How to know when your summer garden is ready to harvest
If you planted a garden this year, you likely have noticed some hard work beginning to pay off in July as plants are producing fruits and vegetables.
But how do you know when it is the best time to begin harvesting your sow?
“A lot of times, depending on what it is, you are looking for the color,” said Kyle Ferrick of Frank's Farm Market in Fairview. “With a tomato, the firmness is a big factor. If you are going to pick peppers you want to look for a good dark color with firmness to it. If it has a delicate feeling to it, then it’s just not ready.”
The Old Farmer’s Almanac offers tips and advice on when and how to harvest your backyard garden.
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Old Farmer's Almanac's five helpful tips on when to harvest
Early bird gets the produce: The Almanac suggests that a good time to harvest is early in the morning right after the dew dries. At that time you will find the juiciest and most flavorful vegetables.
Check the garden daily: Once the crop stops producing, continue to check your garden as many items can grow rapidly, including zucchini and beans. The more you pick items, including beans and cucumbers, the more likely they will grow again. Just letting the plants like cucumbers grow longer could alter their reproductive period.
Bigger is not always better: This is a commonly made mistake by many. You are not looking to grow the state fair record beet or radish. Letting produce grow longer could again alter their quality. Radishes for example could turn into balls of indigestible fiber.
Easy on the picking: You never want to yank your crop. Plants grown on stems or branches can easily be broken which could lead to the plant getting disease. Always use two hands when harvesting while using one hand for the stem and the other for picking. If the crop is ripe but is having a tough time letting go then use scissors or a knife.
Not all fruits and vegetables are the same: Not every fruit and vegetables can be picked around the same time. Some take more time than others. While watermelons and squash must fully develop before being picked, apples and peaches can ripen on or off the vine.
Harvesting season ahead of schedule for some Erie-area farmers
Even with the heat that Erie is experiencing this summer, a lot of local farmers are ahead of schedule.
“Talking to some of the cherry growers and the peach guys, the warm, mild winter to warm spring kind of put things ahead of schedule a little bit,” Ferrick said. “It’s been hit and miss as far as the rain. I know just yesterday I was at my market (at 5880 Sterrettania Road) and it just let loose. However, three to four miles south of the farm they are waiting to get a drop of rain.”
Local farmers prefer warmer and drier weather for produce because water can always be added, but when it rains excessively water cannot be taken out.
Excessive rain for farmers can lead to problems including weeds, disease and more.
“All that being said, I think produce has been seven to 10 days ahead of schedule with the weather that we’ve had,” Ferrick said. “Some growers are 10 days ahead of schedule while others are in the thick of the season as far as fruit goes.”
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Contact Nicholas Sorensen at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Gardening: Tips on when to pick your harvest this summer
