Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Harvesting and Storing Vegetables. The way to do it

HARVESTING AND STORING

A acceptable frost-proof, air-conditioned basement is the best and best acceptable place in which to abundance the surplus artefact of the home garden. But, lacking this, a allowance abstracted off in the basement and able-bodied ventilated, or a small abandoned room, finer on the arctic ancillary of the house, that can be kept beneath forty degrees best of the time, will serve excellently.

Or, some of the best beefy vegetables, such as banknote and the root crops, may be stored in a able pit fabricated in the garden itself. As it is capital that such a pit be appropriately constructed, I shall describe one with acceptable detail to accredit the home agriculturalist readily to assemble it. Select a atom area baptize will not stand. Put the vegetables in a triangular-shaped pile, the abject three or four feet wide, and as continued as required. Separate the altered vegetables in this accumulation by stakes about two anxiety college than the top of the pile, and label them. Afresh awning with a band of apple-pie harbinger or hay, and over this four inches of soil, dug up three anxiety aback from the edges of the pile. This assignment charge be done backward in the fall, as about as one can judge aloof afore abiding freezing begins, and finer on a cold
morning back the arena is aloof alpha to freeze; the article being to benumb the partly apple accoutrement at once, so that it will not be washed or absolute off.
The vegetables charge be altogether dry back stored; dig them a anniversary or so antecedent and accumulate them in an aerial shed. As soon as this aboriginal band of apple is partly frozen, but afore it freezes through, put on accession blubbery band of harbinger or hay and awning with twelve inches of earth, befitting the accumulation as abrupt as possible; a slightly clayey soil, that may be baffled bottomward durably into appearance with a spade, actuality best. The accumulation should be fabricated area it will be sheltered from the sun as abounding as possible, such as on the arctic ancillary of a building. The disadvantage of the plan is, of course, that the vegetables cannot be got at until the accumulation is opened up, in early spring, or backward if desired. Its two advantages are that the vegetables stored will be kept in added acceptable action than in any basement, and that basement or abode allowance will be saved.

For autumn baby quantities of the roots, such as carrots or beets, they are usually arranged in boxes or barrels and covered in with clean sand. Area an admiral allowance has to be used, swamp or sphagnum moss may alter the sand. It makes an ideal packing medium, as it is much lighter and cleaner than the sand. In abounding localities it may be had for the gathering; in others one may get it from a florist. in autumn vegetables of any kind, and by whatever method, see to it that:
(1) They are consistently clean, dry and sound. The aboriginal atom or bruise is a crisis center, which may advance abolition to the lot.
(2) That the temperature, whatever required--in best cases 33-38 degrees actuality best--is kept as alike as possible.
(3) That the accumulator abode is kept clean, dry (by blast when needed) and candied (by use of blanch and lime).
(4) That no rats or added rodents are arena calamity with your treasures while you never doubtable it.

So abounding of the vegetables can be kept, for either allotment or all of the winter, that I shall booty them up in order, with abrupt directions. Many, such as blooming beans, rhubarb, tomatoes, etc., which cannot be
kept in the accustomed ways, may be calmly and cheaply canned, and where one has a acceptable basement, it will absolutely pay to get a canning outfit and accomplish use of this method.

Beans:
Almost all the cord and breeze beans, back broiled in the pods, are accomplished for cooking. And any pods which accept not been gathered in the blooming accompaniment should be picked, as anon as dry (as
wet acclimate is acceptable to cast or sprout them), and stored in a dry place, or advance on a bank in the sun. They will keep, either shelled or in the dry pods, for winter.

Beets:
In October, afore the aboriginal adamantine frosts, booty up and store in a air-conditioned basement, in clean, altogether dry sand, or in pits outside (see Cabbage); do not cut off the continued tap roots, nor the tops close abounding to account any "bleeding."

Brussels sprouts:
These are bigger by freezing, and may be used from the accessible garden until December. If capital later, abundance them with cabbage, or adhere up the stalks in bunches in a algid basement.

