THE STORAGE OF VEGETABLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 22

THE STORAGE OF VEGETABLES

OUTDOOR CLAMPS AND INSIDE BINS Amongst amateur growers it is not sufficiently realised that the winter storage of vegetables, and especially root crops, is a task which calls for just as much care and attention as their actual culture. All the work which has gone can easily be wasted if roots and potatoes are simply piled up in loose heaps in odd corners of sheds or cellars, and then left to their own devices It is not sufficient merely to see that they are safe from frost damage. If needlessly exposed to air, any root crops will grow tough and flavourless, and that in a 'emarkablv short space of time. It is doubtful if any vegetable is -10 consistently ill-treated in this respect as are potatoes. To bag the tubers up and then leave them unattened. is simply to court disaster There can be no doubt that they keep best in outdoor clamps, but where only a small quantity has to be dealt with, it is not really necessary to go to the trouble of constructing same. Spread out fairly thinly on the dry floor of a cool shed or cellar, and covered with straw, they will keep perfectly for at least a month or two Where an entire winter’s supply has to be dealt with, on the other hand, a clamp must be regarded as essential THE CARE OF POTATOES Any vacant spot on the ground can be utilised for this purpose, but it must be well drained; wet conditions soon set up rot and decay, and where too much moisture enters the pit, frost is more than likely to follow Ever, on the lightest soils, the precaution of digging a trench six inches deep around the chosen site must always be taken, for this will effectively insure against any possibility if water lying in the bottom of the pit in even the wettest weather. It must be borne in mind, too, that at least a foot of space is required all round for the covering material, in addition to the tubers themselves. Maincrop potatoes should be lifted just as soon as the haulm has died down, for, if the job is unduly delayed, there is always the possibility of secondary growth. Providing they are lifted in reasonably dry weather, they may be pitted straight away. The tubers are simply piled up on the site, and covered over with a six-inch thickness of clean straw, which should be laid lengthwise over the top of the pit In addition, air spaces must be left, in' the form of protruding wisps of straw along the top and at the sides. This ventilation is a most important point. If it is neglected, it is almost inevitable that the tubers will sweat badly.

At the outset, only sufficient soil to keep the straw in position should be shovelled on. After three or four weeks a six-inch thickness must be heaped over the entire pit, covering the side ventilators, but leaving those on top. It is wise, too, to beat this soil covering quite firm with the back of a spade, for this will not only ensure its remaining in position, but will also help to shoot off the rain ROOT CROPS Carrots, beetroots, and turnips can be stored in precisely the same manner, but they require rather more careful handling. Beetroots, for example, must be carefully lifted with a fork, for, if they are bruised and skinned, they will certainly bleed, and the result will be a considerable loss in both colour and flavour. Another point, the tops must not be cut. They should be twisted off Carrots and turnips, on the other Hand, should be cut in preference to pulling. Carrots especially are frequently damaged about the crowns if pulling is attempted, and such damage is an invitation to decay. One or two of the smallest leaves can be left on turnips, and great care must be taken to see that the tap roots are not broken An alternative with these crops is to store them indoors again in a cool shed or cellar. A very convenient place is underneath a potting shed It is the work of only a few minutes to nail boards as partitions, and up the front to keep the heaps in place Old and finely-sifted ashes clean, sharp sand, or even ordinary garden soil, which has been dried and sifted, can be used to cover over root? stored indoors, and sufficient to ensure against access of air and frost must always be employed. It will be found, too, that, if the roots are built up in a neat heap with the crowns pointing one way, space will be economised, and it will be a much easier task to withdraw supplies without undulv disturbing those remaining. With all root crops, it is, 01 course, of the utmost importance to see that diseased or decaying specimens are exeluded from pits or bins for if even a few are missed, they may easily spread disease through a large pro.portion of the pit’s contents. Blighted potatoes are a great danger, and where the disease has been troublesome, it is not only necessary to pick the tubers carefully in the first place, but also to turn over the clamp a second time before covering with soil, and remove any other specimens which show signs of the disease. ~ With parsnips it is wisest to leave the roots in the ground, for their flavour is improved by frost, and there is no danger of their being injured. If a hard spell seems likely, however, it is wise to lift a iveek or two’s supply before the ground is unworkable. These roots will keep perfectly in a tray of sand. Celery, which is also best left “in situ ” in the trenches, is not sufficiently hardy to withstand a hard frost, and it is only prudent to keep at hand a supply of clean straw with which to cover over the trenches in the event of a very cold spell ensuing. Failing straw, a quantity of this autumn’s fallen tree leaves makes a good substitute. Jerusalem artichokes again take no harm in the ground provided slugs are not a decided plague. If they are, then the crop must be lifted and stored in sand in a cool and not dry position, for the tubers shrivel easily, and are then spoilt.—D T. M.. in Amateur Gardening.