Zoom in on the Kitchen Garden: Tomatoes, pests and more

The tomatoes are finally in the ground, growing and even setting fruit. Then the pests start to appear, especially the dreaded tomato hornworm. Or the tomatoes develop brownish spots on the bottom — blossom end rot!

What’s a tomato grower to do?

Certainly, prevention and awareness are keys to keeping those tomatoes from harm. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, in a hybrid in-person and Zoom online event, the Yolo County master gardeners will present their lastest Kitchen Garden Chat on this topic and more.

“We will talk about what to do in the edible garden with emphasis on pests and tomato issues and how to store the summer bounty,” say the organizers.

The in-person event will be in the Leake Room of the Woodland Public Library, 250 First St., Woodland. To view the chat via Zoom, go to https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/98028723763. The event is free and open to all.

In addition, if you happen to be at the Woodland farmers market Saturday morning, starting at 9 a.m. the Yolo master gardeners will be staffing a table. Bring gardening questions and plant problems to them for potential solutions. 

Looking ahead, an in-person workshop on “Gardening for Year-Round Meals” will be presented by the Yolo master gardeners on Saturday, June 10, at 11 a.m.,  United Methodist Church/Grace Gardens, 1620 Anderson Road, Davis.

For more on these events, check the Yolo MGs’ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yolomg.

For general information on the UCCE master gardeners of Yolo County, visit https://yolomg.ucanr.edu/