Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [harvesting]

Questions about when and how to harvest crops.

Gardeners grow a range of plants for eating. Different plants have different requirements - e.g. they might die when harvested, or harvesting might promote more fruit/veg growth. Use this tag for questions about when to harvest, how best to harvest, and how frequently.

You should use this tag in conjunction with the relevant tag(s) for the crops that you are inquiring about.

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What's the most effective way to harvest rhubarb?

I've got a big, lovely rhubarb plant in my yard which I'd hoped to be able to harvest a few different times over the course of a summer. How should I harvest my rhubarb to encourage it to regrow quickly? Should I cut it off near the base, pull it up…
JSBձոգչ
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My second year garlic has flowers. Is it safe to eat?

Apparently I didn't find all my garlic bulbs last fall and they grew to 4 feet tall this spring. They have a large, white flower head. I want to try cooking with it, but don't want to risk my family's health.Does anyone know if the different parts…
agent-j
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Which leaves should I harvest in a mint plant?

I am trying to grow mint. I did repot the plant cutting away excess roots. I placed the plant where it gets direct sunshine for about half a day and water the plant occasionally. It does pretty well with leaves showing up in a few weeks. The…
Doc
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How does one determine when to pick corn?

Last year I grew a little stand (4x4) of short-season corn. I hand-pollinated it and everything was growing great. But I waited a little too long, I guess, and when I picked it, my corn tasted horribly starchy. What is the best way to know when…
Scott Stafford
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How often should I harvest herbs?

I have a few herbs growing hydroponically (basil, chives, cilantro) that are about 4 weeks old. Right now they are about 4-5" tall and have a health glow and smell to them. The herbs are being held at a continuous temperature, light, and nutrient…
WienerDog
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What is the right way to pick peppers so the plant keeps producing?

Does it matter where on the stalk you cut or remove the fruit off the plant so that you don't suck away its future earning potential? Let's take the photo here, of a Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum), where the chilli is now ripe and ready to burn up…
Eight Days of Malaise
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When will my tomatoes be ready to harvest?

I am planning to serve homemade tomato soup for a large dinner party on Sept 24, 2011 (42 days from this posting). This dinner is really important to me; so important, that I decided to plant my own tomato garden (those gas treated supermarket…
Derek Hunziker
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Do peppers change color when left on the plant?

My mother and I purchased some pepper plants from Costco. The info card they came with (which identifies them as Capsicum annuum bell peppers†) depicts vibrant red bell peppers. However, they've started to sprout their fruit, and we're noticing…
Grace Note
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Does cauliflower produce secondary growth after the main harvest?

Will cauliflower do anything after you pick the main flower like broccoli or should I just pull the whole plant out when I'm harvesting?
Peter Turner
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How do I know when to harvest my potatoes?

I'm sure I've heard before that the time to harvest potatoes is when the flowers fall off. Is that right or is it more complicated than that? For example, does it differ based on climate or variety, etc.?
Highly Irregular
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What happens to a broccoli plant after it has been decapitated?

Does it generate a new head? Or is it then done for the year? What can I do to encourage larger heads?
Daniel Bingham
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Should I pick my peppers early or wait till they mature (ripen) on the plant?

I planted a small assortment of pepper plants a month ago, and I have a couple of small jalapeño and anaheim peppers hanging off of their respective plants. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and pick these early peppers before they mature, so that…
baka
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Should I remove fruits afflicted with blossom end rot?

A few of my peppers are, it seems, suffering blossom end rot - first identified a week or two ago - this is based on the descriptions on the condition elsewhere on the site, but here's a few pics to help confirm: From what I read on here, and in…
DMA57361
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How do I know when garlic is ready to be harvested?

I planted some garlic this spring and I am now wondering when I should harvest it. (I planted them between 60 and 90 days ago -- not quite sure when I put them in.) I pulled up one the other day and it didn't seem to have a head on it at all, just a…
wax eagle
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Can I harvest beetroot early as "micro beetroots"?

I bought a pack of beetroot seeds today, but there are a lot more than I thought (250). Seems like farm sort of quantities far more than my window sill can hold. Anyway, I had the idea to grow them all as micro beetroots. Can I pull them out at any…
Tom Gullen
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