When to pick, how do you tell ready/ripe the following vegetables?

Question

Pole Beans

Zuchinnis

Summer Squash

Cucumbers

Bell Peppers

Yalopeno Peppers

Tomatoes

Lima Beans

Chard

Broccoli

Radishes

Beats

Onions

Carrots

Red Potatoes

And if you forget where you planted Mr Potato .....how do your recognize it in the garden?

Answer 1

Pole Beans- when they reach max length and thickness and just when you notice they start to turn a light bluish green or light green  from a deep green color.

Zuchini - Depends on variety but you don't want them to go to a light green color. Pick while deep green and prescibed length on the seed packet. They get bitter fast if you let them stay on the vine too long and its better to pick early than late.

Summer squash- is one that you can pick early or later than early its not critical. Need to know seed variety and what it says days to maturity



Cucumbers is easy cause you will see white on the skin and that is not good soon as you see a tinge of white is when you pick em. You don't want yellow anywhere on them that means they are over ripe and they get bitter.

Peppers is when they get max size of what seed manufacturer recommends. You don't want yellow on them either.

tomatoes - when they turn organish to red

Swiss Chard- When the leaves start to curl along the edges and get distinct stalks. Usually this is when tthey get about 5-6 inches across. You actually can pick the outter leaves and the inner leaves will grow out bigger and you can eat chard longer if you do this.

Broccoli- When you see those crowns looking like the way they look in  the supermarket. You don't wantt them to get that light blue color or yellowish color.

Radishes is when their tops grow up out of the ground . Most will have a stub above the ground when you see this pull those out of the ground wait another week to pull the rest out as some will not show the stub above the ground level . This stub is usually about a half inch above the ground. If you wait too long to pull the rest they start to get woody fibers.

Carrots are very similar to radishes when the stub goes above the ground level

Onions believe it or not are very similar to radishes and carrots but you will notice their tops starting to yellow or even show flowers. They need to be dried out in a shelter area, Hang them from the rafters in a barn, or  a garage, or a shed. They need at least 30 days hung before being eaten