Action Plan,
NIGEL COLBORN’S ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR YOUR GARDEN THIS WEEK
This is the moment to harvest vegetables for storage. Onions, shallots, squash, pumpkins, marrows and potatoes all store well. Onions and shallots should be ready to harvest. To store successfully, they need to have dry, papery skins and a good seal at the neck. Loosen onions by easing a fork under the bulbs and gently lifting. They should come away with minimal resistance.
Before storing, lay your vegetables out to dry somewhere out of the rain. Air needs to circulate freely around them. When the outer skins and foliage have dried off, they will be ready to put away.
Rub off any loose leaves or skins, but make sure the bulbs are still covered with a papery surface. Don’t cut through the necks, especially if they’re still thick and fleshy. Doing this will encourage neck rot and that can spoil the crop. store dry onions in a cold, dark, airy place.
shallots dry more readily and should have naturally thin necks.
With pumpkins and squash, make sure they’re fully mature with hard, unblemished skins. Cut them away from the vines, leaving a short stalk still attached.
store in a cool and dry place. Butternut squash and pumpkins have thick, durable skins and a winter- long shelf-life. You can use them as needed. Marrows are less durable and need using within a couple of weeks.
Potatoes are vulnerable to frost and must be brought on before temperatures fall to freezing. Make sure their skins are dry and disease-free before you bag yours up.
Potatoes should be stored dark, dry and cold, but never at freezing temperatures.