Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The taste and crunchiness of freshly picked veggies is a real treat
that you are not aware of until you actually do it.
Observation is the best way to learn when to harvest your veggies.
If you are really organized, you can make a note on the calendar
based on the maturity date of the variety you planted. For most
gardeners this is too much work, so “pick and taste” is probably the
best test to see if your veggies are ready to be eaten. If you harvest
too early they may lack sweetness, size, and flavor. If you wait too
long, many vegetables lose their flavor, become starchy-tasting, and
are tough. For instance, peas and corn become starchy-tasting when
older. Beans can become stringy and zucchini seems to become
monster-size overnight if not picked regularly.
Along with zucchini squash, other plants such as peas and beans
need to be harvested regularly so the plant will keep producing
more. If the pods or fruit are not harvested in a timely way, the
vegetable plants will take that as a signal to stop producing and will
start producing flowers and seeds rather than new fruits or pods.
Smoothie Garden Solution
Thinning plants provides more room to grow. When direct-seeding
it is difficult to know how many seedlings will germinate; however,
it is important to pull out some of the seedlings to give the rest a
better chance to grow. Check the seed packet for suggested spa-
cing of plants.
Use sharp tools to harvest your veggies. Some fruit can be easily
pulled or broken off, which can damage the plants and they will not
produce anything more for you.
It is generally a good idea to harvest early in the morning when
there is still dew on the plants, especially leafy vegetables like
