Harvesting the tomato is child's play. The delicious fruits can be harvested and eaten between July and October. But be careful with the potatoes. There are a few things to consider when harvesting.
Tomatoes are becoming more and more popular. No wonder, after all, you can not only harvest tomatoes from it, but also potatoes. A 2in1 plant, so to speak. But this combination is not the only special thing about the plant. The harvest period is also very interesting. This seems to have no end. In summer, the sweet cherry tomatoes are removed and when the tomato yield is running low, the potato harvest is just beginning. You can find out everything you need to know when harvesting the tomato here.
Tomoffel - What is that?
Don't worry, you won't have to harvest exotic fruits that you don't like or really relate to. Every vegetable gardener is familiar with the yield of the tomato. The special thing about it - you harvest tomatoes and potatoes on one plant. There is no genetic modification. The unusual new breed was created solely through refinement.
What are the benefits of harvesting tomato?
Grow tomatoes and potatoes? Not everyone has the qualifications for it. Many gardens are just too small to plant potato beds. However, cultivating tomatoes on the balcony is possible without restrictions. Anyone who grows tomato can suddenly surprise with self-harvested potatoes without having to show a large garden. The double yield supports space-saving and efficient gardening and always surprises friends and neighbors.
When does harvest time start?
The harvest time for tomatoes begins around mid-July. If the fruits take on an orange-red colour, the watering should be reduced a little so that the water pressure that can build up inside the plant if watered too much does not cause the tomatoes to burst.
» Tip: Regular harvesting of the ripe fruit supports the ripening process of the other fruits.
In late summer, the tomato harvest declines. The cabbage can then be cut back around September and the potatoes can be harvested at the end of September.
Important: The tomatoes are quite susceptible to fungal diseases. This not only leads to discoloration of the leaves, the fruits are also affected. The tomatoes will turn brown and have hard spots. In this case, the fruit can no longer be enjoyed, so the herb can safely be removed. In this case, the potato harvest should wait a little longer. About two weeks after pruning, the potatoes can then be taken out of the ground.
» Tip: The harvest time can also be postponed and there are still tomatoes on the bush when the first frost threatens. The green tomatoes are then harvested and can continue to ripen indoors.
» Harvesting and storing tomatoes
Once the tomatoes are ripe, they are harvested. The aroma is then particularly intense. Green tomatoes saved from the threat of frost can post-ripen in a dark room indoors. Tomatoes don't belong in the fridge. The cold robs the fruit of its aroma.
» Tip: Freshly harvested tomatoes keep longer if you take them off the vine with the stalk.
Where to go with the tomato harvest?
Up to 500 Cherry Tomatoes can be harvested from one plant. Creativity is therefore required, because after all the tomatoes have to be processed as soon as possible.
So how about:
- Tomato salad (can be varied)
- Tomato Soup (can be frozen)
- Tomato ketchup (can be stored well)
- Tomato juice (can be preserved well)
- Tomato puree (easy to dose)
Especially in summer it will not be difficult to put different dishes with tomatoes on the table, they provide Mediterranean flair and whet the appetite.
» Harvesting and storing potatoes
Once the tomato harvest is complete, the tuber is on the mend. First, the herb is completely removed. Then the potatoes are dug out of the ground.
» Tip: Only undamaged tubers can really be stored and preserved, so care should be taken when harvesting the potatoes.
When the potatoes are harvested, it's not uncommon for the pickaxe to be driven into the ground. The result is a skewered potato, a bruised tuber that cannot be stored and must be consumed as soon as possible.
The potatoes are to be removed carefully. With the tomato plants cultivated in tubs, the tubers can go with thembe dug up with your hands, because the earth is usually soft enough and not too deep. Special potato hoes are available for the Tomoffel in the field, so that the potatoes are not injured, but pulled out of the ground with a lever movement.
Before you can store the potatoes, you have to remove the dirt from them. Storage is dry, dark and frost-free in boxes. Here you can bring your harvest over the winter, as long as the storage room meets certain requirements. Smaller harvests can easily be stored and used within a few weeks.
What conditions should the storage location have?
- frost-free
- dark
- clean
- cool
- breezy
- dry
The optimal storage temperature is around five degrees. If the thermometer falls below this, the tubers taste sweet because the starch they contain has been converted into sugar. If the storage room is too warm, the potatoes will start to sprout.
» Tip: Many cellars are too wet, which causes the potatoes to rot.