Keeping greens fresh

[OrangeDragon]

What is the best way to keep veggies fresh for longer? I normally put them in a couple glass containers with some paper towels, but it only lasts about 2 weeks before the squash gets really mushy. I normally end up throwing out a lot of it because the greens come in large quantities.

 

[ChileanTaco]

What works well for my dragon:

* Greens as whole plants. I do this e.g. for golliwog (callisia repens) and herbs. I currently try growing kale, which normally should work but is a challenge in our climate zone.
* If greens can't be bought as whole plants and can't be grown: I bundle them as a bouquet and put them in a shallow dish with water.
I'm not chopping up greens anymore. My dragon also clearly prefers what is a whole leafy plant, or at least looks like one (bouquet).
For other vegetables like squash I chop them, put them in in the morning, and what is left over is then for the roaches and worms.

I see you write

2 weeks

From this I assume you don't eat much vegetables yourself? (I simply mean this as a statement, not a criticism.)
Why I'm asking: We eat a lot of vegetables, so we never buy something only for the dragon. So for example with the squash, a bit is for the dragon, and most is for us, so it's gone within 1 - 2 meals depending on the size of the squash. Same is with other veggies like bell pepper: we had a dish yesterday that contains bell peppers, and a few raw slices of that peppers were for the dragon. Also kale and other greens: One leaf for the dragon, the rest for us.
If you don't like to eat those veggies for your meals, and don't like to incorporate them into your diet, it might be an option to freeze them already chopped. And then give them to your dragon thawed. Also, unchopped veggies last longer in the fridge, when you just cut off slices.

 

[CooperDragon]

I usually chopped squash as needed and kept the whole part in the fridge with the cut end covered in foil. I went through a LOT of squash though. For greens, I liked to cut the stems off and give those to the roach colony, then take the large leaves and put them in a ziploc with a folded paper towel and pull all of the air out. Those go in the fridge and are usually good for a few weeks. Another good option I've read about on here (but haven't tried myself) is to finely chop the veges and put them in an ice cube tray in the freezer. One that has a top probably works best for this. Then you can pull a cube out to thaw and feed off as needed while the rest of the cubes stay frozen for as long as you need.

 

[ChileanTaco]

I usually chopped squash as needed and kept the whole part in the fridge with the cut end covered in foil.

I'm also doing this when I have a huge squash/ pumpkin that we (humans plus the small fraction that is dragon food) can't eat in one sitting. Like a giant halloween pumpkin that makes 3 - 4 meals for two adults.
Is then gone within 1 - 2 weeks, however, as we eat plenty of that.
Generally agree: chopped veggies don't store well. I chop all greens, equally for me and for the dragon, right before eating/ using them. Chopped doesn't store well. (We usually do grocery shopping only each 2 weeks, and we eat a lot of veggies as we're two adults eating vegetarian/ vegan diet. Works well. Never chopping before eating.)

Another good option I've read about on here (but haven't tried myself) is to finely chop the veges and put them in an ice cube tray in the freezer.

We have done this, exactly in ice cubes, for our own food to preserve herbs that don't grow during winter and that don't dry well. For this it works.

 

[xp29]

I use plastic containers that have a grate in the bottom to keep the greens up off the bottom. It lets air circulate and they last longer. One has a cracked lid so it lets the gas given of from the greens escape. That one seems to work the best especially for mustard greens. Mustard greens go bad faster than collared or turnip greens and stinks worse to boot