If you’re ready to fill your basket, here’s a guide to what’s ripe for the picking this autumn, with storage tips to keep your harvest fresh.
Autumn harvest favourites
Apples & Pears Harvest apples and pears when they easily come off the tree with a gentle twist.
Pumpkins When the skin hardens and the stem begins to dry, it’s time to harvest.
Carrots & Beetroot Pull up root vegetables like carrots and beetroots as they reach full size, or keep them in the ground if the weather allows, covering them with mulch for protection.
Kale & Spinach These leafy greens can be harvested throughout autumn. Pick the outer leaves, allowing the inner ones to continue growing.
Cabbage & Brussels Sprouts Harvest cabbage heads when they feel firm and solid. For Brussels sprouts, pick them from the stalk as they mature, starting from the bottom.
Garlic Harvest garlic when the leaves start to yellow and dry.
Storage Tips
Maximise the life of your harvest with the right storage! Here are some tips to keep your produce fresh.
After collecting root vegetables like carrots, beetroot, and potatoes, trim any greens and store them in breathable bags or containers in a cool, dark area. Moisture can lead to decay, so avoid washing until you’re ready to use them.
For fruits like apples and pears, keep them in a cool, dark place. The fruit drawer in your fridge is ideal for keeping them crisp. To help ripen pears put them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple.
Make sure pumpkins are dry and store in a well-ventilated area with temperatures around 10-15°C. Avoid stacking them to prevent bruising.
For leafy greens, eat fresh or store in the fridge in a damp cloth to maintain moisture.
Cure garlic by hanging the bulbs in a well-ventilated area, and store in a cool, dry spot once dried.
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Autumn Harvest Guide Comments
I have a wonderful "Sturmer" apple tree (cooking) with plenty of fruit now about ready and they do store well. But does get blemishes and attacked unfortunately as I do not spray.
Susan Garner
Hi Susan, most of the time the blemishes are superficial and there are several causes, one may be codling moth caterpillar, it flies in September October and lays its eggs in the soil and on the fruit, the caterpillar burrows in, spoiling the fruit. The key to controlling codling moth is to capture the male in spring so that it cannot mate with the female, pheromone traps are perfect for this, traps are available from garden centres and hardware stores, they are hung in the tree trapping the male in spring when the moth is flying and interrupts the life cycle. Another reason for blemishes on fruit is black spot which some apples are susceptible to, regular copper based sprays throughout the season will help reduce the spread of black spot, as does collecting up fallen fruit and leaves and disposing of them to prevent the fungal spores overwintering in the soil. Sometimes apples get blemishes from a lack of calcium, feed your trees with a balanced fertiliser in spring at bud burst, check your garden centre or hardware store for a liquid calcium and spray the foliage throughout the season. Some gardeners have success with an apple cider vinegar solution to keep pests and diseases at bay, mix 1 cup of apple cider vinegar with 5 litres of water and spray fruit trees weekly in the growing season, it is natural and safe for all plants. I hope this is helpful for blemish free fruit.
Lianne