TIMING THE HARVEST
Harvesting your vegetables at the right time makes all the difference between an okay harvest and a great one . The time of day matters just as much as the time of year .
Days to Maturity — Seed packets will tell you an average number of days between sowing and harvesting and it is different with each crop . It is also not an exact science as your particular ground and environmental conditions as well as the care taken and pest pressures will dictate the actual timing . Don ’ t rely on the number of days as exact , but rather as a guideline . A crop that says 90 days to maturity might be ready in 85 , or not until 102 , for example . Nonetheless , you can probably mark your calendars with a 10-day to two-week window around the expected harvest time of each crop .
Time of Day — Almost every single type of vegetable will taste better if picked in the early morning . Overnight , plants regain moisture lost during the previous day and starches convert to sugars . Produce will never taste fresher , juicier , or sweeter than when it is first picked in the morning . Late evening harvesting is the second-best time of day if a morning plucking is not possible . Avoid the warmest parts of the day for best results .
After Picking — Keep your harvest out of the sun and into cool or cold water if it can ’ t go into the refrigerator right away ( except for those vegetables that do better on the counter like tomatoes ).
“ Produce will never
taste fresher , juicier , or sweeter than when it is first picked in the morning .”
HARVEST TOOLS AND METHODS
Vegetables should be harvested gently so as to not disturb the rest of the plant and interfere with its ability to produce more . If a vegetable does not come off with a twist of the wrist , then a clean cut is best ( if the vegetable is ripe for picking ).
Keep pruning tools sharp and clean — Sanitise them frequently to avoid the chance of transferring diseases unknowingly . Clean cuts heal faster than rough ones .
Harvest frequently — Your plants will reward you if you pick from them often and don ’ t wait until everything on them is past-peak .
“ tomatoes ”
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