Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 220 6/5/17 3:14 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 221 5/24/17 12:23 PM

220 chapter 5

Leafy greens and lettuces are another group

of fast-growing vegetables that can be harvested

both in the “baby” stage or at full maturity. Many

lettuces and garden greens, such as kale, collards,

spinach, and mustard, much prefer the cooler

weather of spring and fall, making them a great

choice for early-season and late-season container

gardening. The days to maturity indicated on the

seed packet of these vegetables notes the amount

of time it takes for them to fully develop, but

almost all leafy greens can be harvested when

they’re just few weeks old. Unwashed, harvested

greens will keep for several days when stored in a

plastic bag in the fridge.

For tomatoes, ripeness isn’t always tied to

the color of the fruits. There are plenty of tomato

varieties that are green, yellow, pink, white,

orange, or even black at maturity. Instead of

relying on color to determine ripeness, gently

squeeze the fruit between your thumb and fingers

or press a thumb into the blossom end. Ripe

tomatoes are slightly soft and your thumb should

make a slight imprint. Tomatoes should always be

stored on the countertop and never in the fridge.

Melons are among the most difficult when it

comes to determining the ripeness of the fruits,

but here are some excellent guidelines you can

use beyond noting the days to maturity for each

variety. Harvested melons can be stored on the

counter or in the fridge.

To pick watermelons at their peak flavor,

check the curly tendril closest to the fruit

every day. When it dries and turns brown, the

melon is ready for harvest. There will also be

a bright yellow spot on the bottom of the fruit.

Remember, watermelons will not ripen once

they’re severed from the vine, so waiting until

they’re fully ripe is absolutely necessary for the

sweetest flavor.

For cantaloupes, honeydews, and other

muskmelons: types with netted skin turn

yellowish and fall easily off the vine when ripe;

and smooth-skinned types will lose their fine,

peach-like hairs and feel waxy when ripe, but

they’ll have to be cut from the vine.

Smell is another good indicator of ripeness. All

melons smell fruity and lush at the blossom end

when ripe.

The ripeness of tomatoes isn’t determined by their color. Instead, gently squeeze the fruit between your thumb and

fingers. Ripe tomatoes are soft enough that your thumb makes a slight impression.

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Harvesting and Seasonal Considerations 221

Cucumber ripeness depends both on the

specific variety and what you plan to use them

for. For example, if you plan to make tiny pickles,

you’ll want to grow pickling cucumbers and

harvest them when they reach the size of your

thumb. But if you plan to cut them into dill pickle

spears or bread and butter pickle rounds, wait

until the fruits are 6 to 8 in. long before removing

them from the vine. For fresh eating, harvest

cucumbers before the seeds grow too large and

the skin becomes tough. If you don’t want any

seeds at all, or want very small seeds, consider

growing English, Armenian, or Mediterranean

cucumbers. Cut the fruits from the vine when

you harvest them, rather than pulling them, to

avoid tears in the flesh that limit the shelf-life.

Cucumbers keep best when stored in a plastic

bag in the refrigerator. Thin-skinned varieties will

last for about a week, while thicker-skinned types

store for up to 3 weeks.

Potatoes are another crop that can be

harvested before reaching maturity. Young tubers

harvested from green plants are called “new”

potatoes. These soft-skinned spuds can be dug

up and eaten as soon as the plants come into

flower. But for potatoes with the longest shelf life,

hold off on harvesting until 2 to 3 weeks after

the plants have died back completely. During this

time, the tuber’s skin cures while underground,

toughening it up for months of storage. New

potatoes are best eaten within a week or two of

harvest, while mature cured potatoes last for

months if stored in a dark, cool area. Potatoes

are surprisingly easy to grow in containers if you

follow a few guidelines. This project uses a wire

bin and newspaper to grow a hearty potato crop.

Plus, it includes lots of potato-growing tips for

growing spuds in any kind of containers.

Potatoes can be grown in just about any deep container. Mature potatoes are ready to be dug 2 to 3 weeks after

the plants die back.

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