Once you know your fruit and vegetables are ready to be harvested you can have more questions than answers. Is there a best time of day to harvest? What tools do I need? Once everything is picked where do I put it? BillyOh blog has some great tips to keep in mind when harvesting.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when harvesting
- Leafy greens and some root crops are best harvested and consumed while they
are at their youngest, most tender state. Edible seed-bearing part of a plant, on the other hand, tastes better when they are fully ripened. - For most fruits, check the ripeness with a few fruit samples in terms of visual clues, taste, and texture.
- Cut and harvest flowers for display when they are starting to open.
- Handle the produce carefully when picking or harvesting. Hold fruits and vegetables firmly but twist them off the stems or soil gently. Use scissors if needed.
- Morning is the best time to harvest as water content in vegetables, fruits, and even flowers is still high.
- Come up with a picking strategy before you go on a harvest spree. Are you going to harvest everything at once, or harvest a few but more often?
- Watch out for signs of wilting or decay and remove these problem parts.
- Get your tools –fruit picker, baskets or carts, sharp knife or pruning shears, spade or shovel, and/or ladders–clean and ready.
- Prepare storage areas and containers, as well. Root crops do best in cool dark places. Some vegetables and fruits may sit on top of kitchen counters to rest and ripen. Cut flowers, on the other hand, must be taken indoors immediately and placed in vases or other containers.
Check out BillyOh Blog’s full post GARDENING: A Comprehensive Guide From Planning to Harvesting, and More Here
