 30 percent of fruits are ripe. Harvest 15
to 21 days after treatment for optimum ripe fruit
accumulation. Time from transplanting to harvest ranges
from 90 to 110 days.
Midwest Vegetable Guide - 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Midwest Vegetable Guide - 2022
