Cylburn Association Blog

If you have pokeweed in your garden before, you will know how hard it is to get rid of it. So many people are struggling for years to get rid of this weed.

This is known that pokeweed is one of the weeds that is the hardest to get rid of. That you need to kill the weed correctly and that you are doing it on a regular basis for more than one season before you will be able to kill it correctly and completely.

With this guide, you will be able to know everything there is to know about how to kill pokeweed.

One of the Hardest Weeds to Get Rid Off

As we said before, this is one of the hardest weeds to get rid of. The seeds can grow even if the seed is more than 40 years old. So, if there is one single seed left behind in the soil, you can know for sure that you are going to have a regrown plant.

Once there is just one new pokeweed plant, it can have 50,000 seeds in its lifetime. This is a lot of plants that you can struggle to get rid of.

Just think how many bushes and plants there are going to be in your garden if one of these plants are left to grow?

You need to make sure that you know exactly how you can get rid of the pokeweed before it can become a disaster.

Pull Out the Weed With Your Hands, Making Sure You Take the Roots as Well

The first step is that you should make sure that you are pulling out the weed with your hands. The small weeds that aren’t grown into a full bush yet. Making sure that you are getting rid of everything so that you don’t give any possibility to grow a new bush.

One thing that you need to make sure about, is that you are removing it with roots and all. Not leaving any traces of the plant behind, like the seeds or even a small piece of root.

It might not regrow immediately, but before you know it, you will have a new infestation of the pokeweed again.

Larger Pokeweed Should Be Removed With a Shovel

If the pokeweed bushes are too large to pull out with your hands, you need to make use of a shovel. Making sure that you are losing the ground around the weed before you are pulling it out.

Again, you need to make sure that you don’t leave any traces of the leaves and roots behind.

The larger the pokeweed bush, the harder it will be to remove completely. However, this is something that you need to make sure about if you want to take the bush out, completely without any change of letting it regrow.

Remove the Pokeweed Before the Berries Turn Into Seeds

A tip that you need to remember, is that you need to remove or kill the pokeweed before the berries are ripening and turns into seeds. This is going to cause the pokeweed to grow even more.

Birds like picking and eating the berries, because of the color. And, when you remove the bush, there are always berries being left behind.

If this is a ripe berry that will become a seedling, you will struggle with this weed, all over again. This is why you need to look for the bush early in the season.

As soon as the weed starts to grow. To prevent it from making seeds. One seed can last up to 40 years in the ground.

Throwing It Away in Black Refuse Bags Are Essential

What should you do with the pokeweed when you removed it from your garden? Some might say that the best thing is to burn the brush, leaves, and roots. However, this isn’t a good idea.

The fumes of the bush can be dangerous to animals. And, there will always be leftovers that will regrow or getting blown away to another part of your garden.

It is best to throw it away in thick black refuse bags. Making sure that you are getting everything you pulled out.

And, making sure that the refuse bags won’t tear and leaving a trace of the weed behind. This is the best way to ensure that you are removing as much as possible of the pokeweed from your garden.

Then, you can consider using an herbicide to finally get rid of the last bit of weed in your garden.

Conclusion

Pokeweed is known as one of the hardest weeds to get rid of. But if you are killing it correctly, then you will not struggle as much with this weed. The secret is to get rid of the weed as much as possible.

And, to do a regular search through your garden to see new plants. Then, the removal won’t be so dreadful and frustrating.

There is nothing as delicious as a fresh, ripe, and red tomato in your salad. Because so many are making use of tomatoes in their food, they are growing their tomatoes.

The question that many have, is should you only pick the tomatoes when they are red and ripe? Or should you pick the tomatoes when they are still green? The answer depends on a couple of things.

Do you use tomatoes a lot? Do you use green tomatoes or only red tomatoes in your food? And, how do you ripen your tomatoes indoors? This is all the information you need to know about when to pick green and red tomatoes correctly.

Are Green Tomatoes Just Known as Unripe?

This is something that not many people know. That you can pick green tomatoes from your tomato plant without losing your tomatoes. And, many don’t see green tomatoes as unripe that still needs to turn red.

Green tomatoes aren’t just known as unripe. This is also a delicacy that you can enjoy without any side effects that other unripe fruit and vegetables will give you.

The secret is to know when to pick the tomato to be able to use it green. If you are picking it too soon, it will be unripe. And, if the tomato starts to color it will not taste the same as the green one anymore

Can You Use Green Tomatoes in Food as Well?

If you never have used green tomatoes in food before, you are missing out. It gives food a completely different taste than what a red tomato would give. Especially, if you are making green fried tomatoes.

