Harvesting your own veggies is the ultimate dream for every vegetable gardener. And when that dream starts to produce reality, your harvest basket becomes crucial. It’s no ordinary container but a showpiece that highlights the fruits or veggies of your labor. Sure, you could just use any old grocery bag or mixing bowl to gather your garden bounty and farm fresh eggs, but a harvest basket offers something more special, something that can double as countertop decoration or even a trendy backdrop for your daily harvest pics.
What To Look For In A Good Harvest Basket
If you’ve got a kitchen garden, you’ll never run out of stuff to snip off. From fresh herbs to juicy cherry tomatoes crawling up a trellis, there’s always something ready to be picked. Don’t think of your basket as a seldom-used harvesting tool. No, pull it out regularly! It’ll be going back and forth from your garden to your kitchen sink almost every day, if not every week.
The best harvest basket tickles the fancy, but it’s also easy to carry and clean. Three types of baskets typically hit this sweet spot: the right-sized carryall, the garden trug, and the garden hod.
Right-Sized Carry-All
The right-sized carry-all harvest basket is all about making things easy to carry and move. Usually, they come with some seriously solid handles – designed to make sure you don’t drop your load. They’re not just sturdy, but they spread the weight evenly so you don’t feel the burn in your arms and hands while lugging around a full basket.
A Garden Trug
A trug is basically a flat, oval or rectangular basket made from wooden strips. It comes with a sturdy handle and is perfect for carrying stuff like fresh-cut flowers, garden tools, or even your homegrown produce.
A Garden Hod
A garden hod is essentially a wooden box with wire mesh, shaped either rectangular or oblong. This handy garden basket is perfect for gathering, hauling, and cleaning your garden goods. The wood frame makes it sturdy, while the wire mesh means that water and dirt just flow right through. So, after a day in the garden, you can easily give your fruits and veggies a rinse before bringing them indoors.
Best Material For A Harvest Basket
Before you hurry off to buy your dream harvest basket, hang on a sec! Think about how functional that cute basket will really be for you. What are you planning to use it for exactly? Will it get wet? Are you planning to collect tiny leaves and flowers or big fruits and vegetables? And how heavy will your harvests be?
Sure, you might have your eye on a pretty wicker basket, but let’s get practical for a sec. You really need a harvest basket that’s easy to clean and can get a good rinse after each use.
Wire Harvest Basket
Harvest baskets made of wire are solid, super easy to clean, and can last for ages. The strong, wiry structure helps air circulate better, so your freshly picked produce stays unscathed and bruise-free. They’re pretty great when you’ve got a bunch to carry from a large harvest, but they’re not the best choice for tiny stuff like cherry tomatoes that could slip through or get stuck between the bars.
Metal Harvest Basket
If you’re on the hunt for a reliable and sturdy harvest basket, metal ones are worth considering. They’re tough enough to handle weighty veggies and super easy to clean, giving you the confidence to use them year after year, during multiple harvest periods. But, keep in mind that they may not be the best pick for smaller, softer produce like berries and tomatoes – the holes in their mesh can sometimes cause damage to these more delicate crops.
Plastic Harvest Basket
If you’re willing to trade style for functionality, you might just dig these plastic harvest baskets! Applying brute strength, durability for days, quick clean-up, and more bang for your buck, these gems won’t crack under pressure. Also, it’s worth noting they’re made from polypropylene. The superb kicker? Use these harvest baskets like a colander when giving your pickings a good, outdoor hose down before carrying them inside.
Wicker Harvest Basket
When it comes to a classic harvest basket material, wicker easily wins. Not only is it soft on your harvest goods, but it also comes with a pleasing aesthetic and solid durability for those heavy vegetables. But where it does fall a bit short is the cleanup part – dunking it in water isn’t the best idea. Instead, you’d need to clean your dry harvests in your kitchen sink, then just gently wipe your wicker basket with a slightly damp cloth. If it does get wet, remember to let it catch some sun for a few hours to avoid any mold growth.
Wooden Garden Trug
Harvest baskets made from woven wood strips not only look stunning, but they’re also gentle on fragile fruits and berries. Plus, they’re easy to clean – just use a damp cloth, but remember not to get the wood too wet. Be mindful, though, as depending on the type of wood and the basket’s size, some harvest baskets can get quite heavy.
Fabric Harvest Basket
If you want a super handy and multi-use bag, fabric baskets are where it’s at. They’re perfect to haul your lighter harvests or your farmers’ market haul back home, especially for those soft fruits like tomatoes. Plus, they’re a dream for storage – just fold ’em up when you’re done using them, and boom – they’re out of your way. Only downside? Not super easy to clean and aren’t the best option if you’re working in a damp or wet spot. So keep in mind that you may not want to take your harvest basket out in the rain!
8 Great Harvest Baskets, Trugs, & Hods
Fiskars Garden Harvest Basket
The Fiskars Garden Harvest Basket is ideal for gathering, moving, and washing your harvest. It also provides a convenient way to carry your food gardening tools. Colander side with drain holes is perfect for washing just-harvested produce. On the other hand, the enclosed side is versatile and can be utilized for soaking the same, carrying clean produce, or even storing harvest tools. The design incorporates ergonomic side handles, making it convenient to carry large harvests with both hands, while the separate folding handles interlock feature allowing for a comfortable grip and one-handed use.
With both a colander side and an enclosed side, you can effortlessly segregate food items from utensils and distinguish between washed and unwashed food. Freshly harvested produce can be conveniently rinsed, soaked or sprayed with water.
