Are they Ready to Harvest?

Harvesting advise from the NC Extension Office

Best pick the vegetables at their highest point of freshness and flavor.  Over ripe vegetables will be editable but they will be stringy and coarse. 

You know they are ready to harvest when:

• Asparagus -- Harvest the spears when they are at least 6 to 8 inches tall by snapping or cutting them at ground level. A few spears may be harvested the second year after crowns are set out. A full harvest season will last 4 to 6 weeks during the third growing season.
   
• Beans, Snap -- Start harvesting before seeds develop in the pod. Beans are ready to pick if they snap easily when bent in half.
   
• Beans, Lima -- Harvest when the pods first start to bulge with the enlarged seeds. Pods must still be green, not yellowish.
   
• Broccoli -- Harvest the dark green, compact cluster or head while the buds are shut tight, before any yellow flowers appear. Small side shoots will develop later, providing a continuous harvest.
   
• Brussels Sprouts -- Harvest the lower sprouts (small heads) when they are about 1 to 1 ¹/2 inches in diameter by twisting them off. Lower leaves along the stem may be removed to hasten maturity.
   
• Cabbage -- Harvest when the heads feel hard and solid.
   
• Carrots -- Harvest when the roots are ³/4 to 1 inch in diameter. The largest roots generally have the darkest tops.
   
• Cauliflower -- Exclude sunlight (blanch) when the curds are 1 to 2 inches in diameter by loosely tying together the outer leaves above the curd with a string or rubber band. Harvest the curds (heads) when they are 4 to 6 inches in diameter but still compact, white, and smooth. The head should be ready 10 to 15 days after tying.
   
• Corn, Sweet -- Silks begin to turn brown and dry out as the ears mature. Check a few ears for maturity by opening the top of the ear and pressing a few kernels with a thumbnail. If the liquid exuded is milky rather than clear, the ear is ready for harvest. Cooking a few ears is a good way to test for maturity.
   
• Cucumbers -- Harvest when the fruits are deep green, before yellow color appears. The length should be 2 to 3 inces for sweet pickles, 5 to 6 for dills, and 6 to 8 for slicing. Pick 4 to 5 times per week to encourage continuous production. Mature cucumbers left on the vine will stop production of the entire plant.
   
• Kohlrabi -- Harvest when the thickened stems or bulb (the edible part) is 2 to 3 inches in diameter by cutting off the plant just below the bulb. Stems become woody if left too long before harvest.
   
• Lettuce -- Harvest the older, outer leaves from leaf lettuce as soon as they are 4 to 6 inches long. Harvest heading types when the heads are moderately firm and before seed stalks form.
   
• Muskmelons (Cantaloupes) -- Harvest when the stem slips easily from the fruit with a gentle tug. Another indicator of ripeness is when the netting on skin becomes rounded and the flsh between the netting turns from a green to a tan color.
   
• Mustard -- Harvest the leaves and leaf stems when they are 6 to 8 inches long; new leaves will provide a continuous harvest until they become strong in flavor and tough in texture from temperature extremes.
   
• Okra -- Harvest young, tender pods when they are 2 to 3 inches long. Pick at least every other day during the peak growing season. Over-mature pods become woody and are too tough to eat.
   
• Onions -- Harvest when the tops fall over and begin to turn yellow. Dig the onions and allow them to dry out in the open sun for a few days to toughen the skin. Then remove the dried soil by brushing and onions lightly. Cut the stem, leaving 2 to 3 inches attached, and store in net-type bag in a cool, dry place.
   
• Peas -- Harvest regular peas when the pods are well rounded; harvest when pods are well rounded but before seeds are more than one-half of their full size if the pods are to be eaten; harvest when seeds are fully developed but still fresh and bright green if pods are to be discarded. Pods are getting too old when they lose their brightness and turn light or yellowish green.
   
• Peppers -- Harvest sweet peppers with a sharp knife when the fruits are firm, crisp, and full size. Green peppers will turn red if left on the plant. Allow hot peppers to attain their bright red color and full flavor while attached to the vine; then cut them and hang them to dry.
   
• Potatoes (Irish) -- Harvest the tubers when the plants begin to dry and die down. Store the tubers in a cool, high-humidity location with good ventilation, such as the basement or crawl space to the house. Avoid exposing the tubers to light. Greening, which denotes the presence of dangerous alkaloids, will occur even with small amounts of light.
   
• Radishes -- Harvest when the roots are ¹/2 to 1 ¹/2 inches in diameter. The shoulders of radish roots often appear through the soil surface when they are mature. If left in the ground too long, they will become tough and woody.
   
• Spinach -- Harvest by cutting all the leaves off at the base of the plant when they are 4 to 6 inches long. New leaves will grow, providing additional harvests.
   
• Squash, Summer -- Harvest when the fruit is soft, tender, and 6 to 8 inches long (3 to 4 inches across for patty pans). The skin color often changes to a dark, glossy green or yellow, depending on variety. Pick every two or three days to encourage production.
   
• Sweet potatoes -- Harvest the roots when they are large enough for use before frost. Avoid bruising or scratching during handling. (Damaged sweet potatoes rot easily in storage.) Ideal storage conditions are a temperature of 55^o F and a relative humidity of 85%. The basement or crawl space of a house may suffice.
   
• Tomatoes -- Harvest the fruits at the most appealing ripe stage -- up to dead red ripe. (There are some yellow varieties of tomatoes.)
   
• Turnips -- Harvest the roots when they are 2 to 3 inches in diameter but before heavy frosts occur in the fall. The tops may be used as greens when the leaves are 3 to 5 inches long.
   
• Watermelons -- Ripe watermelons produce a dull thud rather than a sharp, metallic sound when thumped. Other ripeness indicators are a deep yellow rather than white color when the melon touches the ground, brown tendrils on the stem near the fruit, and a rough, slightly rigid feel to the skin surface.