Harvesting Q&A

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Topics

Preserve your produce

Last post by tigerburnie
Replies: 70
by KG magazine » Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:08 pm
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Rating: 4.12%

We all want good harvests and sometimes we get more than we bargained for but don't let it go to waste have a go and preserving your excess fruit and...
70 Replies

203968 Views

Last post by tigerburnie
Thu Aug 15, 2024 5:34 pm
When to harvest gooseberries?

Last post by henacynflin
Replies: 3
by AdrienneRobinson » Tue Jun 10, 2025 5:38 pm

Rating: 0.41%

Just wondering if anyone knows how you can tell if/when gooseberries are ready to pick?

3 Replies

19319 Views

Last post by henacynflin
Wed Oct 29, 2025 5:49 pm
Sarpo Mira Potato Haulms shooting in August

Last post by Daveswife
Replies: 3
by Daveswife » Thu Aug 28, 2025 2:28 pm

Rating: 0.41%

For many years I have been growing several varieties of blight resistant potatoes in containers. One of my favourites is Sarpo Mira. Tasty, reliable...

3 Replies

7526 Views

Last post by Daveswife
Sat Aug 30, 2025 7:00 pm
Is this courgette ready for harvest

Last post by Colin2016
Replies: 3
by Colin2016 » Mon Jun 16, 2025 7:15 pm

First time growing courgettes and would like to know when to harvest as read they can be poisonous.

Picked this one today.

3 Replies

6454 Views

Last post by Colin2016
Tue Jun 17, 2025 6:34 pm
Leeks look like garlic.

Last post by Myrkk
Replies: 6
by Myrkk » Tue Oct 08, 2024 11:14 am

Rating: 0.82%

I decided to pick some of the younger looking leeks to use as a side vegetable and to my surprise they have a bulb at the bottom like garlic but...

6 Replies

92691 Views

Last post by Myrkk
Wed Oct 09, 2024 10:23 pm
Frozen Pumpkins

Last post by Westi
Replies: 4
by Malk » Sun Nov 19, 2023 11:43 am

Rating: 0.41%

Hi to anyone who remembers me. Still in Finland, still have an allotment.

I harvested my pumpkins and put them to cure and then forgot about them....

4 Replies

36292 Views

Last post by Westi
Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:37 pm
Amyone know about Tomatillos ?

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 5
by Tony Hague » Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:04 pm

Rating: 0.41%

I've grown the sort of tomatillos that are green, ripening to a pale creamy yellow quite a few times. They do well enough outside and make a lot of...

5 Replies

34499 Views

Last post by Primrose
Fri Nov 03, 2023 7:26 pm
Foraging

Last post by retropants
Replies: 15
by tigerburnie » Sun Oct 29, 2023 6:52 pm
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Rating: 5.35%

These winds are blowing the leaves off, great for making leaf mould, but more importantly I can see the Hazlenuts I missed earlier in the month, I...
15 Replies

95857 Views

Last post by retropants
Mon Oct 30, 2023 9:23 pm
Chestnuts vs horsechestniyts

Last post by Westi
Replies: 17
by Stravaig » Sat Sep 16, 2023 5:51 pm
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I've always assumed that horsechestnuts (conkers) are inedible. Are they really? Are they poisonous? Yeah, I know I could Google it but I thought you...
17 Replies

61992 Views

Last post by Westi
Thu Oct 19, 2023 6:39 pm
Teeny, tiny pears

Last post by Westi
Replies: 5
by Myrkk » Thu Aug 31, 2023 7:13 pm

Rating: 0.82%

There’s a young pear tree in our garden, looks only a few years old, laden with pears. Teeny, tiny 1” x 3” solid pears (look like conference).

Are...

5 Replies

27752 Views

Last post by Westi
Mon Sep 04, 2023 6:51 pm
Borlotto Beans

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 11
by Geoff » Wed Jun 21, 2023 7:50 pm

Rating: 0.41%

For several years we have successfully grown climbing French beans Cobra in the polytunnel. This year my wife decided it would be good to grow half...

11 Replies

59952 Views

Last post by Primrose
Sun Aug 20, 2023 6:11 pm
How long can I harvest my asparagus?

Last post by vivienz
Replies: 2
by vivienz » Mon May 15, 2023 6:44 pm

Rating: 0.41%

This is year 3 for my asparagus bed and it's been cropping heavily for about 2 or 3 weeks now and I've been harvesting the spears for the first time....