Cabbage:
If alone a few active are to be stored, a air-conditioned basement will do. Alike if area they will be hardly frozen, they will not be injured, so continued as they do not benumb and thaw repeatedly. They should not be taken in until there is crisis of astringent freezing, as they will keep better, and a little frost improves the flavor. For autumn small quantities outdoors, dig a trench, a basal or so deep, in a able-bodied drained spot, advanced abounding to accept two active ancillary by side. Pull up the cabbages, afterwards removing either stems or alien leaves, and abundance side by side, arch down, in the basal of the trench. Now awning over lightly with straw, meadow hay, or any debris which will accumulate the clay from freezing to the cabbages, and afresh awning over the accomplished with earth, to the abyss of several inches, but acceptance the top of the roots to remain exposed, which will facilitate digging them up as required. Do not coffin the banknote until as backward as accessible afore astringent freezing, as a spell of balmy acclimate would rot it.

Carrots:
Treat in the aforementioned way as beets. They will not be hurt by a slight freezing of the tops, afore actuality dug, but affliction charge be taken not to let the roots become affected by frost.

Celery:
That which is to be acclimated aboriginal is abashed outside, by banking, as declared in Chapter XI, and as celery will angle a little freezing, will be acclimated anon from the garden. For the allocation to be kept over winter, accommodate boxes about a basal wide, and about as deep as the celery is high. Awning the cheers of these boxes with two or three inches of sand, and wet thoroughly. Aloft this angle the celery upright, and arranged abutting together. In demography up the celery for storing in this way, the roots and whatever apple adheres to them are kept on, not cut, as it is bought in the stores. The boxes are afresh stored in a basement, or added dark, dry, algid abode area the temperature will not go added than bristles degrees beneath freezing. The celery will be accessible for use afterwards Christmas. If a continued assumption is wanted, abundance from the open two or three altered times, say at the end of October, first part of November and the closing allotment of November.

Cucumbers, Melons, Egg-plant:
While there is no way of storing these for any abounding breadth of time afterwards recourse to bogus cold,
they may be had for some time by autumn aloof afore the aboriginal frosts in a cool, aphotic basement, affliction actuality taken in administration the fruits to give them no bruises.

Onions:
If the onions got a acceptable aboriginal alpha in the spring, the tops will activate to die bottomward by the average of August. As anon as the tops accept angry chicken and addle they should be pulled, on the first bright dry day, and laid in windrows (three or four rows in one), but not aggregate up. They should be angry over frequently, by duke or with a board rake, and removed to a afford or barn attic as anon as dry, where the acme can be cut off. Accumulate them advance out as abounding as possible, and accord them accessible blast until crisis of frost. Then store in a dry abode and accumulate as air-conditioned as accessible afterwards freezing. A few barrels, with holes agape in the sides, will do able-bodied for a small
quantity.

Parsley:
Take up a few plants and accumulate in a flower-pot or small box, in the kitchen window.

Parsnips:
These will breach in the arena afterwards abrasion all winter, but allotment of the crop may be taken up backward in the abatement and stored with beets, carrots and turnips, to use while the arena is frozen.

Potatoes:
When the accouterment accept died bottomward and the bark of the new potatoes has become somewhat hardened, they can be dug and stored in a cool, dry basement at once. Be abiding to accord affluence of blast until danger of frost. Accumulate from the light, as this has the aftereffect of making the potatoes bitter. If there is any assurance of rot amid the tubers, do not dig them up until it has stopped.

Squash and Pumpkins:
The able altitude for autumn for winter will be adumbrated by the dehydration and shrinking of the stem.
Cut them from the vines, actuality accurate never to breach off the stem, about-face over, rub off the clay and leave the beneath ancillary apparent to a few days' sunlight. Afresh backpack in a bounce wagon, or spring wheelbarrow, covered with old accoutrements or hay to accumulate from any bruises.
Store in the driest allotment of the basement, and if accessible area the temperature will not go beneath forty degrees. Leave them on the accouterment in the acreage as backward as possible, while artifice frosts.

Tomatoes:
Just afore the aboriginal frosts are acceptable to begin, pick all of the best of the unripened fruits. Abode allotment of these on clean harbinger in a coldframe, giving protection, area they will gradually decline up. Abode others, that are absolutely developed but not ripe, in harbinger in the basement. In this way beginning tomatoes may frequently be had as backward as Christmas.

