VegNet Vol. 15, No. 6. May 16, 2008
Ohio State University Extension Vegetable Crops
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In This Issue

1. Crop Reports

Crop Reports by Brad Bergefurd, Matt Hoeflich and Hal Kneen

Northern, Ohio Crop Report May 14, 2008

Weather Report

Most of Northern and Northwestern Ohio since the week of May 5 has experienced normal precipitation with below normal temperatures. Planting continues to be limited to fields with lighter soil types that are well drained. The extended forecast from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) predicts a similar weather pattern for the next 14 days. NOAA indicates that the real problem is the frequency of weather systems. These weather systems are coming through Ohio every 2-3 days. The pattern is one not of real heavy and flooding rains, but frequent rainfall events of less than ½ inch. NOAA predicts that we can expect similar systems over the weekend of May 17^th and another the week of the May 19^th – 23rd. It appears a warmer and drier pattern will then move in to close out May and start early June.

Crop Report Despite weather conditions a limited number of acres of processing tomatoes and cabbage as well as 3^rd and 4^th plantings of sweet corn did go into the ground over the May 10^th weekend. Growers that were able to plant indicate that field planting conditions were marginal. The wet and cool weather conditions forecasted for Northern Ohio over the next 14 days threaten to back up planting of tomatoes, cabbage, pickles, and early cantaloupe and watermelon. Early plantings of processing and fresh market cabbage continue to look excellent while early seeded sweet corn plantings are somewhat yellowed due to the cool conditions.

Southeast Ohio along the Ohio River
Planting continues for tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, melons as weather permits.  Rainy, cool  weather has set in the past few days, May 9- 14, with sun appearing two days but  only highs of  70  degrees Fahrenheit, lows have been into the mid 40's. More sunshine would improve crops however crops that have been planted are growing especially those grown on black plastic covered beds.
 Staking tomatoes and beginning to sucker earliest tomato plants.
Have seen potato beetles on tomatoes and potatoes, very little corn flea beetle and plenty of cabbage loopers.  

South West OH: 5/10-5/16

Temperatures the past 8 days have been running about 5 to 10 degrees below normal  and  we have received measurable rainfall 7 of the past 10 days. This has slowed vegetable crop growth in the field and has put a hault to all field operations. However fields did dry up in some areas for about 12 hours Tuesday evening and growers got in to apply fungicides and insecticides to strawberry, bramble and vegetable crops and were also able to apply herbicides on fields. Harvest of Asparagus continues with some growers going into their 7^th week of harvest. Harvest of Rhubarb continues. Mature green tomatoes are being harvested in high tunnels. Harvest of high tunnel strawberries have reached a peak this week in our research trials at Piketon and are beginning to decline. Bell peppers that were planted in the area last week look good and are holding onto their leaves despite the cool and wet conditions they have experienced in the field since planting. Cucumbers, beans and summer squash are emerged but are looking very yellow and are growing slowly. Peas are loving this cool weather and cool nights and are growing nicely. Sweet corn that was planted under plastic the end of March is about 12 to 16 inches tall but has poor color due to the cool temperatures.

With the wet and cold weather have come reports of bacterial disease showing up in pepper and tomato transplants and tunnel planted tomatoes. Growers need to be aware of the suggested fungicide programs to combat bacterial disease outlined in the OSU Bulletin 672 Vegetable Production Guide http://ohioline.osu.edu/b672/ . Awareness of and a diligent control program for bacterial disease is a very important aspect of production and begins in the transplant production stage. I have noticed preventative control of these disease organisms have been being overlooked by several growers the past couple of years. This has resulted in diagnosis of many field outbreaks of bacterial diseases on vegetable the past couple of seasons including bacterial canker, bacterial speck, bacterial blight or spot of pepper which has resulted in reduced quality, yields and incomes from these plantings. Control of bacterial disease outbreaks in the field starts in the greenhouse and transplant production stage.