Therefore, mature green, pink, and ripe fruit should be picked from drought-stressed plants. Spread harvested fruit on tables to ripen. Blossom-end rot can develop if plants are allowed to become severely drought stressed. If a source of water is available, irrigate plants every 7 to 10 days during dry weather to reduce fruit losses. Weed control should begin with the first weeds that emerge after frost and continue until the first frost in the fall.
Small weeds are easy to destroy, and weed control is improved by cultivation during dry weather.
Mulch will reduce the need for late season weed control. With the exception of nutgrass, garden weeds can be controlled with frequent shallow cultivation with a plow or hoe. Failure to achieve good weed control is usually because of lack of determination on the part of the gardener rather than the aggressive nature of the weeds. Most weeds die quickly if their roots are exposed to the hot sun.