Harvesting!

Finally, all that work is starting to come to fruition.

Believe it or not, there is still time to sow one last round of seeds. This is the last practical date to plant vegetables that thrive in cool weather including: lettuce, spinach and arugula, carrots, beets, broccoli, Swiss chard, kale and all kinds of Asian greens. Choose disease-resistant varieties that mature quickly. If planting a late-season crop of peas, choose bush peas rather than traditional climbers, as they mature more quickly.

As soon as plants such as lettuce, spinach and peas have passed their prime, pull them out and replant. Use every square foot — even little spaces where a cucumber plant expired or the cilantro went to seed. Put the old plants into your compost pile, then aerate the soil and replenish nutrients by forking in some compost and organic fertilizer. Rake the surface smooth and sow something new!

When cold weather arrives, protect plants from frost and cold by covering them with landscape fabric (which you can pick up at a garden center) or using a cold frame (this video will tell you how to build a very simple frame: http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Build-a-Cold-Frame-60035573 - you can also buy one at a home and garden store OR online).

Remember that the Farmer’s Almanac’s Average Frost date for Zone 5 is October 3rd for this year, so you should have your cold frames up BEFORE that date.

Some of your vegetables are probably ready to harvest (Cabbage, Collards and kale, Carrots, Beets and Chard, Lima Beans, Corn, Peppers, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes). There are a few things to keep in mind about harvesting veggies:

Bigger does NOT mean better, unless they specify that they are best grown to a large size, they are best picked when medium sized. If they are allowed to grow too large they will get tough (kale, spinach, lettuce), tasteless (zucchini, cucumbers, squash) or mealy (tomatoes). You can tell by touch (is it becoming soft?) or color (is the color deepening?), if so, it’s time to pick and eat!

Don’t forget your vegetables that are underground. Potatoes are ready then the leaves have died back, pull onions when the foliage has toppled to the ground, carrots and beets are ready when they look like they are starting to come out of the ground (you’ll see the tops easily).

If you pick them, more will grow. This is especially true with leafy veggies, cucumbers, peas and beans. Their job is to reproduce, so once they think their job is done, they’ll stop producing fruit. Picking the vegetables tricks the plants into producing more and more fruit (or vegetables). For leafy greens, pick the outer leaves when they get to about 5” tall. You can get quite a few salads out of each head before it turns bitter. When that happens, pull the roots and toss it in the compost (see above).

What about your herbs? At this time of year, you’ve probably noticed that your Basil has flowers at the top and the bees are seem to be having a ball each time you pick a few leaves. That means it’s gone to seed. Ideally you keep trimming it back, day after day, so it doesn’t produce the seeds. But if it does and the leaves of the basil (or other herb) are getting large, coarse and thick, it’s time to harvest it. Harvest all herbs in the morning when their oils are at their peak. See below for drying instructions.

Unless you are installing a cold frame (see above), you want to make sure that your garden is completely harvested by the first frost (around October 3rd for Zone 5). Of course there is an exception: turnips, they do best harvest after the FIRST cold snap, but don’t wait long after that or you’ll lose them to the ground freeze.

So what do you do with green tomatoes that have to be harvested? There are two schools of thought (both work very well). You can uproot the entire plant, hang it upside down in a basement, garage or shed until the fruit is ripe. You can also pick each tomato, wrap it in newspaper, place them in a brown bag and put it on top of your refrigerator. Warmth is far more important at this point then light. If you are feeling impatient and don’t want to wait, make dinner with them (http://recipes.epicurean.com/asc_results.jsp?title=Green+Tomato for great recipes).

Eat them right away, if possible. Most vegetables taste best when eaten the same day they are picked! Of course you may not want to eat the 36 cucumbers that your garden has just given you. If you have too many to eat at once and you are afraid that they will spoil you have quite a few options.

There are many, many books that go over all of these topics. If you are unsure which you would like, here is a quick rundown of what each entails and a reference guide that I recommend on each subject.

Canning - Canned goods can last for several years. However, their optimal life is one year, over time canned good does lose nutritional value. Like with most things, there are two ways to can. I suggest using a pressure canner (which you can purchase almost anywhere or online). The other vital requirement for canning is the jars and lids; they can be purchased at most department stores and grocery stores. The other pieces of equipment that, while not absolutely necessary, are very helpful to the canning process. A blancher is a basket that fits inside a large pot. Foods in the basket are lowered into the boiling water and then easily removed for transfer to cold water. A Colander is a handy strainer. A Jar Funnel helps to pour food into the jars without making too big a mess. A Jar Lifter will make removing jars from very hot water much easier and safer. Other handy tools are a long-handled slotted spoon and a ladle. For more information about Canning, I recommend reading “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving“

Freezing – some vegetables are much more giving when it comes to freezing. Stay away from freezing anything with high water content. Tomatoes are best frozen after prepared (i.e. sauce or tomato puree), zucchini or squash is best prepared in soup or bread before freezing. On the other hand peppers, beans, peas, winter squash, berries, carrots, corn, and beets do well once blanched (dropped for a short time into boiling water).

Dehydrating (drying) –With rare exception all vegetables and fruit can be dehydrated successfully. Before starting the dehydrating process the vegetables and fruit need to be washed, sliced and blanched, except onions and peppers, and mushrooms. (More information: http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/dehydrating-vegetables.html ). To dry herbs cut at base (do not wash), bind them together with butchers twine and tie to a hanger. Hang it in a dry well ventilated area that doesn’t get much foot traffic. Make sure the herbs are not getting direct light. In two weeks, they’ll be dry and ready for storage in an air tight container.