HINTS FOR HARVEST HOME

Image Gallery

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

Summer's fierce heat is exhausted, and a mellower warmth cloaks autumn's bright kingdom. Multicolored delights tumble from the garden's cornucopia, providing fit recompense for the labors of spring and summer. Gather in the good earth's abundance, and allow yourself to feel awe for the miracle of yet another completed cycle of growth and harvest.

HINTS FOR HARVEST HOME

Over much of the country, the first frost will likely occur before Halloween . . . and that means that some crops will have to be harvested, while others can laugh at the chill and remain in the garden for a few weeks more. Here's a list of popular vegetables with some hints on harvesting.

Snap Beans: Frost-tender. Gather the pods when they're fully grown, but before the seeds develop too much. Frequent picking encourages larger crops, but a frost will bring an end to growth.

Dry Beans: Frost-tender. Harvest the pods when a majority of them are yellow and dry, and when most of the leaves have fallen. Pull the plants up by the roots and hang them so the beans can finish drying. Then shell out the legumes and store them in a cool, dry place.

Beets: Frost-hardy. Pull them when the roots are about 2" in diameter. (Varieties such as Lutz Winter Keeper can remain in the ground for an extended period without getting woody.) Store the crop in a cool, humid place.

Broccoli: Somewhat frost-hardy. Cut the center head before the buds flower, and then continue to harvest the side heads that develop after the center is taken.

Brussels Sprouts: Frost-hardy (in fact, moderate freezes improve the flavor of these minicabbages). To spread your harvest over a period of time, begin cutting the lowest sprouts when they reach 1 " in diameter. (Remove the lower leaves at the same time.) For a concentrated harvest, pinch off the growing tip in mid- to late September (or when the bottom sprouts are 1/2" in diameter).

Cabbage: Frost-hardy. Cut the heads when they're firm. To keep cabbages from bursting as they mature, give them a quarter twist. This, in effect, root-prunes the plant and checks rapid growth.

Carrots: Somewhat frost-hardy. Pull them before the ground freezes. The best time for harvesting is during the first two or three weeks after the bright orange color develops. Store carrots in a cold, humid place.

Corn: Frost-tender. Cut the ears when their silk dries and browns and the kernels spurt milk when squeezed with a fingernail. (If you don't know when to harvest the corn, the raccoons will!)