As we said before, it depends on how green the tomato is when you are using it. It needs to be light green, just before it starts turning yellow and red. Waiting too long, you will have a bitter tomato. This is why it is important to know when you should pick or harvest the tomatoes at the right time.

Then, you will have the best tasting green tomatoes. And, you need to remember that this isn’t something that everyone likes. The sweet taste of the red tomato isn’t there with the green one.

Guide in Picking Tomatoes for Using It Green

When you want to pick your tomatoes in order to use it green, there are a couple of things that you need to look for and remember. This is the only way that you can know for sure that you are going to pick it correctly.

One thing that you need to take into consideration is the type that starts frosting in your area. You want to make sure that all the tomatoes are harvested before the first frost.

Tomatoes that have got into contact with frost can’t be used green. It damages the tomato and will not make it usable.

You should also make sure that when you want to use the tomatoes green, you need to look for the light-green color before harvesting. It should not start turning red, and it should not be the dark green as well.

The dark green tomato will not taste very great. You should also put the green tomatoes in the fridge to prevent it from turning red.

When to Pick Acorn Squash

Picking Green Tomatoes to Ripen It Indoors

Picking green tomatoes to ripen it indoors is easier. You can pick any type of green tomato. Even those that started to color as well.

Put it in a place in your home where it is hot and humid. It will ripen really fast. If you don’t want it to ripen as fast, then putting it in the fridge will delay the coloring process.

You should still make sure that you harvest all the tomatoes before the first frost. Even if you want to use it full ripe. Frost is rotting tomatoes very easily.

Other Tips and Information About Picking Green Tomatoes

The good news is that even if you are picking the wrong tomatoes for enjoying green tomatoes in your food, you can still ripen it inside your home. It will just take a bit of patience.

You need to make sure that don’t use a tomato that isn’t too green. Light green is the best color if you want to get the best taste out of your green tomato.

It isn’t difficult to know when to pick a green tomato.  Especially, if you are looking for the right green tomato to use in your food. Green tomatoes can taste very delicious, but then it needs to be the perfect green color.

With this guide, you are going to get all the information about when and how to pick the right green tomato for eating and for ripening it indoors. Making sure that not one single tomato goes to waste.

Acorn squash is known as one of the most popular pumpkins that people are using. It is easy to grow and taste great. This is the squash that most people prefer when it comes to enjoying vegetables.

Planting the acorn squash is the easy part.

This is a vegetable that is known to harden. It is easy to plant and grow without any problems.

The only problem that many people have, is about how to pick the acorn squash, and how to know that these pumpkins are ready to be harvested and to use.

With this guide, we are introducing the acorn squash to you and making sure that you know exactly when your squash is ready to be picked and enjoyed.

Get to Know Your Acorn Squash

Because of the different types of squash and pumpkin that one can find, not everyone is familiar with the acorn squash.

This is the squash that has the shape of an acorn. Ripe acorn squash has a hard skin, is deep green, with some orange spots.

When you plant acorn squash, the small squash will start as a pale-green and yellow pumpkin. As the squash grows and ripens it will start to become darker green, with orange.

Unlike other vegetables that are getting rotten after it ripens, the acorn squash can be stored for months after harvesting. If you are harvesting and storing it correctly.

When is the Acorn Squash Ready to Be Picked?

This is the question that everyone is asking. When is the acorn squash ready to be picked? When do you know that the squash is going to taste great, is ripe and ready to be harvested?

Firstly, you look at the color of the acorn squash.

As we said before, a ripe squash is deep-green with some orange spots. The skin of the acorn squash will be hard. If you put your fingernail in the skin, it will not damage the skin or the squash.

Many experts are saying that the first squash will be ready in about 80 to 100 days after you planted the seeds.

Then, you can look at the plant itself.

If the plant is brown and start to die, then you know that the acorn squash is ready to be harvested.

The stems of the acorn squash are starting to dry out and become grey instead of the green of a new plant. The skin is extremely hard and can’t be damaged easily.

Harvesting Acorn Squash Correctly

Even if you know how a ripe acorn squash looks, and know when you can pick it, you still need to know how to harvest it correctly.

If this is the first time that you ever have planted acorn squash, you might not realize that there are thorns on the stem of the squash.

So, you need to make sure that you are wearing gloves when picking your squash.

Next, you need to make sure that you are cutting the stem of the squash correctly. Using a sharp knife, you need to cut it off a couple of inches from the squash.

If you cut the stem off too short, the squash won’t be able to last a couple of months, and it will rot.