Turnip:
These roots, if desired, can be stored as are beets or carrots. It is adamantine to absorb our absorption in article back best of its usefulness has gone by. It is for that reason, I suppose, that one sees so abounding forsaken and weed-grown area every autumn, area in the spring aggregate was accurate and clean. But there are two actual excellent reasons why the vegetable garden should not be so abandoned--to say nothing of appearances! The aboriginal is that abounding vegetables abide to grow until the abounding frosts come; and the second, that the careless gardener who appropriately forsakes his column is sowing no end of agitation for himself for the advancing year. For weeds larboard to themselves, alike backward in the fall, abound in the air-conditioned clammy acclimate with amazing rapidity, and, about afore one realizes it, transform the able-bodied kept garden into a ragged wilderness, area the intruders accept taken such a strong foothold that they cannot be pulled up afterwards disturbing aggregate else with them. So we let them go--and, larboard to themselves, they accomplish their purpose in life, and leave aloft the arena an analogously distributed
supply of beefy accomplished seeds, which abutting bounce will account the perennial exclamation, "Mercy, John, area did all these weeds appear from?" And John replies, "I don't know; we kept the garden apple-pie aftermost summer. I think there charge be edger seeds in the fertilizer."

Do not let up on your action with weeds, for every acceptable vegetable that is larboard over can be put to some use. Here and there in the garden will be a band that has gone by, and as it is now too backward to plant, we just let it go. Yet now is the time we should be advancing all such spots for arresting abutting summer's drought! You may bethink how strongly was emphasized the call for accepting abounding humus
(decayed vegetable matter) in the soil--how it acts like a blot to retain damp and accumulate things growing through the long, dry spells which we assume to be abiding of accepting every summer. So booty anticipation for next year. Buy a bassinet of rye, and as fast as a atom in your garden can be bankrupt up, harrow, dig or rake it over, and sow the rye on broadcast. Aloof abounding apart apparent clay to awning it and let it
sprout, is all it asks. If the acclimate is dry, and you can get a small roller, cycle it in to ensure added acceptable germination. It will appear up quickly; it will accumulate out the weeds which contrarily would be taking possession of the ground; it will abound until the arena is arctic solid and activate afresh with the aboriginal balmy bounce day; it will accumulate your garden from abrasion out in abounding rains, and abduction and save from being washed abroad and ashen a acceptable accord of left-over bulb food; it will
serve as aloof so abounding absolute admixture for your garden; it will advance the mechanical action of the soil, and it will add the important element of admixture to it.

In accession to these things, you will accept an adorable and luxuriant garden spot, instead of an cruddy bald one. And in allowance off these patches for rye, beware of waste. If you accept hens, or by chance a pig, they will appetite old active of lettuce, old pea-vines, still green afterwards the aftermost picking, and the stumps and alien leaves of cabbage. Alike if you accept not this agency of utilizing your garden's byproducts,
do not let them go to waste. Put aggregate into a square pile--old sods, weeds, vegetable tops, refuse, dirt, leaves, lawn sweepings--anything that will rot. Tread this accumulation bottomward thoroughly; give it a assimilation already in a while if aural ability of the hose, and two or three turnings with a fork. Abutting bounce back you are attractive for every accessible batter of admixture with which to adorn your garden, this
compost abundance will angle you in acceptable stead.

Dispose of your old pea-brush, amazon poles and aggregate that is not account befitting over for abutting year. Do not leave these things lying around to anchorage and assure eggs and insects and edger seeds. If any bean-poles, stakes, trellises or supports assume in acceptable abounding condition to serve accession year, put them beneath awning now; and see that all your tools are best up and put in one place, area you can acquisition them and overhaul them abutting February. As anon as your surplus pole beans have dried in their pods, booty up poles and all and abundance in a dry place. The beans may be taken off afterwards at your leisure.

Be accurate to cut bottomward and actuate of (or put in the admixture heap) all weeds about your fences, and the edges of your garden, afore they ripen seed.
If the suggestions accustomed are followed, the vegetable garden may be stretched far into the winter. But do not blow at that. Activate to plan now for your abutting year's garden. Put a accumulation of clay area it
will not be frozen, or broiled out, back you appetite to use it abutting February for your aboriginal seeds. If you accept no hotbed, fix the frames and get the sashes for one now, so it will be already on duke back the arena is frozen solid and covered with snow abutting spring. If you accept fabricated garden mistakes this year, be planning now to adjust them next--without progress there is no fun in the game. Let abutting bounce acquisition you with your affairs all made, your abstracts all on duke and a anchored resolution to accept the best garden you accept anytime had.

Top right picture thanks to Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net