FARGO — The September sun has been a warm surprise, and gardeners are reaping the benefits.
Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension horticulture agent, said the extended warm weather is giving tomatoes more time to ripen and is helping long-season crops like watermelon.
The downside, he said, is that warmer temperatures mean less color in the trees.
“Homeowners who have apple trees, the late-ripening apples get sweeter if we get chilly nights, and so we’re not getting those. So the late apple varieties, such as Haralson, is a classic, and so gardeners are waiting for those to get some cool temperatures before they do harvest those late apples,” Kinzler said.
Despite the lack of cooler nights and fall foliage, Kinzler said it couldn’t be a better fall for gardeners.
Ryan McNamara joined WDAY as a reporter in late 2024. He is a native of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2024.
His time as a Husky included copious amounts of time spent at “The Herb” reporting on Husky hockey, or at Halenbeck Hall calling Husky basketball. He also spent two summers with the Northwoods League’s St. Cloud Rox. Along with his duties in news and sports, Ryan dons a headset for occasional play-by-play broadcasts for North Dakota and Minnesota high school sports.
When he’s away from the station, he’s most likely lifting, finding time to golf, or taking in as much college basketball as possible, in order to complete the elusive perfect March Madness bracket.
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