Maturity Signs and Harvesting of common crops

Cabbage:

1. At low elevations cabbage varieties mature in about 62 to 110 days from field setting and about 81 to 125 days at high elevations.
2. Solidity and firmness of head are the usual maturity characteristics used.
3. Head colour turns a lighter shade of green when full development is a attained.
4. They have tendency to burst or loosen the leaves beyond the marketable stage.

Harvesting of Cabbage:

The heads are cut with knife frequently attached with some wrapper leaves.

 Cauliflower:

1. The best stage of maturity is determined by curd size and condition. Local growers usually harvest the head upon the desired size and before the curds become discolored, loose or otherwise blemished.
2. The head should be compact and not to be broken into segments.
3. Over mature head, becomes too long, flower stalks elongates resulting in loose, leafy condition and possess poor market value.

Harvesting of Cauliflower:

The curds are cut off the stalk with large sharp knife. The large leaves are trimmed away until sufficient jacket leaves remain to protect the curd.

Carrot and Radish

Maturity Sings of Carrot:

1. Depending upon variety carrot become ready for harvesting within 100 to 120 days from sowing.
2. Depending in the variety, the desired size is the primary consideration in harvesting the roots.
3. Oversized roots are not acceptable.
4. Generally small to medium sized carrots are preferred.
5. At marketable stage carrots should have at least 2.5 to 4 cm diameter at the upper end.

Harvesting of Carrot:

Early carrots for the market are pulled out when they partly developed. They are normally du out, when the soil is sufficient moist with spade or a khurpi. The roots are trimmed and washed before sending them to the market.

Maturity Sings of Radish:

1. European type is ready for harvesting within 30 days from sowing and Asiatic type within 45 to 60 days from sowing.
2. At this stage roots are mild, tender and crisp and usually of the proper marketable size.
3. Roots must be harvested before they become pithy, bitter and fibrous.

Harvesting of Radish:

In kenya, harvesting is done manually. A light irrigation may be given before harvesting to facilitate lifting of roots. The roots are washed, graded and tied in bunches. In advanced countries, commercial radish growers use a single row harvester that pulls the plants from the soil.

Maturity Signs of Tomato:

1. Harvesting depends upon the purpose for which they are used. Four maturity stages are generally recognized.
a. Green stage: The mature green fruits are generally harvested to send them to the distant market.
b. Pink Stage: At this stage colour turns to pink or red at the blossom end. They are picked for local market.
c. Ripe stage: At this stage surface of the most of the fruits is red and the soften of fruits begins.
d. Fully Ripe: At this stage fruits have approached maximum colour development and are soft. Starch is charged into sugars. They are generally consumed or used for canning and processing.

 Tomato:

Depending upon the purpose for which they are used and market distance, tomatoes are harvested manually by plucking the fruits at different maturity stages.

Chilli:

1. Chillies are harvested at two stages, one for green vegetables and the other as dry chillies.
2. Green Chillies are harvested when they are fully mature and before they change from green to red.
3. Chillies for drying should be harvested when colour changes from green to red.

Harvesting of Chilli:

Depending upon the purpose for which chillies are to be used, fruits are picked either green or fully red ripe. 

Maturity Signs of Onion:

1. Harvesting depends upon the purpose for which the crop is planted and maturity will depend upon the variety being used.
2. Green Bunch Onion: Green onion is best when they are of lead pencil unit a small bulb is formed.
3. Ripe Bulbs: Ripe bulb crop is ready for harvest in 3 to 4 months after transplanting. Neck fall is the indication of maturity. The best time to harvest onion is when 60 to 70% of tops have broken over. Development of red pigment and the characteristics pregnancy of the variety are also important harvest indices.

Onion:

If the bulbs are mature, they are pulled out easily by hand if the soil is not hard or compact, otherwise, they may be dug out with a shovel or panga.

Garlic:

1. The crop may be harvested when the top turns yellowish or brownish and shows sings of drying up.
2. Crop gets ready for harvest in about 100 to 140 days after planting.
 
Harvesting of Garlic:

The bulbs lifted manually, cleaned and the leaves are tied at the top. The bulbs are dried for a week or so under shade. 

Maturity Sings of Potato:

1. Potatoes are harvested when they attain sufficient size. Early varieties 57 to 100 days, late varieties 120- 160 days.
2. Skin slipping from the tuber, starch content and leaf senescence or top drying are the harvest indices.

Potato:

Care should be taken to save the tuber from injury and immediately after harvest they should be left in the scorching sun. otherwise they develop sunscalds. Digging is done with spade or other hand tool. Suitable tractor operated potato diggers have been developed now. There should be optimum moisture in the soil at the time of harvest.

 Cucumber:

1. Fruits are ready for harvest 45 to 55 days after sowing.
2. Harvest immature fruits.
3. In cucumber the proper stage of maturity is judged by size and not by the age of the fruit.
4. Cucumber for slicing should be picked when they are 15 to 35 cm long, whereas for pickling 6 to 15 cm long. In case of slices at marketable stage, spines on fruit becomes soft and fall down.
5. In general cucumber may be picked at any stage of fruit growth, provided yellowish has not started.

Harvesting of Cucumber:

The fruit should be picked at frequent intervals in order to avoid losses due to over sized or over mature fruits. They are generally picked at 2 to 4 days intervals depending on weather.

 Sweet Potato

Maturity Sings of Sweet Potato:

1. They are harvested 3.5 to 4 months after planting.
2. Leaves start yellowing
3. After cutting the tuber if white gum remains white, then they are ready for harvest , it it turns blackish on green then tubers are said to be immature.

Harvesting of Sweet Potato:

The crop is harvested by digging with spade or panga.

 Leafy Vegetables ( Spinach, Amaranthus ) 

Maturity Signs:

1. They are harvested 3 to 4 weeks after sowing,
2. Harvesting should be done, when the leaves are immature and tender, but large enough.
3. Old leaves are bitter and unfit for consumption.

Harvesting:

Spinach:

First cutting 3 to 4 weeks after sowing. Leaves are cut manually from the base. It gives 3 to 4 pickings at 15 days interval.

Amaranthus:

Uprooting is done 3-4 weeks after sowing. If clippings are to be taken then first clipping 25 to 30 days after sowing and other at 20 to 25 days interval. Total 2-4 clippings.