Timing is everything - a garden column by Green Thumb

Gardening is much like most of life. Lawyers and realtors write, “time is of the essence” in contracts, meaning that the participants in the contract need to hurry up because “Time is money.” Many say, “no time like the present” and I would agree with that, unless the weather is so unbearably hot that outdoor and garden chores need to wait until early morning and late at night. Which hot weather makes it somewhat impossible to do things “in a timely manner.”

But one garden chore (is it really work?) must be done “on time.” Harvesting! What we planned for, dreamed about, and in some cases, even drooled over....it’s time!

I have had an absolute bumper crop of “Super Sugar” snap peas. And much of what I know about harvesting at just the right moment can be seen with these peas as an example. These peas are eaten pod and all, and are really sweet and juicy, provided they are picked at just the right time. When they first start to grow and are obviously way too small, only an inch or so, there’s not much temptation to pick. But as they grow in length to two or three inches, they appear ready. However, if they are still really thin, they are not too sweet. If left to “plump out,” they are much sweeter, and of course, somewhat larger in size and volume. However, if left too long, they become very starchy, when the peas are fully developed. The volume and size are larger, but the quality and taste have lessened.

A recent gourmet food trend has been toward “baby” vegetables. And this is good, I think. It makes us aware that there are more ways to harvest and cook food than the way grandma did it. But not all veggies are at their prime when tiny. Imagine picking a large beefsteak type tomato when tiny.

Most crops work like my favorite peas. There is a perfect time to pick each crop, and it is not the same for each crop or variety of crop. My goal when gardening is to have really good tasting produce, and a lot of it, so I harvest for both volume and taste. An important principle is that many plants have an “off” switch. If peas, for example, are let to go to fully ripe (hard and starchy) the plant will sense that its job is done, and quit producing. This is true for summer squash, beans, cucumbers, and melons.

Here are a few crops and when to pick:

Asparagus: Only spears that are greater than 3/8 inch in diameter, before the tips become loose and open.

Beans: Don’t look for length here. If the beans taste sweet raw, and not starchy, that’s when I pick. Each variety is different, so check each kind by taste in the garden. A general rule is that if the bean seeds make big bumps, that bean is over ripe. But pick it, unless you want seeds for next year, because the plant (especially pole beans) will shut down if you don’t. You can always shell out the seeds, which are always good.

Broccoli: If the broccoli florets have begun to separate, pick immediately – it’s just a little past its prime. If the florets are blooming with yellow flowers, it is definitely too late, but pick it now, and cook it anyway – homegrown broccoli is usually good anyway. And don’t forget to peel and cook the stems, and small leaves, because they’re great too.