Almost every garden has a vegetable patch, as many of us are supporters of our own crops. Usually, however, the seeds of your favorite beetroot, carrot or parsley are sown in excess and we are not able to eat everything during the season, so it is worth tryingto store vegetables for the winterYour own vegetables are usually he althier than the store ones, because they are rare sprayed with chemicals, and additionally allow you to repair your home budget. See how to carry outautumn vegetable harvestfor storage.
Autumn vegetable harvest
What vegetables from the fall harvest can be stored?
Proper storage of vegetables over the winter depends on several factors. The first and most important is their he alth - vegetables intended for storage must not be infected by diseases or pests.An example may be carrots with feeding symptoms of carrot leaf (eroded corridors visible on the roots) during storage will rot and mold. Therefore, for storage, choose only he althy and undamaged vegetables from the autumn harvest.
The second very important thing is the selection of the variety - remember to choose the ones that are intended for this purpose, i.e. they have a long shelf life and thus keep well. Information on this is usually found on the seed bag. Early varieties are also not suitable for storage ( although it does not matter much in the case of beetroot).Remember also that abundant fertilization of the soil, especially nitrogen, may contribute to the poorer storage of some vegetables, causing them to rot quickly, so fertilize - especially in late summer - carefully. The best example are cucumbers, which, when overfilled with nitrogen, cannot be pickled but rot.
1. Dig out the carrots for storage on a clear, sunny day
2. Twist or cut with a knife
3. Place the dug out vegetables in boxes
4. We store them in the basement in boxes with sand
When to collect vegetables for storage?
Vegetables intended for storage should be dug out in the late autumn on a sunny day. After digging, they should be placed in boxes and then moved to a cool room for a few weeks. This cool room may be an unheated gazebo or garage until severe frosts, but due to car exhaust fumes, it is not recommended.When the temperature drops are forecast, the crates should be moved to frost-protected rooms. It is best to place the crops at a temperature of 0 - 5 ° C, a higher temperature causes the vegetables to dry out and resume their growth. It is worth sprinkling the parsley roots with sand so that they do not dry out excessively.
Storing vegetables in a mound
However, if we have a lot of vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, parsley, celery or beets, we can store them in mounds. The mound looks as follows: it is 60 cm deep, 50 cm wide, and the vegetables in such a mound are covered with sand; Then the soil (10 - 15 cm) is poured on the top layer, a layer of straw (20 - 30 cm), soil (12 - 20 cm) again and a thick layer of straw again (in case of severe frosts). Such a cover prevents the mound from freezing.
Storing vegetables in a mound
However, it is worth knowing that we do not cover the mound so thickly, because at the beginning only the layer of earth is enough.The temperature in the mound should be controlled and when it is 1 - 3 ° C, successive layers should be gradually applied. Covering the vegetables with a thick layer at once will cause them to fog up and start to rot. You can set up the mound in a place where the soil is sandy and permeable, and the groundwater is less than 50 cm deep. A drainage groove is dug at the sides of the mound.Due to the high humidity in the mounds, they are not suitable for storing onions. This vegetable is best stored in boxes in the basement or attic.
What to do with unripe tomatoes?
" The only exception among vegetables that are kept for the shortest time and at a higher temperature (10-15 ° C) are tomatoes. Before the first frosts, we can pick lit (slightly colored) and green, fully developed fruits from the bushes. Put them in boxes and move them to a dark room. "
Storing tomatoes
" After a few weeks, the green tomatoes should mature. However, if a potato blight has appeared on tomatoes, the seemingly he althy lit tomatoes will rot during storage, so it is not worth plucking them. "
Tomasz Trelka
border=0 width=150
