Many people are nervous about when and how to harvest their bounty.
Here are a few tips on harvesting on some common veggies that we all may have planted this year.
Bush Beans:
Harvest before pods are fully mature. Pod should be full sized with small seeds, and firm, crisp flesh when picked. Usually ready 7-14 days after flowering. Keep harvesting to enjoy a continuous harvest.
Beets:
harvest can start as soon as the root begins to form. The larger the root the more fibrous they get, so don't let them get to big. Use a digging fork or trowel to loosen the soil an pull up need plants by the tops. Young leaves can also be enjoyed in the kitchen as well.
Tomatoes
Fruits require 25-35 days to maturity from flowering depending on your variety and the outside air temp. Pick fruit when full in color and still firm. At the end of the season you can pick all the green fruit, store in paper bags or wrap in newspaper, put in your basement or a dark cool place and harvest at will.
Peppers:
fruits require 34-45 days to maturity from flowering to full color. You can choose when you pick them on the flavor you want, I like to wait for the full color to mature. If you have fruit on the vine after the first frost you can do the same thing with them as your tomatoes.
Potatoes
Can be harvested as soon as they start forming new potatoes.
Summer Squash:
takes 35-45 days from flowering. Harvest when not fully mature, if left on the vine to long the skin begins to toughen and decreases quality.
*Source: Utah State University Cooperative Extension Fruit & Vegetable Fact Sheets*
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