Natures Own Growing System

We have achieved 15.5 brix carrots, and there is still couple weeks to go before harvest, at Hirschel Heritage Farm www.goodcarrots.com , we anticapate possibly 16 to 18 brix carrots. We will be reporting more on this as we get closer to and into harvest.

15.5 brix reading on carrots

If you would like to order these exceptional carrots call or email Bruce Hogan at 509-286-3329, or email at marine@air-pipe.com. Or if you are close visit his farm, here are his directions:

“We are 30 miles south of Sprague Ave in the Spokane Valley on Pines (Hiway 27 South). Once you start South on Pines/HW27, when you encounter the first Stop sign on Hiway 27, you’ll be on the East edge of Latah facing East. Continue straight through the intersection (East) 4 blocks and turn left on Wood St., which is just past the self-service gas pumps. We are the only house on the right. Visitors welcome anytime”.

15.5 brix carrots.

A reader in New Zealand writes:

Hi,

I’m a newbie to understanding Brix and the growing of high quality produce. I have not done a lot of searching back through your files to date but will.

I have a question unrelated to my own situation at the moment. In the New Zealand Kiwifruit industry they pick commercially, the fruit is harvested mature-ripe when its soluble sugars reach 6.5 brix on a refractometer.

If I am talking to a grower and tell him he can grow higher Brix levels in his, he would likely say he would then pick earlier, as the industry requires this. The thinking process, I presume, is that they would not store if picked too late. I do know that High Brix produce does store longer but not sure how to explain this point of view.

I have had this comment from apple growers as well.

Your thoughts?

Thanks
Grant

——–

Grant,

You are dealing with a couple of different meanings concerning brix here. Your growers are not recognizing brix as something equated to quality, but are using brix as a measurement to determine when it is appropriate to harvest a fruit. Kiwifruit, Apples, and Grapes are often harvested when they reach certain brix levels. Those growers use a refractometer for those purposes.

However, they do not recognize that Brix “equals” quality. The Kiwi fruit growers don’t use brix as a means of determining quality, but use brix as a means of determining when to harvest their fruit. Continue Reading »