Harvest

Harvesting is the most exciting time of gardening. Eating something fresh out of the garden is immensely satisfying and you won't believe the flavor difference from store bought.

You should harvest your vegetables in the morning or late evening when the plants are not stressed by the heat of the day. Use a sharp knife or scissors for picking eggplant, squash or cucumbers. Most other fruits can be twisted gently and they'll snap right off the plant. English peas and beans usually require two hands to hold and pull in order to avoid damaging the rest of the plant. Corn ears can be pulled down and then twisted to snap off.

There are different ways to tell when a fruit is ready to harvest, so here's a simple guide I've found for the common plants I grow.

• Asparagus - cut at ground level with a sharp knife when spears are 6-8 inches and before the crown begins to spread. Go out daily in the early spring, a shoot might not be ready in the morning, but it will be in the evening.
• Bell Peppers - when size has stalled gently twist and pull off. You can also leave peppers on the plant until they change color and then harvest for a sweeter milder flavor
• Beets - approximately 3 months after planting, I usually just pull one and gauge the size to decide if the rest are ready. Beet greens can be harvested at any time.
• Broccoli - cut the center crown with a sharp knife when size has stalled and buds are still tightly closed. It will continue to make smaller off shoot crowns.
• Cabbage - cut with a sharp knife when head size has stalled. usually the size of a cantaloupe.
• Cantaloupe - Skins turns orangy and fruit separates from vine effortlessly.
• Carrots - I usually leave these in the ground until I'm ready to eat them or its time to plant for spring. Frond size is not always an indication of root size. Pull one to sample the crop size.
• Cauliflower - When the head begins to grow, clothes pin the leaves together to shield the crown from the sun and keep it bright white. Yellowed crowns are still edible. Cut with a sharp knife when size has stalled.
• Collard Greens - cut outer leaves as desired, plant will continue to produce more leaves.
• Corn - when silks have dried to medium brown rub fingers along husk, you should be able to feel the kernel bumps. The ear will push away from the stalk slightly. Pull down and twist to snap off. open the ear and kernels should be yellow and opaque. If kernels have a silvery white look to them, they're a little underdeveloped.
• Cucumbers - break off at desired size. Don't allow to get more than 2.5 inches around or 7 inches long. They will become bitter and the seeds woody if left on the vine too long.
• Eggplant - cut stem with scissors when growth stalls and fruit is shiny. If the skin dulls the eggplant will likely be too old and bitter.
• Figs - fruit enlarges and turns brown, purple, or black and is soft to the touch.
• Green Beans - pick when 4-5 inches long. These grow fast so check at least every few days.
• Green Onions - trim tops as wanted. They may "die" off in the summer and return vigorously in the fall.
• Green Peas - harvest when pods are plump and still richly green. If the pod is yellowing the peas will be dry and starchy.
• Herbs - snip as desired. annuals will bolt and go to seed then die, perennials will continue to produce and will need to be cut back as needed.
• Jalapeno Peppers - Harvest when stretch marks appear or desired size or color.
• Kale - cut outer leaves as desired, plant will continue to produce.
• Lima Beans - harvest when you can feel the beans in the pod are almost touching each other and pod is still green.
• Mustard Greens - cut outer leaves as desired, plant will continue to produce
• Okra - cut with scissors when fruit is 3-4 inches long. Check daily, these grow fast. gently squeeze the pod if you are unsure, if it is hard then they are likely too woody to be eaten, cut and discard. You want a little give in the pod to indicate tenderness.
• Potatoes, Irish - dig up after flowering for new potatoes or after plants yellow and begin to die for full grown potatoes
• Potatoes, Sweet - dig up between flowering and up until after first frost.
• Pumpkin/Winter Squash - Skin of fruit darkens and toughens. Will not pierce easily with fingernail. Vine may also turn brown next to fruit.
• Radish - Pick greens as desired, pick one to sample crop size and determine when ready.
• Strawberries - Pick when fruit turns red
• Sugar Snap Peas - Pick when pod is desired size and before peas plump out.
• Sunflower - after head droops and dries out, seeds are ready when they fall out without much coaxing. You usually have to cut the head and hang in a garage to finish drying otherwise the birds will eat all the seeds before you get any.
• Tomatoes - pick when the fruit just begins to blush, ripen upside down on the counter. If you let them ripen all the way on the vine, pretty much guaranteed something will take a bite of it.
• Turnips - harvest greens as desired. Pick one to sample crop size. Harvest around the size of a baseball or at end of season. Too large and they usually become spongy or pithy
• Watermelon - Resting spot on melon turns yellow and the tendril closest to the melon turns brown. Separation from vine is easy but not as easy as cantaloupe.
• Yellow Squash - cut with sharp knife when 6-10 inches. They grow fast so check every 2-3 days.
• Zucchini - cut with sharp knife when 6-10 inches. They grow fast so check every 1-2 days.