Post-Harvest Handling of Storage Crops | 5 Cool Flowers to Plant Now | October 2017 Advantage

Make the most of your storage crops all winter ... then harvest your earliest-ever spring blooms! [Post-Harvest Handling of Classic Storage Crops]( • [Five Cool Flowers to Plant Now]([Five Cool Flowers to Plant Now  ]( [Winter Squash Curing & Storage Chart]( [The Johnny's Advantage]( Grower's Newsletter | October 2017 [Ruby Perfection Storage Cabbage]( [STORAGE CROPS • Guidelines for Post-Harvest Handling Make the most of classic storage crops with proper post-harvest handling & holding conditions]( Storage crops are those that are held post-harvest in a semi-controlled or controlled environment, for use/sale over the ensuing weeks and months. Most are harvested in the fall, then held for winter storage under 4 main combinations of low-temperature/humidity: • Cold & Dry • Cold & Moist • Cool & Dry • Cool & Moist Optimal conditions as well as holding times vary by crop and type — and in some cases by variety, environment, and season or timing of harvest. Some may shy away from storage, thinking they must maintain perfect conditions to keep the produce in storage as long as possible. But that's not necessarily the case. Learn what practical considerations matter in this regard, follow our guidelines, and try some recommended favorites, so you can experience their best flavor, quality, and storability, right from early fall through spring. [LEARN MORE]( [Kossak Storage Kohlrabi]( ['Kossak,' a giant storage kohlrabi, if harvested at ~8" diameter, while still round, will remain tender, sweet & delicious in storage for up to 4 months.]( [Lisa Mason Ziegler]( ["Hardy annuals naturally develop and grow into strong plants when they have opportunity to do it during cool conditions." — Lisa Mason Ziegler, Author of Cool Flowers]( [5 Cool Flowers to Plant Now (or very early next spring) Lisa Mason Ziegler's secrets for growing hardy, cool-season annuals An Interview with Slow Flowers Founder, Debra Prinzing]( At The Gardener's Workshop, an urban farm in Newport News, Virginia, Lisa Mason Ziegler farms flowers intensively and organically on about 1½ cultivated acres of open field, producing 10,000–15,000 stems a week in season (mid-April to mid-November). She sells to upscale florists in both her town and nearby Williamsburg, and direct-to-consumers with a members-only Garden Share program for about 120 subscribers. Lisa also teaches others about organic gardening and growing cut flowers. She turned one of her favorite lecture topics into a book titled Cool Flowers, in which she explains how and when to plant hardy annuals successfully, either in fall or very early spring. As she points out, once their needs are met, this diverse, easy-to-grow group of flowers will bloom weeks earlier than typical spring-planted annuals. For every growing zone, now is the time of year to start planning your "cool flowers," Lisa says. Debra recently conducted this Q&A to learn more from a successful SlowFlowers.com member... [LEARN MORE]( [Quartet Yellow Stock]( '[Quartet Yellow' Stock (Matthiola incana). In cool regions, start for transplants in late winter for early-spring harvest. In warmer climates, start in fall for early-winter harvest.]( [(See our Technical Production Guide for more specifics.)]( [Different types of squash]( [Winter Squash Curing & Storage Chart How long to cure & store different types for peak flavor & eating quality]( Different types and varieties of winter squash vary as to how long they take to cure after harvesting, how long before they achieve peak eating quality, and how long before that quality declines. Whether you grow winter squash for your own consumption or to sell at markets, at the farmstand, or to place in your CSA boxes, you will want to know when your squash and edible pumpkins are at their best. Using data we've been collecting over many years we designed this chart to serve as a general guide to each type's storage potential... [LEARN MORE]( [Winter Squash Chart]( Teacup-sized 'Sweet Dumplings' are best within 10–12 weeks of harvest. [Featured This Month: 'Red Kitten' Spinach]( [Red Kitten Spinach]( Johnny's offers several spinach varieties selected for cold hardiness; performance in late fall greenhouse production or overwintering under mulch; and tender, sweet flavor. One of the prettiest, 'Red Kitten' is fast-growing and offers high resistance to downy mildew races 1-13 & 15. [Browse spinach varieties trialed & selected for your fall-winter production slots...]( [SHOP NOW]( [Mulches & Landscape Fabric • Comparison Chart]( [Mulches Chart]( A natural complement to row covers to enhance crop growing conditions, mulches suppress weeds, repel insects, and help control soil temperature and moisture content. Use our new chart to compare sizes, materials, colors, weights, thicknesses, and recyclability for specific applications and the most convenient, economical, and productive results. [View our new comparison chart...]( [LEARN MORE]( [Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) • Technical Production Guide]( [Snapdragon Production]( Snapdragons are highly responsive to day length, light intensity, and temperature. With these 3 factors in mind, modern varieties have been bred for optimal performance under specific growing conditions and growing seasons. Follow our instructions for the 4 main types, including some of Lisa Ziegler's "Cool Flower" favorites, and snap! — you'll be harvesting abundantly across the seasons. [View our snapdragon growing guide...]( [LEARN MORE]( Connect With Us [facebook]( [twitter]( [youtube]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( You're receiving this email because you subscribed at [johnnyseeds.com](. We promise to protect your information. For more information see our [privacy policy](. © 2017 Johnny’s Selected Seeds 13 Main Street, Fairfield, Maine 1-877-564-6697 [Unsubscribe from future emails]( | [View in Browser](