I watched a short video recently on harvesting. The fellow was harvesting his potatoes. After he finished he told the audience to dig through the bed a second time as it would increase the harvest by 10%.
I smiled.
Universal Law
This increase of 10% seems to be a law of the universe that applies to many crops. Most especially to crops that “hide” and make you look for them—like potatoes, blueberries, strawberries, peas, and beans.
Most of time, I do the harvesting. But during the past 2 summers, Bill helped a lot with harvesting peas and blueberries. After he finished, I’d go behind him and get the ones he missed. He’d say, “I went over those bushes (or vines) so carefully! How did I miss those?”
You’ve already guessed I’m sure that the second time around increased our harvest by 10%.
Blueberries – This picture of my earliest blueberries was taken by my friend Lisa.
Applies to Other Things as Well as Plants
This 10% can apply to other things as well. Soft crabs come to mind.
When I was a girl, my parents would weekend in the summer at an old house they owned on the Potomac River.
Within sight of the place was the home of a lady whose grandson would spend summers with her. Both of us, teenagers at the time, would watch the tides carefully and get up at the break of dawn to soft crab the shoreline if the tide was low.
No matter how early I got up, he always seemed to get out before I did and crabbed the shoreline to get a nice “mess” of soft crabs.
Since I had no choice, I’d follow along behind. I’d always get the few that he missed. I can almost bet the number I got was probably 10% of his catch.
AND it applies to bugs and bug eggs!
It you check your plants only once for bugs and their eggs, you can rest assured you missed at least 10%.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s increasing your harvest by 10% or cutting back garden pests by an additional 10%, all that’s required is taking a second look.
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I go through the beans and peppers after “someone else” has picked them and can get at least another 10%. I think with strawberries too but when I go to pick them, many are ripe only on one side and are white on the other.
Will that 10% of potatoes become seed for next year?
Theresa,
With the way my eyes are today I could probably sweep through a 3rd time and still get more.
Thanks
Steve
I totally agree with you! Last fall our upper elementary class excitedly worked for more than 2 hours unearthing my sweet potatoes and carrots, and fall lettuce seed. The day after they harvested I went out and re-dug the areas. Another small mountain of sweet potatoes! And the special bonus this spring, bright green lettuce sprouting THROUGHOUT my garden! What a treat and a reminder of a special day. With gardeners in training.