2 Replies

24002 Views

Last post by vivienz
Mon May 15, 2023 9:11 pm
Parsnips, looking good

Last post by lescnicholls
Replies: 11
by Stephen » Sun Nov 17, 2019 4:18 pm

After the issues with my leeks, I'm delighted that my parsnips (which germinated extraordinarily well) are looking great.
IMG_20191117_150351.jpg

11 Replies

38117 Views

Last post by lescnicholls
Wed Apr 12, 2023 7:38 pm
Leek help, please

Last post by Stravaig
Replies: 6
by Stravaig » Wed Mar 01, 2023 4:46 pm

Rating: 1.65%

I asked husband to buy leeks and I would prep, cook and freeze them. Handy for when we need them - we do this with quite a lot of veg, plus make our...

6 Replies

41948 Views

Last post by Stravaig
Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:18 am
2022 harvests

Last post by peter
Replies: 122
by tigerburnie » Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:11 pm
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Been out today so no "Sunday dinner" until tomorrow, it's fish and chips with some fresh minted peas from the garden, I'd like to say I...
122 Replies

350533 Views

Last post by peter
Wed Oct 26, 2022 7:27 pm
Soil Problems?

Last post by oldherbaceous
Replies: 4
by snooky » Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:49 am

I grew three varieties of potato this season.Rocket,poor yield;Charlotte,good yield and clean;Desiree,good yield but scabby.Reading...

4 Replies

40028 Views

Last post by oldherbaceous
Sat Nov 13, 2021 8:59 am
What I harvested today!

Last post by snooky
Replies: 74
by Westi » Sun Sep 04, 2016 7:19 pm
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It's that time of the year when the feast comes, so I thought I'd start a new thread to see what everyone is harvesting & what they plan to do...
74 Replies

165765 Views

Last post by snooky
Sun Oct 10, 2021 8:47 pm
Oven drying surplus crops.

Last post by sally wright
Replies: 6
by Westi » Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:03 pm

I would dearly love a proper dehydrator but for the limited use it would get & the storage space taken it's not worth the investment. Does anyone...

6 Replies

33113 Views

Last post by sally wright
Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:51 pm
Blanching before freezing.

Last post by robo
Replies: 5
by Primrose » Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:14 am

I,ve always blanched my beans and other veg before freezing. I know somebody who never does, declares it a waste of time and says her vegs still stay...

5 Replies

27091 Views

Last post by robo
Fri Sep 17, 2021 4:08 pm
Blueberries.

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 2
by snooky » Fri Sep 03, 2021 7:01 pm

When I took over my plot last year I dug up the overgrown fruit bed and binned most of the fruit bushes.I kept back a Gooseberry and two...

2 Replies

23397 Views

Last post by Primrose
Sun Sep 05, 2021 5:53 pm
Romanesco as cut and come again..

Last post by Johnboy
Replies: 6
by vivienz » Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:58 am

...sort of. I read in an RHS book that instead of cutting the whole head when it's ready, you can just snap off as many spears as you need and let...

6 Replies

34981 Views

Last post by Johnboy
Sat Aug 28, 2021 9:16 am
Drying bay leaves

Last post by Johnboy
Replies: 3
by Primrose » Sat Aug 14, 2021 1:20 pm

I was lucky enough to acquire a huge spray of surplus pruned bay leaves at our village gardening plant swap event today.
They,re still attached to...

3 Replies

32338 Views

Last post by Johnboy
Sat Aug 28, 2021 8:53 am
Onions.

Last post by Westi
Replies: 21
by snooky » Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:09 am
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Disappointed again this year with the size of my onions they are only the size of a golf ball.In the five years which I have been on this site I have...
21 Replies

64900 Views

Last post by Westi
Sat Jul 10, 2021 8:16 pm
Can somebody help me with sorrel please?

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 6
by Primrose » Mon May 03, 2021 1:56 pm

I have some very healthy sorrel growing in our garden. I use the young tender leaves in salads but my only attempts at cooking it - (simmering it...

6 Replies

29895 Views

Last post by Primrose
Sun Jun 27, 2021 8:19 pm
Apple i d please

Last post by Connie777
Replies: 9
by Connie777 » Fri Oct 09, 2020 3:54 pm

Hi All , hope your well? Been out foraging Apples on a old Golf course ( as you do) & found two really old Trees laden with these?...

