Does potency of plant go with the sun (day): PLEASE SEE DETAILS BELOW............................

Is it true that if u have a vegetable garden and u want to use the vegetable for cooking the best time is to cut it from the plant is after 6am and before 6pm?





It is said that if u cut a plant to use, say aloe vera (straight from the plant) at night, it wont work because the plant has gone to sleep or because their is no more sun?

Does potency of plant go with the sun (day): PLEASE SEE DETAILS BELOW............................
Vegetables to be cooked on the day they're picked should be picked early in the morning before the sun heats them up (cooks them!), but after the dew is dry. For herbs and flowers, follow the same rule, but take a pail with lukewarm water with you, cut the herbs/flowers on a slant with sharp knife, and plunge into the water. When done, have vase ready with water and citric acid (Sprite works), cut flower stems again under water and put in vase. Take herbs out of pail and rinse well before using. For aloe, light makes no difference. There are some flowering plants and herbs which are more fragrant and/or potent early in the day.
Reply:It makes absolutely no difference to vegetables whenever you pick them. In France, market gardeners commonly harvest for market at DAWN. What the French do not know about fresh vegetables is not worth knowing. The only considerations would be, heavy rain, severe drought, or frozen ground.
Reply:It sounds very likely to me that some plants should be harvested during daytime, with herbs it makes sense.


I don't think the difference is that huige though.
Reply:The only thing i have heard in relation to this is that some plants which are grown for pharmaceutical purposes need to be harvested at certain times of the day. For example, the levels of morphine in an opium poppy is higher at certain times of day (e.g. early morning) than at others (e.g. late afternoon).





Not sure about cutting vegetables, although they do SEEM to taste better when they are warm from the sun, especially tomato or basil which have stronger flavours when harvested this way.