Pruning Tomatoes and Harvesting Magda Squash and Cucumbers
Did you know that tomatoes are one of our more labor-intensive crops to grow? Once we plant our tomatoes, we devote a lot of time to trellising and pruning. The high tunnel tomatoes that you see here are on a string system so as they grow, we continue to wrap the string around the main stem to provide support. We also make sure to prune off any suckers which are small shoots that grow from points where a branch and the main stem meet. You can see Farmer Reuben pruning off a sucker in the photo above. Doing this helps to redirect energy towards root and vertical growth. Once our tomatoes begin to ripen, we’ll shift our focus to harvesting!
Magda squash just made its way into season! It is a “cousa” type squash that is light green in color and has a sweet and nutty flavor similar to our Zephyr squash. So far it’s been super productive so much sure to stock up when you visit the Farm Stand! Magda (pictured above) can be used in both sweet and savory recipes just like you would zucchini. Farmer Anna loves to cut these squashes in half lengthwise, grill them until they get a nice char, then slather them with a homemade herb butter. Yum!
Cucumbers have made their way back into season as well! We have two different varieties available for you at the Farm Stand: Bristol and Max Pack. Bristol, pictured on the left in the photo below, is a slicing cucumber that is great for adding to salads, sandwiches, and for juicing. Max Pack, pictured on the right, is a pickling cucumber that can be enjoyed as a snack or in a batch of pickles. Farmer Reuben recommends slicing up a cucumber and pairing it with some fresh lime juice and tajin seasoning for a quick and flavorful snack.
In Season at the Farm Stand: Cucumbers (pickling and slicing), Summer Squashes (Zephyr, Magda, and Zucchini), Bulb Onions, Leeks, Green Garlic, Fennel, Celery, Collards, Cabbage, Lettuce Heads, Carrots, Turnips, and Beets.
