THERE can be no greater enjoyment in gardening than growing your own vegetables.

Nurturing crops from seed to the table is a most rewarding and satisfying achievement and consequently harvest time is a wonderful time of the year in the vegetable plot, or the allotment.

Potatoes and onions are particular favourites – both are simple to
plant, easy to look after and relatively free from the risk of disease, or adverse weather.

If you haven’t done so already, prepare to dig up potatoes before the onset of persistent wet and chilly weather.

Main crops can be harvested from late August through October.

With main crops for storage wait until the foliage turns yellow, then cut it and remove it. Leave for 10 days before harvesting the tubers, leaving them to dry for a few hours before storing.

Potatoes can be stored for several months – certainly past the depths of winter – if conditions are right.

Sift out any damaged potatoes and use them straight away. Healthy specimens should be as dry as possible, so put into sacks and store in a dark and dry
area.

Onions can be harvested when the foliage turns yellow and starts to topple over. Although it is sometimes suggested to bend over the foliage, or gently lift the bulbs to break the roots, this is no longer recommended.

Leave for two to three weeks and then carefully lift with a garden fork.

Those for storage must be firm, disease-free and dried for two to three weeks – either laid out in the sun, or in a shed if the weather is wet.

Like potatoes, they can be stored throughout the winter and used for cooking when you want.