A Guide to Harvesting Correctly

After all the hard work and effort of gardening, the most rewarding moment comes at the time of harvesting. While harvesting is generally easy, it is also an important step that without proper care can cause you some losses.

For example, harvesting too late can make some fruits and vegetables unpalatable, while harvesting too early might mean they never fully ripen or grow to their proper size. Improper harvesting can make the job more difficult or even cause damage to the plants. While harvesting some things can be a no-brainer, every type of crop is different and requires a specific technique. Below we’ll cover some general tips and then some crop-specific recommendations for harvesting.

General Tips for Harvesting

+ Fruits are generally ready when they are easily removed. If you gently tug on fruit and it comes off, then you know that it has reached maturity and sufficient ripeness.

+ Root crops can be tricky for beginners. Since you cannot see below ground, it takes knowledge of what the vegetative state should look like for harvest. It may be helpful to record your date of planting and reference a guide or seed packet to know their usual growth time. You can always pull some test plants out early to see their stage of growth.

+ Make time for processing food. It’s not unusual to have more than you can eat at once. Taking the time to preserve your harvest into jams, jellies, pickles, or frozen goods can make sure it does not go wasted.

+ Don’t forget. Too often people leave their crops without harvesting, causing them to go to waste. Remember it's always better a little too early than too late, otherwise, it may be consumed by birds, bugs, or other creatures.

Plant	Harvest Time	Harvest Tips
Tomato and Peppers	60 to 90 days	Harvest after planting when colours are well developed (usually red but may vary depending on variety) and fruit is easily removed from the plant with little force. If you're having issues with slugs and other bugs on Tomatoes, you can harvest them green and ripen them inside. In this case, cut them with clippers to avoid damaging plants.
Basil	90 days	Harvest before flowering to extend the plant’s life. Use clippers and harvest regularly to prevent flowering.
Onion	50–80 days	Harvest earlier for smaller, sweeter onions or later for larger, stronger onions. Gently dig around the base to estimate size. Pull out by hand or use a small shovel.
Radish	30–45 days	One of the fastest crops to grow. Check the base of the plant to gauge size. Harvest early to avoid them becoming woody or splitting.
Garlic	100–150 days	Harvest once foliage has mostly died back and turned brown.
Arugula	40–60 days	Harvest larger leaves by snapping them off gently or with clippers. Harvest regularly to delay flowering and preserve flavour.
Broccoli	120–140 days	Cut the head from the main stem with a knife. Homegrown broccoli may have smaller heads but larger, tender stems, which are also edible.
Swiss Chard	60 days	Harvest large outer leaves with a knife or clippers, leaving the smaller interior leaves intact.
Kale	60 days	Harvest when the plant has enough foliage. Remove damaged or diseased leaves. Harvest from the bottom, leaving younger top leaves to grow. Pull leaves down until they snap cleanly.