Advice on harvesting fruit and veg

Garden and greenhouse growers have been given some advice on how best to harvest their fruit and vegetables.

Speaking to KMBC, horticulture lover Larry Moore explained smokers should avoid cigarettes and cigars when tending to tomatoes.

He said tobacco can spread diseases among the plants in the garden and greenhouse and damage the chances of having a bumper crop.

Another snippet of advice was to use a spading fork to dig potatoes to minimise the risk of cutting them in two.

He also had advice on the garden "delicacy" that is green beans.

"One of the keys to having a successful harvest is to not pick them when the plants are wet from an overnight dew or rain," Mr Moore stated, adding moisture can spread disease.

Zucchini harvesting should be done with a knife, the expert asserted, as this will reduce damage to the vine from twisting or tearing.

In other news that may interest garden and greenhouse enthusiasts, the UK is considering introducing a species of louse that is known to attack Japanese knotweed – a problem that is also an issue in the US.