When it comes to growing your own vegetables, then you’ll want to make sure that they are harvested in a way that will not damage them. Also, if you are collecting your vegetables, then you’ll want to find a nice way of carrying them.
There’s nothing more homely and inviting that placing your home-grown garden vegetables in a high-quality trug for the garden, which will make them ready for any vegetable competition or even a local fair.
So what are the best methods of harvesting your vegetables? How can you be sure that they’ll come up from the ground without any damage? Well, if you want some of the best tips for harvesting your garden, then we would recommend you keep reading this article.
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Keep A Close Eye On Your Vegetables
It is important that you keep an eye on the size and length of your vegetables. The timing of harvesting your veggies is extremely important, as this will affect the look, texture and taste.
Certain vegetables will often grow a few inches within days, so making sure that you are harvesting them at the right time will be very important.
You should look up the vegetables that you are growing so you can estimate just when they’ll be ripe for harvest.
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Getting the Right Tools For The Job
This will all depend on what vegetables you’ll be looking to harvest. Things like carrots, potatoes and cucumbers will need special tools to sear them out of the ground. Other plants like kale, peas and lettuce can be pulled out with just your hands.
You might need a pruning fork or gardening shears to get your vegetables out of the ground. You might also need a sharp knife to dislodge them.
You’ll need to do your research when it comes to finding what part of the plant you’ll need to snip before removal. This might make all the difference between having a whole vegetable or one that is broken in two.
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Ensure That Your Vegetables Are Dry When They Are Harvested
Timing is everything when you are harvesting your vegetables. If you are taking them out of the ground while they are still wet, then you’ll run the risk of spreading diseases.
If your vegetables are ready to harvest but are wet, then give them a little time to drain first. If it is continuing to rain, then you should cover them first before pulling them out of the ground.
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Check For Yellowing Leaves
If your leaves are starting to turn yellow, then you should make sure that you pull them out of the ground quicker than you normally would. This might be because every plant is different and they might start getting riper earlier than anticipated.
You’ll need to remove the yellowing leaves so that the plant doesn’t conserve too much of its energy keeping these dead parts alive. One dying portion of your plant might also affect the rest of it.
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Do Not Be Rough With Your Vegetables – Handle Them With Care
If you are plucking vegetables like tomatoes and peas from your garden, then you shouldn’t be too rough with them. This is because delicate veg such as this can bruise easily and actually affect the taste.
You’ll also need to be careful about treading on your vines. This is because it can rip them open, which will be the perfect entry point for oxygen and bacteria to get into your plant.
What Is The Best Method Of Collecting Your Harvested Vegetables?
Collecting your vegetables is a key part of the harvesting process. For this, we would definitely recommend that you get yourself a decent wicker trug.
These are baskets that are generally woven tightly with wicker or wood. They come with grooves in the middle which allows for mud and soil to be sifted through. It will also help your vegetables to drain.
A trug will also have a handle, which makes it much easier to loop your arm through and carry your vegetables across the garden. This is often very handy if you are taking them from one part of the garden to another.
What Is The Best Time Of Day To Harvest Vegetables?
Harvesting vegetables should ideally be done first thing in the morning but after the morning dew has dried. This is because this is when they are at their coolest and juiciest.
We would advise against picking your vegetables during the heat of the summer sun, as this is when they’ll be mostly dry and susceptible to breaking.
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