Question: My Fuyu persimmon has a decent crop of fruit on it, but they are dropping prematurely. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

Persimmons are good shade trees and your Fuyu persimmon is a good choice for our Sacramento Valley. Persimmons prefer full sun and tolerate many soil types but require good drainage. Water regularly and avoid over fertilizing. Premature dropping of fruit could be from over watering or over fertilizing. Have you had this problem in past years? Have you changed your watering habits?

This has been a considerably mild summer and the persimmon may not require as much water as in previous summers.

Fruit trees do drop some immature fruit, just as a way of self-thinning. The gardener can help this process by selectively removing some young fruits, and also (for next season) pruning the tree.

Question: How do I tell when garden vegetables and fruits are ready to harvest? I am especially concerned about winter squash, gourds, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Do I have to do anything after harvest to make them keep better?

Pick winter squash at the end of the growing season and before the first frost. Some will ripen faster than others; when you see the stem changing from a bright green, growing color to a yellow-green or tan color, that fruit is ready for picking.

Acorn squash should be a rich green color, butternut squash will turn from a light tan or beige color to a deep tan color, and spaghetti squash will turn from a cream color to a bright yellow. Cut the stem, leaving about 2 to 3 inches of stem on for storage.

Squash will store for two months, if not for the entire winter, so you can enjoy your fall harvest during the winter.

Like their winter squash cousins, harvest gourds when they have finished growing. It is time to pick when stems become shriveled and brown. Pick ornamental gourds when they are full of color. Cut the stem very close to the vine to save a length of stem on which to hang the gourd as it finishes drying.

Harvest sweet potatoes when those beautiful green vines you have enjoyed all summer start to turn yellow. Leave them in the in the ground as long as possible, to increase their sweetness because they will still be pulling nutrients from the vines as they dry. Be sure to harvest either right before the first frost or immediately after.

Sweet potatoes are very perishable; examine tubers carefully for nicks or other skin damage. Consume these first, before they spoil.
Harvest potatoes after the plant has flowered. When the green stems and leaves start to die off, grab your garden fork and start digging up the potatoes. Spread them in a single layer on newspaper (recycled Enterprises are good) for a couple of days in a dark place.

Check the spuds for nicks and other injuries; they can be trimmed and will form a dry membrane over the cut surface. Brush off the soil and store them in a cool, dry, place away from sunlight.

Potatoes turn green when exposed to sun, developing a chemical that isn’t good for human consumption. Like squash, potatoes and sweet potatoes store well through the winter in a cool, (around 55 degrees) dry place.

Now, just a bit of friendly advice from your Garden Doctor. After harvest, take some time to clean your garden area thoroughly, putting remnants of the harvest in the compost pile, or giving them to your neighbor’s chickens. Leftover squash can become a banquet for squirrels and rats, and other weed residue sustains unwanted microbial and insect pests.

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Still looking for that perfect tomato? Here are two places to look:

* Saturday, Sept. 17, fall plant sale, tomato tasting and gardening workshops at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road.

From 9 a.m. to noon, ornamental landscape and house plants will be for sale as well as rooted cuttings of 12 varieties of grapes. Also, come and taste and score 10 varieties of later-ripening heirloom and hybrid tomatoes at a free tomato tasting.

From 9 to 10 a.m., learn how to start a home vineyard. From 10 a.m. to noon, learn composting, worm composting and compost tea.

Parking at the college costs $2.

* Sept. 13-15, National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa. It features a full line-up of expert speakers, more than 250 garden vendors from around the country and thousands of varieties of produce on display. Visit theheirloomexpo.com.

Learn about winter vegetables at the Master Gardener workshop in Central Park Gardens in Davis on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

— Send questions, addressed to the “Garden Doctor,” by email to [email protected], voice mail to (530) 666-8737, or regular mail to UCCE Master Gardeners, 70 Cottonwood St., Woodland, CA 95695. Be sure to include your contact information, because any questions not answered in the Garden Doctor column will be answered with a phone call or email to you. You can request the Yolo Gardener newsletter delivered by email and learn more about the Master Gardener program in Yolo County at ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/Gardening_and_Master_Gardening.

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Fuyu persimmons are a good choice for growing in the Sacramento Valley. Persimmons prefer full sun and tolerate many soil types but require good drainage. Water regularly and avoid over fertilizing. Courtesy photo

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