Alberta Co-op Grocery

Autumn Harvesting Guide

Posted October 7th, 2010

opinion by Teryani Riggs, Working Owner

Now that the days are shorter and the weather is cooling, we see a lot questions coming up about when to harvest warm weather vegetables.  Here’s a short guide:

• Summer Squash — Best harvested while still on the small side.  Not only is the flavor better, but if left on the plant a too long it begins seed formation and reduces further fruit set.

•  Winter Squash — Are completely mature when the stem is brown and shriveled, but our summers rarely last long enough for that to occur.  You can help the fruit along by removing the very smallest squash and any new ones from the vine after September 1st.   This allows the plant to put the remainder of its energy into ripening the larger fruit.

•  Peppers — Many varieties of both sweet and hot peppers change color from green to red or yellow as they ripen; his is a great guide for harvesting for best flavor.  Make sure to harvest thin-walled varieties of hot chili peppers well before frost or the onset of the rainy season to prevent rotting of the fruit. If the fruit has not entirely ripened by this time you can pull up the entire plant and hang upside down in a cool, dimly lit place

•  Tomatoes —  Even with removing all flowers and the smaller, immature tomatoes by September 1st, the cool summer we’ve had has left some of us with lots of unripe tomatoes even into October.  Withholding water and root-pruning can certainly help your fruits ripen, but if you still have green tomatoes by the time the first frost/rains come, pickled green curry tomatoes, fried green tomatoes, minced meat pie, and fermented whole green tomatoes are all tasty alternatives.

Next week: what to do in the garden in October.

Tags: gardening
Posted in Home and Garden

More July Garden Tips: Water Conservation

Posted July 26th, 2010

by Teryani Riggs, Working Owner

Well, summer finally has a somewhat firm hold on us—the average temperature is above 70ºF (finally), the berries are coming into full swing, and the baby birds are learning to fly.  In the garden, this is still the time for planting, but it is also the time to WATCH WATERING!

Some tips on how to conserve water in the garden:

1. Catch as much rainwater as possible using rain barrels or other systems.
2. Mulch, mulch, MULCH. Mulching not only helps to reduce moisture loss and suppress weeds, it also provides top-down nutrients to the soil. You can use grass clippings, leaves, straw, composted bark chippings, or clippings from plants. Apply when the soil is moist and has warmed up and the plants are established. Water if soil is dry before laying down the mulch.
3. Digging increases water loss from the soil – avoid it, particularly in dry hot weather.
   Remove weeds; they will be in competition for water with the plants you want to grow. (Better yet, if you’re into companion planting or permaculture, replace weeds with plants that will support the plants you want to grow.)
4. Add organic material (i.e. compost or mulch) to your soil. Compost not only provides wonderful nutrients to your plants, the organic material in it will store water and reduce water run-off.
5. Water early in the morning or in the late afternoon (early morning is best). This will reduce loss of water through evaporation.
6. Apply water directly to the soil, not plants.
7. Soak plants well if you are watering. Watering thoroughly, yet infrequently is much better for your plants than frequent, shallow waterings. Check that the water has penetrated down into the soil, not just the surface layers.

Happy Watering!

Tags: gardening, plants
Posted in Home and Garden