9 Replies

32356 Views

Last post by Connie777
Thu Nov 12, 2020 10:17 pm
Preparing calabrese (broccoli) heads

Last post by Monika
Replies: 8
by judyk » Sun Aug 09, 2020 4:28 pm

As the Calabrese is about ready to harvest now (at least it is here in the south west), I thought I'd share this tip for making sure it doesn't go...

8 Replies

30273 Views

Last post by Monika
Thu Oct 15, 2020 4:45 pm
Pea sprouts?

Last post by Stravaig
Replies: 2
by Stravaig » Thu Oct 01, 2020 10:36 am

All my gardening is done indoors as we live in a city centre flat. I'm growing peas in a container in a sunny spot. Despite the lateness of the year,...

2 Replies

23629 Views

Last post by Stravaig
Fri Oct 02, 2020 8:34 am
PEAthetic Pea Crop

Last post by Stephen
Replies: 7
by Arnie » Thu Jul 30, 2020 11:08 am

I spent yesterday cropping my Alderman pea's and boy were they pathetic worse crop of peas I have ever had :x :x :x :x and to make matter worse I...

7 Replies

29544 Views

Last post by Stephen
Thu Sep 17, 2020 4:36 pm
Purple mange tout

Last post by Stephen
Replies: 1
by vivienz » Sun Jun 28, 2020 10:21 pm

Beautiful, beautiful plants, flowers as pretty as sweet peas, sadly the pods are nowhere near as sweet and tasty as the plain old green ones....

1 Replies

23288 Views

Last post by Stephen
Sun Jun 28, 2020 11:11 pm
Lifted a few Charlotte today

Last post by vivienz
Replies: 1
by Stephen » Sun Jun 28, 2020 9:48 pm

They are looking very nice.
In previous years we have probably left them longer and lifted lots at once. This year we are determined to lift and...

1 Replies

23082 Views

Last post by vivienz
Sun Jun 28, 2020 10:14 pm
Pea shoots - leave them at your peril

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 4
by vivienz » Thu Jun 18, 2020 9:26 pm

It's probably more to do with my not feeding them enough, but they're in the equivalent of guttering and are producing loads of tendrils but not so...

4 Replies

26472 Views

Last post by Primrose
Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:56 am
How do I know when my cucumbers are ripe?

Last post by Westi
Replies: 3
by vivienz » Thu Jun 18, 2020 9:22 pm

Along with the tomatoes, my cucumbers lost their labels early on in the year; I grew 2 different varieties (possibly 3, it's all so long ago now) and...

3 Replies

25555 Views

Last post by Westi
Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:01 pm
Horse manure

Last post by robo
Replies: 5
by robo » Fri Feb 07, 2020 12:39 pm

Hi everybody, I was wondering if anyone has experience of shredded horse manure or muck as it’s called around here I’m talking about the treated...

5 Replies

29206 Views

Last post by robo
Sat Feb 08, 2020 8:35 pm
Bay Leaves

Last post by Stephen
Replies: 14
by Stravaig » Sun Nov 03, 2019 11:07 am

As a keen cook, I often use bay leaves in soups and stews, etc, but I've always just bought dried bay leaves from the supermarket.

Last year I...

14 Replies

43798 Views

Last post by Stephen
Sat Nov 09, 2019 1:29 pm
Drying winter squash seeds for eating

Last post by Westi
Replies: 3
by Primrose » Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:46 pm

Cut open the first winter squash today (Crown Prince) and it contained so many seeds I want to have a first attempt at drying and/or roasting them...

3 Replies

27339 Views

Last post by Westi
Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:01 pm
Swede storage

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 3
by Colin Miles » Mon Aug 12, 2019 4:53 pm

Although the previous replies, including my own(!) have said to leave them in the ground and lift as necessary, doing this hasn't really worked that...

3 Replies

28926 Views

Last post by Primrose
Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:32 pm
Potatoes

Last post by Stephen
Replies: 5
by Catherine » Sun Jul 31, 2016 10:46 pm

I lost all the tops of my potatoes with blight last week, first early, second and main. I have chopped all the tops off the potatoes. Tonight I...

