STORING VEGETABLES
Most often there are various difficulties with keeping our crops. Meanwhile, individual vegetable species differ significantly in their storage capacity. One vegetables, like for example. root, cabbage, onion, under favorable conditions, they can be stored with good effect for 6-8 months, and even longer, another, like for example. kalafiory, kalarepa, pumpkin, for several to several weeks, still others, e.g. spinach, lettuce, dill, only for a few to several days.
Vegetable species are suitable for long-term storage, which have a relatively low water content (85-90%), they are spherical or cylindrical in shape, strict, dense structure of tissues (or close arrangement of leaves in the head), they have well casing, rinded or waxy skin, protecting them against excessive water evaporation, as well as penetration into the interior of pathogenic organisms. In addition, these vegetables should endure a low storage temperature, i.e.. about 0 ° C or slightly lower. These conditions are only met: brukiew, Brussels sprouts, leave, onion, Garlic, horseradish, chicory roots, head cabbage, carrot, pasternak, parsley, for, salsefia, scorzonera and celery. These vegetables can be stored for several months. The following factors will determine their storage value, which should be taken into account when growing for storage: variety, way of growing, fertilizing, etc.. and harvesting conditions.
The varieties themselves also differ greatly in their suitability for storage, e.g. White cabbage – Ditmarska variety – not suitable for storage, on the other hand, the Langendijker or the Stone Head is very well kept. Well-developed and well-developed vegetables are best kept. The storage of vegetables is negatively affected by faecal fertilization or nitrogen overfertilization, On the other hand, increased doses of phosphorus and potassium have a positive effect. Vegetables from lighter soils store better. Sick vegetables are not suitable for storage, because they rot easily.
Vegetables intended for storage should be picked very carefully, so that they are not damaged. Harvesting should be carried out on dry days, before the onset of frost. The rooms for storing vegetables should be airy, enabling the maintenance of a temperature and humidity favorable for vegetables. A temperature close to 0 ° C will be most appropriate, because it inhibits the processes taking place in vegetables and the development of harmful microorganisms. Humid air protects vegetables against evaporation, which reduces their weight and worsens their quality. The highest relative air humidity (about 95%) must be maintained while storing root vegetables (beetroot, carrot, parsley etc.), moderate (85-90%) with cruciferous plants, the lowest (65-75%) for onions and garlic.
Vegetables should not be stored together with fruit, which emit gases unfavorable for stored vegetables.
When used for storing vegetables in cellars, as long as they can be kept at an appropriate temperature, root vegetables must be secured against drying out, by sprinkling the roots and covering the piles with moist sand, regularly sprinkled as it dries. Instead of sand, moist fibrous peat or sphagnum moss can be used with good effect. Prevent leaf and cruciferous vegetables from wilt by sprinkling them with water, and we do not cut the roots, and by tying a string to them, we hang them individually on the scaffolding prepared for this purpose. Covering vegetables with foil sheets or placing them in polyethylene foil bags gives good results. These treatments, however, give the desired results when the storage temperature of the vegetables is low.
Because we generally do not have cool and airy cellars, wanting to store vegetables on the plot, we must reach for the simplest way, i.e.. for mounds. Vegetable mowing begins in the fall, usually in October, when the temperature drops to 5-10 ° C. The mounds are suitable for storing root vegetables and cabbage, however, onions cannot be stored in them due to the excessively high air humidity in them.
There are two main types of mounds: surface mounds, rather recommended in wetlands, and recessed mounds, the most commonly used, because they provide a more even temperature. For root vegetables (except beets) a trench is dug deep 50-60 cm and width 40-50 cm, if we put them in loose. However, it is better to lay them in layers, as shown in the picture, and then you have to dig a deeper trench – 80 cm and wider – 60-70 cm. When arranging vegetables, they are sprinkled with sand or sandy earth in layers. For cabbage and beets, a wide trench is dug 100-120 cm and depth 50-60 cm. It will be a semi-recessed mound, shown in the picture 67. The cabbage is laid out in layers in the ditch, face up, creating a pyramid.
In the prepared ditch, first lay a layer of vegetables and cover it with a 1-2 cm layer of sandy soil or sand, followed by successive layers of vegetables covered with this material, until the trench is filled. After arranging the vegetables in this way, they are covered with a 5-6 cm layer of sandy soil, and as the temperature drops, the soil layer thickens to 10-15 cm, then a 20-30 cm layer of straw is laid, which is covered with a 15-20 cm layer of soil. It is good to equip a mound with a thermometer, controlling the temperature inside the mound.