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
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
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
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
Harvest leeks when they are big enough to use. Most leeks mature 100 to 120 days after sowing seed, but a few varieties mature in as few as 60 days. Some varieties mature at ½ to ¾ inches in diameter; others can grow to 1 inch (2.5 cm) or more in diameter. When to Harvest
Spinach, baby chard, and crisp lettuce are easy-to-grow spring salad greens. When to plant and soil temperature are the keys to spring vegetable gardening. Greens—arugula, beet greens, collards, kales, and lettuce–are foundation crops for early spring because they germinate in chilly temperatures. Greens will take longer to grow in early spring than in late spring
San Marzano Tomato Paste tomatoes have a meaty texture and concentrated flavor. They are also known as “sauce,” “pear,” “plum,” “saladette,” “Roma,” and “Italian.” Use paste tomatoes for cooking sauces, juicing, drying, or eating fresh sliced in salads or on the side. Paste tomatoes come in a variety sizes—from an inch or two long to
Growing Organic Potatoes: Start potatoes from “seed” potatoes—which are not actually seeds, but small potatoes or pieces of potatoes. Potatoes are easy to grow organically. Plant potatoes in spring raised beds or mounded beds after the soil warms and dries out. Plant potatoes where they will grow in full sun. To prepare potato planting beds
Blueberries are easy to grow in a home garden and yield abundant sweet, delicious, and colorful berries. Plant blueberries in compost-rich soil that is well-draining. Blueberries like acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 4.8. Lots of organic compost should make the soil just right, but you can add pelletized sulfur to the soil
1. Peppers prefer deep, aged-compost–rich soil. If your soil is heavy with clay, grow peppers in a raised bed, adding loam and sand. 2. Growing peppers in your native soil: add at least 2 inches of aged compost across the planting bed and sprinkle with 5-10-10 organic fertilizer, then turn the soil to at least
