Vine Vegetables – The Right Time To Harvest Them
You’ve worked hard on your garden all season, and now you want to enjoy the fruits – or vegetables – of your labour. But how do you know when the time is right? It can be hard to determine when you should harvest vine vegetables so we thought we’d give you some tips!
Harvest Vine Vegetables When They “Look” Ready
Generally speaking, you should harvest your vine produce when it “looks” like it’s ready to be picked. It’s a good idea not to leave your produce on the vine for too long, or it won’t have as pleasant a taste or texture. It’s also a good idea to either eat them or process them for storage (canning, freezing, etc.) shortly after you pick them. This ensures that they don’t spoil, and you’ll get to enjoy the best flavour later on. If you stagger your harvesting, you can enjoy your great tasting bounty for weeks to come.
Vegetables, like cucumbers and eggplant, especially fall into the “they’ll look ready” category when it comes to harvesting. In both cases, you want to make sure the vegetable feels nice and firm. Cucumbers should be dark green. An eggplant’s skin will be shiny when it’s time to pick them.
However, when it comes to watermelon, the skin should be dull and have a light underbelly before you harvest. Give it a few taps, and if it sounds hollow, it’s probably ready. Check the vines close to the melons, with watermelon and cantaloupes. If that vine is looking withered, it’s probably time to pick! With cantaloupes, the skin will be textured when it’s time for you to pick them.
The Vine is A Good Indicator When Harvesting Vine Vegetables
A withered vine is a good indicator that it’s time to pick your pumpkins and squash, too. They should feel firm to the touch. Make sure you leave a stem on your pumpkins, as this helps prevent rot. Plus, they’ll look better that way if you’re using them for decoration.
Some Vine Vegetables Last Longer With the Vine
Tomatoes and peppers also last longer if you leave the stems on. Bring a pair of clippers or a sharp knife with you when you go to harvest them. Once your tomatoes have a nice, bright, even colour, it’s time to pick them. They become susceptible to splitting open if you let them grow too big. With peppers, once they’re their full size, you can go ahead and pick them. Red bell peppers will be sweeter if you let them fully change colour. However, it’s alright to pick them even if they’re a bit green.
BigYellowBag for The Best Vine Vegetables
Of course, the best way to make sure you have a good harvest is to start your plants out right. That means picking the best soil – BigYellowBag Black Garden Soil. Its light and fluffy properties make it an amazing growing medium for vegetables. BigYellowBag Black Garden Soil is a mixture of black loam, peat loam, well composted manure, and a touch of mineral soil for stability. Composed of sand, silt, and clay, loam is a soil type with exact ratios to ensure the best possible drainage and moisture retention for your plants. Packed with essential nutrients and organic matter, our soil will allow your veggies to grow healthy and strong.
Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you harvesting vine vegetables this year! Some of the most nutritious and delicious vegetables grow on vines and we want BigYellowBag customers to take full advantage of them.