This creates areas where disease organisms can enter and cause severe problems. Don't harvest when the plant is wilted or under any form of stress. This can result in damage to the plant. Immediately place fresh harvested vegetables in the shade and keep them cool. Use harvested vegetables as soon as possible, whether they are to be eaten fresh, processed or stored.
Temperature control is the most important factor in vegetable storage.
Generally avoid high temperatures because of rapid growth of decay organisms. The second factor in good storage is humidity. A moist atmosphere prevents water-loss from stored vegetables and helps root and leafy crops stay fresh longer. You may need to make sure that humidity remains fairly high in the storage area. Moist sand, wet burlap bags or a layer of wet sphagnum moss helps increase the humidity if the storage area is relatively dry.