Sun Scorch and Trench Composting

Sun scorch. It's okay to eat with a little trimming.
Source: gardeningthehudsonvalley.com

So far August's weather leaves a lot to be desired - way too much rain and  very hot streaks followed by cooler and wet nights.  Although this has been good for my compost piles, it has badly affected my tomatoes and a number of other veggie favorites although the winter squashes seem to like it. 

The excess moisture results in cracked tomatoes that are then exposed to bacterial infections.   Although  tomato vines grow okay in temperatures that reach into the low 90°s,  their fruit ripens best with temperatures in the 70°s! If you've been wondering why your fruit has been slow to ripen, that's the reason.  Want a little more info? Check this note from Cornell's Vegetable Program website.

If you have over pruned your tomato vines or removed too many leaf stems to let more sun light shine on the fruit to hasten ripening, SURPRISE, you may be creating the conditions for "sun scorch."  High temperatures actually inhibit the production of the pigments that provide the glorious tomato red gardeners look for... Oh, well.

Trench Composting

A full trench ready to be covered.
Source: flowering.com

If you have a small garden AND possibly have some space in it now from your pulling up your blighted tomato vines or sun scorched fruit AND you still do not have a compost pile, now is the time to reserve a little of your precious  gardening space for compost.  Dig a trench about 12" deep (or just a small pit in a raised bed) leaving the excavated soil to one side and start dumping your vegetative table scraps into it. If you don't like the looks, simply cover the scraps with the soil that you left  along the side.  The  scraps will get a good start on decomposing.  In the spring, even if your trench is not full, plant a favorite vegetable parallel to the trench to benefit from the added nutrients.  

Another approach to composting directly in your garden is called the "sheet" method.  Gardeners simply scatter their table scraps around the garden and then gently till them into the soil throughout the season. I do this with coffee grounds,  but I prefer trenching (or using a pit)...  

FWIW:  Note that this photo shows corn cobs and corn husks as well as other whole fruits and vegetables. Leaving items whole will slow down their decomposition.  Corn cobs and husks will take 2+ years to rot. It's much better to to cut these scraps or stale vegetables into pieces to expedite composting.

And remember:

"Kings and cabbages go back to compost, 

but good deeds stay green forever." - Rick DiMarinis, American author