Posted on July 20, 2009 in latest news
Vegetables should be harvested at the right time and in the right way to get the best out of them. Harvest vegetables too early, they will be tender and lack substance and flavor. Harvest them too late, they will be too tough fibrous or mushy, lacking in taste.
Given below are some harvesting tips for a few common vegetables which are grown in backyard gardens.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes can be picked when they are ripe, or they can be picked when they are unripe and ripened. If the climate is sunny, pick tomatoes when they are pink in color. If a frost is approaching, pick the green tomatoes and store in a cool dark place.
Eggplant: Eggplants should be harvested when the vegetables are 6-8 inches long, shiny and have a uniform deep color. You can use a knife to cut the eggplants. You should leave the green calyx attached to the fruit.
Lettuce: Leaf lettuces attain maturity in 50-60 days. Remove the outer leaves as you can use them. Head varieties can be harvested in 60-70 days.
Carrots: Carrots ideal for harvesting when they are young, crisp and half to one inch in diameter. Carrots can be left in the ground over frost. Just spread some straw mulch over them.
Spinach: Spinach can be harvested from the time they have 6-8 leaves. It is better if they are harvested young. Harvest spinach before seed stalk develops. Just cut the whole plant over the ground.
Peppers: Peppers are best harvested when they are ripe and mature, even though they can be harvested when young. Peppers do not grow riper after harvesting. The riper they are, the milder they will be. Hot peppers should be harvested when the color is bright red.
Potatoes: New potatoes can be harvested before the vines die. For large potatoes, wait until the vines die. To harvest, use a spading fork to dig 4-6 inches below the surface. Be careful not to hurt the potatoes.
Cabbage: Cut cabbage when they are firm, but before they split or crack. You can also harvest a later crop which grows on the cut stems.
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