Published: 16 June 2025
One of the very best things about gardening is getting to enjoy the fruits (and veg!) of your labour. And as we move through August into September, we enter the UK’s peak harvesting time. No matter where you are in the country, if you grow edibles, you’ll have something ready to pick. But harvesting at the right time – and storing your produce properly – can help you to get the most from all of your hard work.
So, what should you be doing with your produce now that the harvest season is here?
Tips for Harvesting and Storing Summer Garden Produce
Potatoes
Potatoes are widely known to be the UK’s most popular vegetable. Versatile and delicious, they’re also relatively easy to grow. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can pop a pot on a patio or balcony! The tricky bit is knowing when to harvest.
When to harvest potatoes:
- First earlies are ready around 10–12 weeks after planting (typically late June/early July).
- Maincrop varieties are harvested from late August into September, once the foliage has died back.
How to harvest potatoes:
Use a fork to gently lift the soil, being careful not to spear the tubers. Brush off excess soil, but don’t wash your tubers unless you’re intending to use them immediately.
How to store potatoes:
Once harvested, you should leave your potatoes to cure for a few days in a cool, dark place. This toughens the skin. Then you can store them in breathable sacks in a dark, cool, frost-free location. Avoid plastic bags as they trap moisture and cause rot.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be trickier to grow in the UK, because they need a lot of sun to ripen. For many parts of the country, this year’s heatwaves have resulted in a bumper crop. But that means you need to work harder not to waste any.
When to harvest tomatoes:
Pick your tomatoes when the fruits are fully coloured (red, yellow, or black depending on the variety) and slightly soft to the touch.
How to harvest tomatoes:
Harvest tomatoes by hand, by gently twisting individual fruit from the stem. You can also use scissors to harvest a whole stem.
How to store tomatoes:
Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature. If you’ve grown more than you can eat at once, try making tomato sauce or chutney.
If you have any green tomatoes at the end of the season, ripen them in a paper bag with a banana or apple.
Beans and peas
Whether it’s runner beans or garden peas, the likelihood is that you’ve been harvesting all summer long. But August is often a time of glut, so knowing how to store them is essential to avoid waste.
When to harvest peas and beans:
Pick peas and beans when the pods are young and tender, ideally before the seeds inside fully swell. Regular harvesting encourages more to grow.
How to harvest beans and peas:
When your pods are ready, you can either pinch them off where they join the plant, or use snips to do the same job.
How to store peas and beans:
Peas and beans are best eaten fresh, but they will keep in the fridge for a few days. If you have a glut, you can dry them. This is usually best achieved by letting the pods dry fully on the plant. Then you can shell and store dried beans in airtight containers. Otherwise, freeze them. Blanch them in boiling water first, drain, then freeze.
Soft fruit
From strawberries and raspberries to blackcurrants, gooseberries, blueberries, and beyond, the soft fruit category is vast – and delicious. While many varieties have already finished fruiting, there are still some soft fruits waiting to be picked.
When to harvest soft fruits:
Pick soft fruit when fully ripe. Fruits should be deeply coloured and come away easily with a gentle tug.
How to harvest soft fruit:
Always handle soft fruit gently to avoid bruising. And if possible, harvest during cooler parts of the day.
How to store soft fruit:
Soft fruits are best eaten fresh, but can be stored in the fridge for 1–2 days.
For longer-term storage, you can freeze soft fruits, dehydrate them, or make them into jams, jellies, or fruit leathers.
Tree fruits
This is another broad category, but August and September are usually the best months for apples, pears, and plums, and the like.
When to harvest tree fruits:
As a general rule, most tree fruits are ready to be harvested when the fruit comes away with a gentle twist. If they come off easily, they’re ready.
How to harvest tree fruits:
Tree fruits shouldn’t be pulled or shaken off. For best results, gently twist the fruit. You can also use a fruit picker for high branches.
How to store tree fruits:
- Apples and pears store well if the fruit is unblemished. Wrap them individually in paper and store in shallow boxes in a cool, dark, ventilated place. Check regularly for signs of rot.
- Plums don’t store well, so use fresh if possible. Otherwise, freeze, or preserve in jams or compotes.
Squash and pumpkins
The best thing about squash and pumpkins is that when stored well, they can last for months. You may even be eating this year’s squash as you’re heading towards next year’s harvest.
When to harvest pumpkins and squash
Squash and pumpkins are usually ready to harvest from mid-September to late October. It’s important to harvest all fruit before the first frosts. You’ll know they’re ready when the skin is hard enough for you not to be able to puncture the skin with a fingernail.
How to harvest pumpkin and squash:
To harvest squash and pumpkins, you simply have to cut the fruit from the vine with a few inches of stem attached. Just make sure that you handle them carefully because bruising can lead to rot in storage.
How to store pumpkins and squash:
Before storing pumpkins and squash, you need to give them time to cure. You can do this by leaving them in a warm, dry, sunny spot (such as a greenhouse or sunny windowsill) for 10–14 days to harden the skins. You can then store them in a cool (10–15°C), dry, well-ventilated area, ideally on slatted shelves or spaced out so they don’t touch.
When you’ve put so much effort into growing, it’s such a shame to let any of your harvest go to waste. But with a little care, your summer bounty can keep you well-fed into the colder months.
Plan your visit to Holker Hall & Gardens today!