When You Aren’t Going to Eat Your Acorn Squash Immediately

It does happen that you are getting a lot of acorn squashes from one plant. Meaning that you might have too many to eat in one go. This isn’t a problem. It can last for a couple of months if you are storing it correctly.

You can leave it on the plant and in the field for a couple of weeks. Just make sure that it doesn’t get frost and that bugs don’t get into the pumpkin.

Or, you can store it in a dry place. But, remember not to put it on top of each other. Rather put it next to each other, with the stems at the top.

Keep in mind that the moment that you cut the acorn squash from the plant; it will not ripen anymore. Even if you leave it for months before using it.

It is always better to make sure that you are leaving it in the field, on the plant until you are sure that the squash is ripe and ready to be used.

The same goes for when you are buying acorn squash in-store. It will not get ripper at home.

You need to make sure that you are purchasing a squash that is already ripe and where the skin is hard.

When to Harvest Shallots

Conclusion

This is everything you need to know about acorn squash, planting, and harvesting them.

Making sure that your first harvest of the squash is going to be successful.

If you are doing everything correctly, you will have a couple of months of acorn squash that you and your family can enjoy. Until it is time for planting them again.

Shallots. Something that isn’t that easy to find in stores. Meaning that you might want to grow your own in your backyard.

These vegetables are growing quite easily, but the one mistake people are making is when it comes to harvesting it. By harvesting it too early, or even too late.

This is the number one secret to shallots. Knowing when you should harvest it, to get the most out of your shallot garden.

These are some essential information about when to harvest shallots.

What Are Shallots?

Shallots are difficult to find, and many confuse it with other vegetables. Many people are confusing shallots for onions. Because they look similar, many people think that this is the same type of vegetable.

However, this isn’t the same. It is a member of the allium family, just like onions, and garlic.

It has the same look as onions, but shallots are longer, brown, and taste completely different. It also doesn’t have layers like onions. The taste is also completely different.

The other difference is that you harvest shallots differently from onions.

Planting It in the Right Conditions

Before you can worry about harvesting shallots correctly, you need to make sure that you are planting it correctly as well.

If you don’t plant it in the right conditions and care for it correctly, you will not be able to harvest shallots correctly.

This is one of the main reasons why many doesn’t harvest shallots successfully. They didn’t plant it correctly to start with.

Take your time and do as much research as possible, before you start growing these vegetables. To make sure that you are planting it correctly as well.

Why Is It Important to Harvest Shallots Correctly?

Because shallots are growing under the ground, you will not be able to see if the shallots are ready for harvesting.

And, once you have pulled the plant out, there is no turning back. You might not have any shallots, because it wasn’t ready.

The other reason why it is important to harvest shallots correctly is that you might lose the shallots in the ground. By just pulling out the plant, leaving the actual vegetable behind. This does happen all the time, because of the wrong conditions.

This is why it is important to make sure that you know exactly when and how to harvest shallots correctly.

Signs That Shallots Are Ready to Be Harvested

There are some signs that you should look for to know that the shallots that you have planted are ready to be harvested.

If you know the signs and you are looking for these signs, you will know exactly when you can pull the shallot plants from the ground.

First of all, shallots are ready to be harvest three to six months after planting. If you think that your shallots are ready before then, you are going to regret harvesting it.

The first sign that shallots are ready to be harvested, is the same as onions. When the top is turning yellow, and fall. The stems of the shallots need to be dry and yellow. Not only just one or two of the stems. The more stems are dried out, the better.

Many are just pulling the shallots from the ground. Not a great idea, because you might break some of the shallots off and cause you to lose some of it.

You need to make use of a shovel. Digging up the plants, this way will ensure that you get all the shallots out, safely.

After you have pulled it from the ground, you need to shake off all the dirt and hang it just like onions. It needs to dry out before you can use it. You need to be careful not to damage the skin of the shallots, while it is drying.

Tips to Harvest Shallots Successfully

One thing that you need to remember is that when you are harvesting the shallots, you might be tempted to do it while the soil is wet.

This isn’t a good idea.

Experts are saying that the best time to harvest your shallots is when the soil is dry. It might make the actual harvest difficult, but it will be best for the shallots, and to get it dry.

Making the time that you need to dry the shallots out so much shorter.

Shallots might be mistaken with onions.

But, their planting and harvesting are quite different. If you love shallots, you might want to consider planting them, because finding it in stores is difficult.

But, many are struggling with harvesting shallots.

With this guide, this isn’t something that you will struggle with anymore. You will have success with your shallots, and you will be able to enjoy them in just a couple of months after you have planted it.