Support To Farmer Vol 20, 2024
We prepared for the public lecture we will hold next week.
Some members harvested the pumpkins to start curing so that the students of the public lecture could take them. We are worried about typhoon will hit next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Pumpkins are said to be harvested 40-50 days after the first female flower, although there are subtle differences between varieties. But it is difficult to remember how many days, so I personally harvest pumpkins when the stems lose their freshness and have a cork-like texture.
Also, pumpkins are said to be cured for two to four weeks after harvesting, after which the starch is replaced by sugar and the pumpkins become sweeter and tastier. ( To tell the truth, I usually eat the pumpkins a week after harvesting, when the stem parts start to look enough dried. )
Basically all we have to do is leave the pumpkins in a shady, well-ventilated area. Curing is usually done at room temperature, but high temperatures and humidity can cause rotting, so it is best to use the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator in mid-summer or during rainy periods - it means during July to September.
In the public lecture the students will plant cabbage seedlings.
However cabbage seedling area has been conquered by weeds again. So we have gotten rid of them again….
We also ploughed the area with a cultivator.
There were fewer participants today. Sales were only a little.
