Local gardeners looking to perfect their summer harvest can learn from an expert tonight, May 1, at the "Growing Tomatoes 101" workshop.
Hosted by the University of Missouri Extension , the two-hour class begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Howell County Extension office, located at 1376 Bill Virdon Blvd. in West Plains.
MU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist Joshua Dunn will lead a deep dive into best practices for successfully growing tomatoes in a home garden or even commercially. He will present science-based, locally relevant tips and help growers understand why tomatoes behave the way they do.
Topics covered during the presentation will include:
• The history of the tomato plant.
• Why the Missouri Ozarks region is well suited for tomato production.
• Growing tomatoes from seed and plugs.
• Tomato fertility.
• Tomato pruning and trellising.
• A question-and-answer session.
In addition to the presentation, attendees are encouraged to bring in their pressure canners for testing.
The cost to attend is $5, which includes take-home educational materials. Participants are asked to register in advance by calling 417-256-2391 or visiting pears.io/events/mu/5637/.
