Digging root crops.
It is one thing to grow them and another thing to know when to harvest them. Potatoes, carrots, beets and the like are all 'ready' for the table at different times. Young potatoes are the best tasting specimens of the season, though small and therefore less productive, they are by far more tender and tastier than the big, fat specimens that you will dig up later in the season. When a potato plant begins to flower, you know that it can be dug up and prepared for the table. When the plant collapses it is time to dig up the whole works and store them in a cool, dry place otherwise they become susceptible to scab and disease.
Carrots are sweetest when they are young. Dig them up when the foliage is about 30 to 40 cm. high and (if you are pleased with the size of the root) keep going, digging as you need them. Remember that a carrot retains its sweetness longer if you leave the leaves in tact. Remove them as close to 'table time' as possible.
Beets are best pulled (you rarely have to use a fork to dig them unless the soil is heav) when the root is about the size of your fist. Don't allow these to get too old either or they begin to taste like wood.
Onions are best pulled when the tops flop down on the surface of the soil. Once you dig them, leave them in the sun for a couple of days to allow the skin to harden off.
And finally garlic should be dug now, laid out in a cool, dry place and dried for winter storage
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