Maine Garden Hod (Traditional East Coast Harvest Basket)
Make your garden yield photogenic with this incredible harvest basket. It is designed with a blend of pine, birch, and oak woods, complemented by a steel mesh coated with food-grade vinyl. This garden hod can accommodate a day’s generous harvest of leafy greens, fruits, big melons, and vegetables. The only drawback of this harvest basket is its hefty weight of 3.5lbs, which could impede easy transportation of a substantial harvest from your garden up to your kitchen.
Metal Mesh & Bamboo Harvest Basket
If the old-school harvest basket style doesn’t quite tickle your fancy, consider integrating a metal mesh multi-purpose basket to complement your modern garden scheme. It’s the epitome of utility, simplicity, and thoughtful design, making it a fantastic addition to city rooftop gardens or a contemporary kitchen garden with rustic undertones.
Nantucket Double Handle Harvest Basket
This Nantucket garden harvest basket is a true classic that can also serve as a picnic or farmer’s market basket. A charming combination of wicker and wood, it has robust wood handles and a bottom, making it both practical and aesthetically pleasing. It’s a fantastic choice for capturing images of garden bounties. However, while the basket is of good quality, it may not be sturdy enough to hold heavier yields like melons or large fruits.
Foldable Fabric Basket
A highly versatile garden harvest basket that boasts numerous design elements. It is not only functional with an aluminum frame and a soft rubber grip but is also fashioned from lightweight polyester fabric that’s a breeze to clean. The basket can be compactly folded down into a pocket-sized pouch, making it a great addition to keep in your vehicle for spontaneous grocery store runs, or unplanned trips to the farmer’s market.
Handmade Wicker Wood Basket
This traditional farmhouse wicker garden harvest basket is ideal for gathering light crops such as greens, flowers, and small vegetables. Its deep bucket bottom is suitable for loose produces like onions and tomatoes, and its broad sides are perfect for large leafy greens. This handcrafted garden harvest basket can also double as a picnic container, a decorative piece, or a tote for farmer’s market shopping.
Vegetable Colander Garden Trug
While this garden trug may not win any beauty contests, it excels in functionality. As a harvest basket, its perforated bottom simplifies the process of washing and drying your freshly picked produce. Its size is perfect for accommodating larger harvests of elongated vegetables such as leeks, carrots, and squash. The design includes ergonomic side handles, making it conducive for two-handed carrying.
With this basket, gathering your harvest, washing it down with a hose, and transporting it indoors becomes a breeze. Its utility extends beyond only harvesting, making it suitable for varied gardening tasks like weeding or rock collecting.
Modern Multipurpose Harvest Basket
The Mod Hod is a contemporary reinterpretation of the classic harvest basket, available in three shades and two distinct sizes. The smaller one is an excellent choice for those with gardens in suburban areas, whereas the bigger one is ideal for heftier harvests from kitchen gardens and hauls from farmers markets. For those looking to gather lengthy leafy greens and flowers, the large Mod Hod is the more suitable option.Â
Apart from their charming appearance, these baskets are highly functional. Constructed from premium polypropylene, they are stackable and extremely easy to clean. Each basket is equipped with foldable legs, ensuring your harvested produce remains off the ground and free from dirt.
Handmade & Hand-Dyed
This handcrafted, hand-dyed harvest basket is elegant enough to be used as a beach bag, market tote, or picnic basket. Constructed from 100% cotton cord, these robust rope baskets are available in four earthy shades (beige, goldenrod yellow, slate gray, and madder root pink). The harvest basket is perfect for hauling groceries, visiting farmer’s markets, or for large garden harvests such as leafy greens, root vegetables, and fruits. However, they are not suitable for messy harvests due to its difficulty to be cleaned (and it’s too beautiful to be soiled!).
Handwoven Wicker Gathering Basket
A traditional wicker harvest basket is the perfect addition to a vibrant salad garden. Suitable for harvesting an array of produce including tomatoes, greens, herbs, and eggs, this modestly-sized basket can easily accommodate your daily picks. The toughness, excellent drainage, and gentleness on fragile harvests such as eggs and tomato skins make wicker an ideal material for a harvest basket. This basket also serves as a decorative bowl for fresh produce on the countertop.
Embrace The Nature’s Bounty With A Garden Harvest Basket
A garden harvest basket is an essential tool for any gardener, especially as fall approaches and the harvest season begins. These baskets offer both practicality and versatility, allowing you to easily carry produce, cuttings, weeds, and tools. With a variety of options available, from functional designs to decorative and personalized styles, there is a garden harvest basket to suit every gardener’s needs and preferences. Investing in a high-quality basket will not only make your gardening tasks more efficient but can also be a stylish addition to your home decor.
Choose the one that fits your requirements. Happy gardening!
Colin Macmillan is a seasoned entrepreneur and the CEO of Riverwood Landscape, a leading landscaping company based in Canada. He has been at the helm of the company since leaving high school, demonstrating his strong leadership skills and business acumen.
Colin’s expertise lies in various aspects of landscaping, including lawn care, interlocking, sod installation, and commercial maintenance. His hands-on approach and dedication to the craft have been instrumental in building Riverwood Landscape into a reputable brand.
One of his most notable achievements is the creation of a successful landscape franchise that services multiple locations. This accomplishment underscores his strategic thinking and ability to scale operations effectively.
Colin has also had the privilege of working with Guelph Hospital for landscaping and maintenance, a testament to the trust and reliability that his company has earned over the years.
His professional mission is to offer the best services and experiences for customers, a goal that he tirelessly pursues. Colin’s commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction continues to drive the growth and success of Riverwood Landscape.
