Harvesting Basics: A Guide to Enjoying the Fruits of Your Labor
Note: This blog has been adapted from a 2015 blog post by Kim Gilchrist.
In order to enjoy the fruits of all the labor you put into your garden, you’ll have to harvest at the right time. In general, if your veggies look like something you could get at the grocery store, they are ready to go! But for many, this can be the trickiest part about gardening. During the hot days of summer, crops can go from “almost ready” to “too late” quickly. Luckily, it’s okay to harvest and eat most crops past this opportune time, BUT harvesting at the right time, not only maximizes tastiness but it also frees up garden space to plant something else! Read on for our top two guiding principles and a harvest guide.
The Northside Community Garden mid summer
#1 - Know when it’s Too Late…
The first step to knowing when to harvest something “just right” is to know what it looks like when it’s “too late.” This will largely depend on what we’re intending to eat on the plant — the roots, the fruits, the flowers, or the leaves. Every beginning gardener goes through at least a couple trials and errors before learning to harvest before “too late.”
For leaves (spinach, lettuce, greens, etc) and most roots (beets, carrots, radishes, etc) “too late” generally means the plant has started to flower. Flowering, also known as “bolting,” means the plant is pushing all if it’s energy into making a seed, which will detract sweetness and tenderness from leaves and stems. Plants will bolt when they are stressed or near the end of their life span. Many spring greens naturally bolt once the soil gets warmer or when day length increases, and that’s okay. The tiny yellow and white flowers will attract beneficial insects or you can compost it and plant something else.
For plants we eat the fruit of, like tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers, it’s usually a size and texture issue. Zucchini, for example, are most tender and taste best when they are less than 12 inches in length. Although the texture becomes pithier and the seeds become noticeable, bigger zucchinis are still edible as zoodles or shredded and baked in zucchini bread. (Need more zucchini recipe ideas? Click here)
#2 - When in doubt, harvest on the early side
Many vegetables are “harvestable” and actually taste a little sweeter when harvested on the early side, for example, carrots, beets, summer squash, and pretty much any kind of green. We miss out on some growth potential if we harvest our crops early, but they’ll still pack plenty of nutrients! (and look cute too…?) This also comes in handy when you are thinning your rows, which is a very important thing to do so that you’re veggies have the space to grow to their biggest potential.
QUICK Harvesting guide by vegetable
Carrots & Beets
Carrots and beets are two examples of crops we plan to eat the root of (through their tops are edible too!). These two are fairly straightforward, and they are biennials, meaning they won’t bolt on you in one season, so you can breathe easy. You can tell just by looking at their size if they are ready. Carrots are typically at their peak around 1” – 2” in thickness, while beets are typically at their peak around 2” – 3” in thickness. You can poke your finger in the ground to feel how big your carrots and beets or other root veggies are, and of course you can just admire those beautiful leafy greens from afar to figure out if they’re ready for pickin’.
Important tip: if you do not thin these vegetables to give them space to grow this big, they will stay skinny and small all season long. Often I see many beginning gardeners wait and wait for their carrots or radishes to grow bigger without the appropriate spacing between plants. While it can be hard to rip out your baby carrot seedlings, take comfort in knowing you’ll have a more abundant harvest if you thin and you can eat the thinnings too! I like them tossed in soups, stews or roasted.
Greens
Greens are another straightforward group of crops. If they look big enough, they’re ready! Note that regular, timely harvest of greens (including kale, lettuces, swiss chard, etc.) usually increases the length of harvest. Greens also need thinned as you go. And if you’re not going to eat them right away, it’s best to pick greens in the early morning or evening when the sun isn’t so hot – it helps to keep the greens from wilting.
Young, tender yellow zucchini is ready to harvest and throw on the grill.
Summer Squash
Summer squashes are best harvested when young and tender, when their skin is easily penetrated by a fingernail. Zucchinis grow a lot in a day, so these guys require a careful eye. If you run late harvesting one it will probably taste better shredded in zucchini bread than used fresh. Or, hollow out the seeds, stuff it with a yummy filling, and bake!
Winter Squash
This big guy should have been harvested a few days ago for best flavor and texture.
Unlike with your summer squash, you don’t want to watch winter squash so closely every day – at least not for awhile (unless you enjoy watching water boil). The hard skin of winter squash develops over time and is what helps it store so well, so you don’t want to rush on harvesting these gems. Mature winter squash will be hard and impervious to scratching. Once that thick skin has developed and you perform the fingernail test (press a thumbnail against the skin; your nail shouldn’t leave a visible dent) harvest your squash, leaving at least 1” of stem attached. It’s also best to harvest before a frost comes, which could decrease their storage time.
These cukes are practically ready. I’d give them one more day or harvest them a little on the early side.
Cucumbers
These also can grow a lot in a short amount of time and so require a watchful eye. Cucumbers are best when slightly immature. Most varieties will be 1.5”- 2.5” in diameter and 5”- 8” long, except for pickling cucumbers, which will be blocky and not as long. Immature cukes are spiky, but will become less spiky as they mature. You can easily wash off the rest of the cucumber spikes after harvesting by running your hand over the cucumber under water. If you get to a cuke too late, it will still taste good pickled!
Potatoes
You can harvest potatoes early or late, depending on your preference or what you plan to use the potato for. New potatoes, or earlies, can be harvested soon after the plants start blooming their beautiful flowers. Early potatoes are generally smaller and don’t store well so you want to eat them right away.
Or you can wait to harvest a crop of potatoes later – after the tops have died down and when the ground is dry. These potatoes will store much better, as long as they are cured for 10-14 days in a dark, well-ventilated location at 45 F to 60 F.
Onions
An onion ready for some pickin'
Onions can be harvested at different times according to what you’ll be using them for. If using them fresh, harvest at ¼”- 1” in diameter (basically, when they look big enough to be useful for whatever you need them for). If harvesting onions for storage, wait until they are bigger, their tops have fallen over, and their necks are shriveled. A mature bulb will not be dented if you push your finger into it. To cure onions, place them in a single layer or mesh bag in a dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight for 3-4 weeks. Remove their tops when fully dry.
A beautiful cabbage head ready to harvest
Cabbage
Cabbage is ready to harvest when the leaves surrounding the head start to open up a bit, and when the heads are solid. If cabbage heads become over mature they may split. If your head splits, it’s still edible. It just won’t last as long and you’ll likely have to cut out the parts around the split.
Broccoli and Cauliflower
This broccoli head is a little past but still edible. You can see many of its buds are about to pop!
Broccoli and Cauliflower may be the trickiest plants in regards to timing their harvest. Broccoli is best harvested while heads are a deep green, still compact, and before buds start to open into flowers. If the buds start to separate and the yellow petals inside start to show, harvest immediately. I often get to my broccoli a little too late (oops), but I still eat it, flowers and all!
When harvesting, cut the stem at a slant about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) below the head. Removing the head on some varieties will produce side-shoots in the axils of leaves and you can get 4 to 6 additional cuttings of shoots per plant over several weeks.
This broccoli head should be harvested immediately.
Follow the same rule of thumb for cauliflower, but when the curds are about 1”-2” in diameter fold some of the outer leaves over the cauliflower heads. This helps prevent the head from becoming yellow and/or blemished. Once you cover the heads they should be ready for harvest in 1-2 weeks.
Shelling Peas
Wait until the pods are plump and you can see outlines of peas through the shell. You can even open a few to see how big the peas are before harvesting a bunch of similar size. Smaller peas are usually sweeter or milder. Large, mature peas taste bitter.