Pumpkins are ready for harvest 75 to 115 days from sowing depending on the variety. Pumpkins can be left on the vine until the first frost in autumn is near. Cut pumpkins from the vine two weeks before the first frost and let them cure in the sun. When to Harvest Pumpkins Harvest pumpkins when […] More
Watermelons are usually ripe and ready for harvest when the underside turns from white to yellow and at least three tendrils on each side of the melon are dead. Harvest watermelons about 85 to 90 days after sowing seed, 35 to 45 days after flowers appear. When to Harvest Watermelon There are several ways to […] More
Harvest sweet potatoes as soon as they are big enough to eat—usually when the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow. Harvest sweet potatoes before the vines are touched by frost. Frost can damage the tubers below. When to Harvest Sweet Potatoes Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest 95 to 120 days […] More
Harvest garlic in the summer when tops have begun to yellow and partially dry. Garlic will be ready for harvest 90 to 100 days after spring planting and about 8 months after autumn planting. When to Harvest Garlic Harvest garlic bulbs when two-thirds of the plant’s leaves turn yellow and start to fall over 90 […] More
Harvest carrots when they develop their color and the tops are 1 inch in diameter or smaller. Carrots can be lifted as soon as they are a usable size. Carrots are ready for harvest 60 to 90 days after sowing depending upon the variety; they will continue to grow and enlarge if you leave them […] More
Harvest okra when pods are 1 to 4 inches long. Pods are ready for harvest about 60 days after sowing. Okra, sometimes called gumbo, is a summer and fall crop. Okra flowers bloom for just one day and pods are ready for picking two or three days later. Harvest Okra Harvest okra when the pods are […] More
Harvest bulb onions when they reach full size, about 90 to 100 days after sowing. Harvest the leafy tops of green onions any time after the plant has grown 6 inches tall or taller. Bulb onions—also called main crop onions–are commonly sliced or chopped and served raw in salads or on hamburgers or sandwiches or […] More
Harvest tomatoes when the skin is slightly firm, shiny, and uniformly colored for best flavor. As a tomato ripens it will turn from a vibrant medium-green to a lighter shade, with faint pink or yellow stripes or flushing. Later the skin will mature to a uniform red or pink or yellow or white or green—depending […] More
Harvest melons when small cracks appear in the stem where it joins the fruit. Once the cracks circle the stem and the stem looks shriveled, the melon will break off with a slight twist. If more than light effort is needed to remove from the vine, it is not ripe. When to Harvest Melons Harvest […] More
Harvest summer squash young and tender. Harvest summer squash when the skin is glossy and soft enough to be easily pierced with your thumbnail. When to Harvest Summer Squash Summer squash is edible as soon as the skin is glossy and can be pierced with a thumbnail. Harvest zucchini, crookneck, and yellow squash when they […] More
Harvest snap beans (also known as green or string beans) before the seeds swell in the pods when they are no more than the diameter of a pencil. Smaller beans can be served as tender, baby snap beans. When to Harvest Snap Beans Start your snap bean harvest about 2 to 3 weeks after the […] More
Harvest eggplant young as soon as the skin becomes glossy. The flesh of young eggplant will be more tender and the seeds smaller. The plant will produce more fruit if kept picked. When to Harvest Eggplant Harvest eggplants when they are firm and glossy and big enough to eat—about one-third their maximum size. To test […] More
Steve Albert