RADIO TRANSCRIPT
Date:  July 1, 2021
Agent:  Donna Teasley

Hello, this is Donna Teasley horticulture agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center.

Gardens are beginning to produce now and gardeners should take care when harvesting their bounty. Here are some dos and don’ts to take to the vegetable garden.

Do harvest early in the day. Get vegetables out of the sun as quickly as possible and if preserving is planned, get it done as soon as you can. This will insure that your home canned and frozen veggies will taste fresh and homegrown next winter.  Corn is particularly sensitive to a fast turnaround time. The sugars in corn start turning to starch quickly although some of the new super sweet varieties have a longer window of opportunity. Harvest when plants are the proper size. There’s not much you can do with a giant zucchini.

Do water early whenever possible so that the plants aren’t wet when nightfall comes. This helps to prevent diseases. Scout every day for pest problems. Issues are much easier to deal with when caught early. When applying pesticides be sure to read the label before applying to find out how long you have to wait before harvesting.

Don’t stop harvesting your produce. If you’re going out of town have someone come and do it for you. This will keep plants bearing longer.

And, of course weed control is crucial. Don’t let your weeds get ahead of you. Weeds steal nutrients, water and sunlight from your plants.

This is Donna Teasley with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Burke Center. If you would like more information about this program you can call us at 764-9480.