The Vegetable Harvesting Guide: When & How to Harvest in the North

You put a lot of work into your vegetable garden and it’s only natural to want to reap the rewards - after all, you deserve it. To get the best tasting vegetables and encourage plants to keep producing, keep track of days to maturity and consult the following guide to know when and how to harvest vegetables in the north.

Chart of When & How to Harvest Vegetables

Asparagus	When: Spears reach 6 - 10" tall
	How: Use a sharp knife & cut spears at ground level
Beans, Lima	When: Pods have filled out & before they yellow *
	How: Twist & snap pods from plant
Beans, Snap	When: Pods have small seeds, about 1/4 the size of plant seed
	How: Twist & snap pods from plant
Beets	When: Bulbs reach 2 - 3" in diameter **
	How: Pull from base of plant
Broccoli	When: Terminal heads have tight, dark green florets
	How: Cleanly slice heads 4- 5" below florets
Brussels Sprouts	When: Harvest when sprouts are small & firm
	How: Twist sprouts off starting at bottom of plant & working up
Cabbage	When: Heads are firm and before they split
	How: Cleanly slice heads from plant
Cantaloupe	When: Fruit is beige, blossom end is soft & stem easily slips off vine
	How: Twist & pull from vine
Carrots	When: Roots reach 1 - 2" in diameter ***
	How: Twist & pull at base of plant
Cauliflower	When: Heads reach 1-2" in diameter, tie outer leaves over head. Harvest 1 -2 weeks later before heads yellow
	How: Cleanly slice heads from plant
Chard, Swiss	When: Early summer to first moderate frost
	How: Break off outer leaves of plant
Corn, Sweet	When: Tips fill out husk, silks are dry & kernels full. Peel back top of husk & press fingernail into a kernel, if it gives a milk-like sap, it’s ready for harvest
	How: Twist & pull ears from stalks
Cucumbers	When: Diameter reaches 1 ½ - 2 ½", spines soften & before cucumbers turn yellow
	How: Twist and pull from vine
Eggplant	When: Almost full-grown & bright & shiny in color
	How: Twist & pull from plant
Kale	When: Leaves & stems reach size of hand
	How: Snip handful at a time leaving terminal bud on plant
Kohlrabi	When: Stems reach 2 - 3" in diameter
	How: Pull plants from ground, cut tops
Lettuce, Heads	When: Head is firm & before bolting
	How: Pull entire plant from ground & slice off head
Lettuce, Leaf	When: Leaves reach desired size
	How: Snip outer leaves, working inward as leaves mature
Okra	When: Pods reach 2 - 3" long
	How: Snap pods from plant
Onions, Bulb	When: Tops have browned and fallen over
	How: Pull on dry, windy day, let rest in garden for 1day, cure in dry, well-ventilated area for 2 weeks
Onions, Green	When: 5” tall or when desired size is reached
	How: Pull or snip greens to allow for mature harvest later
Parsnips	When: Late fall after a few moderate freezes
	How: Twist & pull at base of plant
Peas, Shelling	When: Peas begin to fill pods, pods begin to swell
	How: Twist and pull from plant
Peas, Snow	When: Pods reach desired length & before they fill out
	How: Twist & snap from plant
Pepper, Sweet	When: Fruits are thick, firm, full-sized & desired color
	How: Cleanly slice stem from plant
Potatoes, New	When: 2 weeks after blooming
	How: Dig up
Potatoes, Main	When: Tops have died down & ground is dry
	How: Dig up, cure in dry, well-ventilated area for 10-14 days
Pumpkins	When: Thumbnail cannot penetrate skin, stem browns & dries
	How: Cut from vine leaving 1-2" of stem attached to pumpkin
Radish	When: Bulb reaches ½-1" in diameter ****
	How: Pull from base of plant
Rhubarb	When: Stalks are ½-1" in diameter, & 10-12" tall (leaves are poisonous)
	How: Twist & pull stalks at bases
Spinach	When: Leaves reach desired size
	How: Snip or pinch leaves working from outside of plant inwards
Squash, Summer	When: Young & tender, skin is penetrable by thumbnail
	How: Twist & pull from vine leaving ½" stem attached to squash
Squash, Winter	When: Thumbnail cannot penetrate skin, stem browns & dries
	How: Cut from vine leaving 1-2" of stem attached to squash, cure for 10 days in well-ventilated, dry area
Sweet Potato	When: In fall, before first major frost
	How: Dig up, cure 1 week in well-ventilated, dry area
Tomato	When: Firm & uniformly red
	How: Twist & pull from plant
Turnip	When: Bulbs are 1" + in diameter & before first major frost
	How: Twist & pull at base
Watermelon	When: Sounds dull & hollow when thumped, bottom yellows & tendrils brown & die
	How: Snip stem from vine

* Beans, Lima: For tender lima beans, harvest right before beans mature. For meatier beans, harvest when fully mature.

** Beets: Harvest beet greens when beets are about 1" in diameter. Spring planted beets should be harvested by July while fall planted beets should be harvested before the ground freezes.

*** Carrots: Harvest carrots planted in spring by July and carrots planted in fall before the ground freezes.

**** Radishes: Harvest radishes planted in spring by July and radishes planted in fall before ground freezes.

Reference: De Long, Eric. "Guidelines for Harvesting Vegetables." Cornell.edu. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Chemung County, Oct. 2001. Web. Aug. 2012. <http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/vegetables/harvestguide.pdf >.

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