Gardeners enjoy extended season as September stays unusually warm

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.