Harvesting Vegetables - How Do You Know When to Pick?
The reason people grow their own vegetables is to get access to fresh and juicy produce.
However, many times people are unsure when they should pick the vegetables.
As a result some vegetables are picked too early, while others are picked too late.
While there is no specific guideline that will teach you when to harvest your crop of vegetables, there are some rules that can make the picking process easier.
Usually vegetables are picked just before they reach full maturity.
Here are some picking standards for vegetables that will allow you to judge whether they are ready for harvesting or not.
•Asparagus: You should start picking asparagus when the spears are around six to eight inches in height and the spears have attained a thickness of your small finger.
Make sure when harvesting asparagus, you snap off the spears at ground level.
This will facilitate growth of new spears.
After you have picked the first crop, wait for 4 to 6 weeks and then stop picking.
This will let the plant to produce foliage and manufacture food.
•Snap beans: These should be picked when you begin to see the seeds bulging in the pods.
The beans should easily snap into two when you apply pressure.
Make sure you check the beans everyday as they can mature very fast become tough.
•Beets: When you notice the shoulders of the beets sticking out of the soil.
•Broccoli: The buds of broccoli should be harvest when they reach the size of a matchstick head.
Do not wait too long, or the buds will begin to bloom.
•Brussels sprouts: The moment the sprouts attain a diameter of one inch, you can start harvesting them.
•Cabbage: If you squeeze the head of the cabbage gently and it appears to be firm and solid, then you can start harvesting it.
If you wait too long, the head will split open.
•Carrots: Usually it is difficult to figure out when to harvest carrots.
However, when the top of the carrots are visible above the soil, check out the diameter.
If you think the diameter is right, begin harvesting them.
•Cauliflower: When the head of the cauliflower looks full and smooth, it is time to harvest it.
•Corn: Around three weeks after the silk forms, it begins to dry and turn brown.
Check the kernels at that time.
If they produce a milky secretion on being pierced, the corn ears are ready for harvesting.
Similarly, check out what the right time to harvest for all the different times of vegetables you are growing in your garden.
You can also check out your local garden center to get an approximate time when you should begin to harvest.
As you grow more vegetables, you will get more experience and after some time, you will know naturally when to pick your vegetables from your vegetable garden.
However, many times people are unsure when they should pick the vegetables.
As a result some vegetables are picked too early, while others are picked too late.
While there is no specific guideline that will teach you when to harvest your crop of vegetables, there are some rules that can make the picking process easier.
Usually vegetables are picked just before they reach full maturity.
Here are some picking standards for vegetables that will allow you to judge whether they are ready for harvesting or not.
•Asparagus: You should start picking asparagus when the spears are around six to eight inches in height and the spears have attained a thickness of your small finger.
Make sure when harvesting asparagus, you snap off the spears at ground level.
This will facilitate growth of new spears.
After you have picked the first crop, wait for 4 to 6 weeks and then stop picking.
This will let the plant to produce foliage and manufacture food.
•Snap beans: These should be picked when you begin to see the seeds bulging in the pods.
The beans should easily snap into two when you apply pressure.
Make sure you check the beans everyday as they can mature very fast become tough.
•Beets: When you notice the shoulders of the beets sticking out of the soil.
•Broccoli: The buds of broccoli should be harvest when they reach the size of a matchstick head.
Do not wait too long, or the buds will begin to bloom.
•Brussels sprouts: The moment the sprouts attain a diameter of one inch, you can start harvesting them.
•Cabbage: If you squeeze the head of the cabbage gently and it appears to be firm and solid, then you can start harvesting it.
If you wait too long, the head will split open.
•Carrots: Usually it is difficult to figure out when to harvest carrots.
However, when the top of the carrots are visible above the soil, check out the diameter.
If you think the diameter is right, begin harvesting them.
•Cauliflower: When the head of the cauliflower looks full and smooth, it is time to harvest it.
•Corn: Around three weeks after the silk forms, it begins to dry and turn brown.
Check the kernels at that time.
If they produce a milky secretion on being pierced, the corn ears are ready for harvesting.
Similarly, check out what the right time to harvest for all the different times of vegetables you are growing in your garden.
You can also check out your local garden center to get an approximate time when you should begin to harvest.
As you grow more vegetables, you will get more experience and after some time, you will know naturally when to pick your vegetables from your vegetable garden.
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