5 Replies

31262 Views

Last post by Stephen
Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:01 pm
Elephant garlic

Last post by robo
Replies: 13
by PLUMPUDDING » Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:57 pm

My bulbs are a good size and have dried nicely so I used one clove in a stir fry. I've never grown them before so was rather disappointed that it...

13 Replies

40494 Views

Last post by robo
Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:25 pm
Ripening at the same time?

Last post by tigerburnie
Replies: 6
by Elmigo » Sat May 11, 2019 12:44 pm

What is the missing puzzle piece I'm looking for? I see so many gardens where all apples are ripening at about the same time! When I'm harvesting, I...

6 Replies

31645 Views

Last post by tigerburnie
Mon May 13, 2019 11:56 am
Ripening pumpkins

Last post by oldherbaceous
Replies: 4
by peter » Sat Oct 20, 2018 5:06 pm

When the leaves die harvest the pumpkin, or squash.
Ensure you leave an inch or two on the fruit.

Place them in a frostfree sunny place, don't want...

4 Replies

31656 Views

Last post by oldherbaceous
Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:06 pm
Butternut Sqush harvesting

Last post by Stephen
Replies: 7
by Colin2016 » Sun Sep 16, 2018 5:21 pm

First year growing butternut squash have, thinking they are looking good how do I know when to harvest?

7 Replies

34434 Views

Last post by Stephen
Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:11 pm
Lowest night temperature for outdoor tomatoes ?

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 4
by Primrose » Sat Sep 08, 2018 7:04 pm

I still have loads of green and half ripe tomatoes on my outdoor plants and whilst the days are currently sunny I obviously want to make the most of...

4 Replies

31213 Views

Last post by Primrose
Sun Sep 09, 2018 2:47 pm
Fresh tomato salads in winter

Last post by Westi
Replies: 10
by Primrose » Fri Aug 17, 2018 1:40 pm

I,m harvesting too many nice ripe tomatoes to use so some must be frozen in some way to preserve the surplus.

What I,m looking for is some way of...

10 Replies

37709 Views

Last post by Westi
Fri Aug 31, 2018 6:16 pm
Sprouting spuds

Last post by tigerburnie
Replies: 1
by JohnN » Tue Aug 21, 2018 4:51 pm

Had quite a good crop of main crop spuds (Desiree), but a lot of them have started sprouting underground, with long, (1-3") white tendrils. This...

1 Replies

25877 Views

Last post by tigerburnie
Tue Aug 21, 2018 5:05 pm
Soya Beans / Edamame

Last post by Westi

by Westi » Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:39 pm

Although they grew well, they are a right faff podding them, so I think these will be something I now buy in the frozen veg aisle. There are loads of...

0 Replies

31944 Views

Last post by Westi
Sun Jul 29, 2018 1:39 pm
Ripening blackcurrants

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 8
by Primrose » Thu Jun 21, 2018 1:57 pm

Have run out of protecting netting and notice blackbirds already pecking at my semi ripe blackcurrants, so as they've already nicked my of my...

8 Replies

36267 Views

Last post by Primrose
Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:31 am
Growin Tiger nuts

Last post by Diane
Replies: 3
by Primrose » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:03 pm

I was taken back to my childhood today, browsing through the new Dobies catalogue on a wet afternoon and saw they were advertising 12 garden ready...

3 Replies

29313 Views

Last post by Diane
Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:30 pm
Basil and home made pesto

Last post by Primrose
Replies: 3
by Primrose » Fri Jan 12, 2018 5:18 pm

Seeking some advice here because we’re trying to solve a mystery.

My husband has been twice struck down with a dose of compylobacter in recent...

3 Replies

28731 Views

Last post by Primrose
Sat Jan 13, 2018 10:01 am
Mangetouts Rodney!

Last post by Chantal
Replies: 9
by KG Steve » Mon Jul 03, 2017 11:26 am

No matter how fast I harvest, mangetout peas always get away from me! Just harvested the last of my 'Shiraz'. Glad to say they make delicious peas as...

9 Replies

38658 Views

Last post by Chantal
Wed Nov 22, 2017 4:37 pm
Storing Celeriac

Last post by Monika
Replies: 22
by Primrose » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:46 pm
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I'm going to have to dig up the rest of my celeriac soon to make room for this spring's digging & sowing. Will it keep if I store it in dry...
22 Replies

74774 Views

Last post by Monika
Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:46 pm

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