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Gardening jobs may not be in the thoughts of many households with summer drawing to a close.
However, as the temperature starts to drop this month, so there’s one crucial task you need to complete now.
While there’s not as much to do in the ornamental garden at this time of the year, if you have a fruit or vegetable patch, you’ll be busy reaping the rewards of harvest.
Gardening pros at the Royal Horticultural Society have urged gardeners to harvest their fruit, particularly raspberries.
Early varieties of summer-fruiting raspberries should be ready for harvesting from June, with later varieties ripening into September.
Autumn raspberries start cropping from mid-August, often continuing until the first frosts.
Raspberries should be harvested regularly, to get fruits at the peak of ripeness, when richly coloured, plump and easy to pull off.
The pros claim it’s essential for raspberries to be picked early in the morning during dry weather as damp berries can “soon turn mouldy”.
With rainy weather expected for most of the month, this Friday is set to be one of the driest days.
Gently pluck them from the cane and place them, don’t drop them, into a container. Use a shallow container so you don’t squash all the berries on the bottom with the weight of the harvest atop.
Raspberries don’t ripen all at once but, instead, over a couple of weeks. So, when in doubt of a berry’s readiness, leave it on the vine for a day or two to ensure it is fully ripe.
When you are done picking for the day, put them in the refrigerator. Don’t wash them until just before you are ready to eat them since the moisture makes the berries degrade rapidly.
Don’t store the berries for more than a few days. Chances are good that isn’t a viable threat since it’s almost impossible to stay out of fresh berries.
Raspberries are best eaten fresh, when juicy, sweet and delicious. If you end up with a glut, they freeze well and make lovely jams, sauces and desserts.
