Green Thumb: A Garden Column

A Stitch in Time...

“All in good time! So, continuing on with the timely discussion of when to harvest...

Beets: Baby beets are truly delicious, so I thin a little (and I even transplant some, even if the books say not to,) saving a lot that others might thin because I like to have baby beets. But for my freezing and canning beets, I like to harvest about two and a half inches across, or maybe three.

Carrots: Giant carrots look cool, but don’t have the best flavor. I follow the same principle with carrots as beets. I thin more than once, and eat the thinnings. And yes, I sometimes transplant the babies, and have done well with this, too.

Cabbage: I’m going to try something different with my cabbage this year. I’m going to try harvesting a few heads earlier than normal, just larger than a softball or so – the flavor is said to be wonderful when picked early. Cabbage will store better if pulled rather than cut, and handle gently, as it bruises.

Cauliflower: Don’t let the head start to pull apart and separate – that’s a little late. Watch your plants daily when it’s almost ready. Don’t go by size – heads may be large or small.

Celery: I pick stalks whenever I want them, but always leave lots to grow, too.

Corn: Oh my! There are a hundred folks with different opinions, but I look for brown silk and feel for developed kernels.

Cucumbers: This is a bumper cuke year for me, and each of the nine different varieties I am growing looks different when ready to pick. Cukes are usually great when too small, nicely sweet and with very soft small seeds. However, yield is important, too, so I usually compromise with a medium sized pick. It is very important to pick daily or every other day, because the plants will shut down if cucumbers are allowed to completely ripen to big and yellow with hard seeds.

Garlic: I harvest little tiny plants, called “scapes” and enjoy them as scallions. The whole plant can be harvested now for immediate use (with very sweet garlic). But for storage, wait until at least a few of the leaves yellow.

Greens for salads: Young salad greens are at their best when only a few inches high, and may be harvested with a pair of scissors. Be sure and harvest lettuce before it “bolts” and the main stock shoots up to form a seed head, as most varieties turn bitter then.

Kohlrabi: One of my favorite vegetables, wonderful sliced thin with dip, I try to pull my plants when the stems are about three inches around. You can let them go to four inches for storage.

Onions: Onions can be picked at any stage, from scallions on. For storage, wait until most of the plant tops have fallen down. Then knock the rest down, pull and dry the onions a week later.

To be continued... in a timely manner...