How Do You Harvest Crops In The Winter… With An Ice Sickle!!
Many people are talking about our upcoming Winter weather and I’ve heard everything from an early start to massive amounts of snow and being a chronic weather watcher I’ve reviewed a couple of weather sites and of course the Farmers Almanac to see what they predict for our upcoming winter here in the interior of B.C. Supposedly it will be colder than normal in the north and warmer than normal in our area. We should receive some rain this week and October supposedly has higher than normal precipitation and the temperature should be a couple degrees warmer than normal. Our coldest weather and snow fall are predicted to occur from mid to late November through December and again at the end of January. Well we shall see. Hopefully this will be somewhat accurate and we can get all the outdoor chores done before it hits.
Although there is still some season left for your vegetables harvesting should be well on its way. The days are noticeably shorter and soon will be cooler, the kids are back in school and the garden is becoming mature. Early morning is the best time to harvest and here are a few tips to know when the plant is ready as the maximum flavour and texture is achieved just before full maturity.
Beans and Peas should be picked before the seeds in the pod are bulging, they should snap easily in two, they need to be checked daily for this moment of perfection as they mature rapidly.
Beets can be harvested once you see the shoulders above the ground and you can continue to harvest as you need and the beets become larger. The greens of the beet are delicious so don’t forget to use these like a spinach.
Broccoli should be harvested when the buds on the head are the size of a match head. If left much longer they will totally open and then produce yellow flowers. After you have harvested the main head the plant will produce tiny but delicious side shoots.
Brussel Sprouts mature from the bottom of the plant to the tops and should be twisted from the plant when they are about an inch in diameter. These plants can be covered in straw or leaves and then tapped to continue harvest right in to winter.
Cauliflower heads should look firm and the curds or florets are smooth, left longer it will develop brown spots and the texture will not be as nice. I found that with our very warm summers that my Cauliflower does not even form a head.
Cabbage is picked when the head feels firm. If left too long with hopes of an even larger head you may experience splitting and although still edible not as attractive.
Carrots are determined by the diameter of the head that protrudes from the ground. If the diameter is acceptable then usually the length is also at its optimum. Carrots that are left in the ground and get a light frost are even sweeter.
Corn is ready about 3 weeks after the silk at the end of the cob has turned brown and dry. Check the ears by nicking one of the kernels, a milky juice should be apparent.
Swiss chard, Lead Lettuce and Kale can be harvested at any time that you wish cut from the outside of the plant and allow new growth to continue from the centre.
Pumpkins should be harvested when they have reached their intended colour and cannot be punctured by your fingernail. Do not pick earlier as they will not continue to their uniform colour off the vine.
Squash should be cut from the stems before the skin hardens and should be picked when ready to allow the vine to continue growing to ripen the remaining squash.
Happy Gardening!
Samantha Nason
BS Ranch & Greenhouses
250 547 6567
sam1nason@gmail.com
