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The Garden Plot for September 14, 2007
3:55 PM - 4:00 PM
[Program Website]
Today's Highlight: “Harvest Time”
Night-time temperatures are starting to cool and garden plant leaves are looking tired. It’s Harvest Time, when the most important questions of the day include: are winter squash ready to pick yet? At what temperature do we cure onions? Must we wait until pears are yellow before we pick them? The rules of successful produce-keeping start at harvest.
First, wait as long as weather permits before harvesting. Avoid skin breaks, bruises, or decay. Harvest during dry weather to avoid disease. Harvest early in the morning or in the evening. It is best NOT to wash root crops before storing. A thin crust of soil helps to prevent shriveling. Too bad the same does not hold true for gardeners.
Leave an inch or more of stem on most vegetables to reduce water loss and prevent disease. “Curing” helps to heal slight skin injuries. Curing means holding produce in a dry, well-ventilated, dark area for several weeks. Cure onions at 45 – 60 F until the roots at the base of the bulb are completely shriveled and dry. Potatoes need to be cured in total darkness at 45-60 F. Winter squash should be cured at warmer temperatures of 75-85 F. Don’t pick a winter squash before its time. If the squash skin is hard and impervious to scratching, the fruit is ready to pick. If you can write your name in the side of the squash, it’s not ready to harvest.
Storage conditions are key to produce longevity. Storage conditions fall into four categories:
Cold (32 – 40 F) and very moist (90 – 95% relative humidity),
Cold and moist,
Warm (50 – 55 F) and dry (60 - 75% relative humidity) and
Cold and dry.
Beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, and cauliflower prefer 32 F and very moist storage conditions.
Potatoes prefer 38 – 40 F and moist conditions.
Tomatoes should be stored at 55 – 60 F and kept moist. Green tomatoes will ripen at this temperature, but remember, green tomatoes must be mature or they will not ripen in storage. Check the blossom end of a green tomato. If it has a pale green star developing, it should ripen, rather than rot
Winter Squash and Pumpkins like to be stored warmer (50-55 F) and dry.
Apples store best at 30 – 40 F. Pears want 29 – 31 F and very moist conditions. Pick pears when the color has changed from dark to pale green, but fruit is still hard.
Onions, potatoes, and carrots can be stored for the longest time (at least 7 months). Other crops, such as pears and tomatoes, do not store as well or as long.
For more information on harvesting and storing produce call you local Extension Service office.
Helen Atthowe's new short program of gardening tips
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