@thehomesteadingrd: 😬Worried about your produce ripening in time? In zone 4A Minnesota, this is certainly on my mind! An easy hack is to snip off the growing tips of your tomatoes, peppers, squash, and pumpkins about 1 month before your first expected frost 🥶. ✂️This forces the plant to divert its energy into ripening its current fruit, rather than putting out new growth. ✂️This will also help with the overall health of your plant. By now, they may be unruly so by removing some of the excess growth and small fruit, your plant will be more stable (and less chaotic!). ✂️Lastly, thinning out the plant will improve air circulation which will reduce the risk of disease. It will also give more “breathing room” for pollinators to access everything in this final push! *I'm probably a little late in topping since we could freeze in a week or two, but better late than never! Have you topped your plants yet? Let me know when your first expected frost date is! 💫 **If you've done cover crops in your garden before, please share all of your tips with me! #gardeninghacks #gardeningtips #gardeningforbeginners #zone4 #growtomatoes

The Homesteading RD

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Friday 28 August 2026 15:22:12 GMT