“There have been early frosts throughout Utah that have caused serious produce damage,” he said. “With such a wide range of first freeze dates and because autumn weather is often unpredictable, many Utahns are worried about protecting their garden harvest.”

 

To minimize damage, it is wise to watch weather carefully, Beddes said. If the weather warms up after the frost, cover susceptible plants with tarps or blankets. If weather does not warm back up, it may be necessary to harvest early. Consider the below harvest information.

 

Tomatoes: When unripe, harvest fruit that is light green or that has some hint of red in the flesh. Tomatoes picked excessively green may rot. Indoors, temperatures near 70 F are ideal for faster ripening. Temperatures near 55 F delay ripening for around a month, and tomatoes stored below this temperature develop a bland or off flavor. To ripen tomatoes, store them in a box. Place a layer of fruit in the box and cover with wax paper. Another layer can be placed on top of the first and covered with additional wax paper. Place the lid on the box when finished. Another ripening method is to wrap tomatoes individually in newspaper. Remove them as they ripen. An additional step that may speed ripening is to place a banana in the box and allow it to ripen near the tomatoes.

 

Winter squash: These are ripe when the skins develop a waxy coating and cannot be easily damaged by scratching the outer skin with a fingernail. Unless immediately consumed, the squash should be harvested with at least 1 inch of vine attached to the actual fruit. Harvest before vines are killed or severely damaged by frost. Store winter squash at temperatures ranging from 50 to 60 F at relatively low humidity.

Onions:  Harvest when the tops start to fall over. Lift them from the ground and place in a well-ventilated area. When the necks turn brown and bulbs “rustle when disturbed,” they are ready to be stored. Shelf life is maximized when the bulbs are stored at low humidity and near freezing temperatures. Many factors influence storage longevity including variety and whether the bulbs were grown from seeds or sets. Bulbs should be checked periodically, and rotten onions should be removed.

Potatoes: Remove potatoes from the soil after vines start to die. Cure them in a dark area at 50 to 60 F for two weeks. After this, store tubers near 50 F. Lower temperatures may cause an off flavor to develop. Warmer temperatures will decrease storage life. Other crops, such as apples, pears, cabbage, celery, carrots and parsnips, can be stored for an extended period of time.

 

Sweet Corn: The tip of the ear should feel full when grasped, silks will be dry and most kernels will appear mature. Remove the husk at the top of the ear and puncture a few individual kernels. If ready, kernels will exude milky sap. Use immediately or store in refrigerator.

 

Root Crops: Harvest before hard frost or cover with several inches of light mulch such as straw or leaves. The factsheets listed below can be accessed online and provide useful information. For a complete look at home food storage, USU has produced a comprehensive bulletin at http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_502.pdf. Cornell University’s website also gives useful vegetable harvesting information. It is available at http://gardening.cals.cornell.edu/?s=vegetable+harvesting&btnG=go&sitesearch=thissite#Harvesting.