Field and Garden: Crop harvest underway as gardens end for season

f you think we’ve had a lot of foggy weather this fall, then you’d be right.

By my count, the National Weather Service in Bismarck issued seven dense fog advisories in September and two more in early October.

The damp, foggy weather and several rain events slowed progress during the first weeks of soybean harvest.

Fortunately, the long-term forecast indicates we can expect warmer and drier than normal weather during the second half of this month.

That is welcome news to farmers who are understandably eager to get this year’s crop in the bin.

One farmer in the western half of the county told me that looking at corn and soybeans together, it may be the best crop he has ever had.

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The gardening season ended when temperatures dipped to 27 degrees on Oct 7. Here are some questions I received just before the freeze:

Q: Is this strange-looking cucumber the product of cross-pollination in my garden?

Based on the example you showed me, my guess is that a seed of a gourd or squash got mixed into the seed packet during processing.

Cross-pollination can occur between varieties within the same species. However, we will not see the effects of the cross the first year.

For example, if you plant a mini-pumpkin variety next to a giant pumpkin variety, you won’t get medium-sized pumpkins.

The mini-pumpkin variety will produce mini-pumpkins and the giant pumpkin variety will produce giant pumpkins.

Cross pollination will not affect the shape of this year’s fruit, but it does affect genetics within the seeds.

If you save the seeds and plant them next year, you may harvest some unusual looking specimens.

Q: What are all the dark-colored moths that I see flying around?

The picture you sent shows a green cloverworm moth.

The appearance of these moths varies considerably, with colors ranging from dark brown to black. The wings are speckled with white spots, and the wingspan is about one inch.

Cloverworm larvae (caterpillars) typically feed on the leaves of soybeans and dry beans. However, the insects rarely cause economic damage to those crops.

Cloverworms cannot survive winter in North Dakota, so there is no need to be concerned that high populations this year will lead to a problem next year.

The dark-colored moths will appear again in June, when they fly in from overwintering areas in the southern states.

Q: What animal ate my potatoes?

The most likely culprits are voles, also known as meadow mice or field mice.

A vole looks a lot like a mouse with an elongated nose and a short, stubby tail.

Voles feed on a variety of plant materials, including seeds, bulbs and tubers.

Voles need a brushy habitat to thrive and escape being eaten by hawks and other predators in summer.

The recommendation is to keep the area near the garden tidy and well-mowed.

Rat traps baited with peanut butter can be placed in the garden, if needed.