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.

146 questions
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What's the best way to cut leaf lettuces?

The last few years I've had success growing romaine and other leaf lettuces. I usually try to harvest only as much as we need for a day (or couple days). That often means just a few leaves at a time Is it best to cut the leaves as close to the…
Voodoo
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Do potatoes produce seeds that you can store and/or replant?

Do potatoes produce seeds (specifically La Ratte potato) and how do you harvest them? Although I don't fully understand, I am aware that "seed potatoes" are a thing and can be used to grow a new potato plant. I'm looking for a long term storage…
at0micV3n0m
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How do I encourage my Florence fennel to produce fat bulbs?

I have some Florence fennel in my garden that tends to grow very fast in height and to make flowers, but the base stays relatively thin. What should I do to encourage the growth of a "fat" bulb in order to have a better harvest? Does it help to cut…
bangnab
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Why are my tomatoes tasteless?

I have a taste problem this year with my greenhouse tomatoes. I've grown a mix of varieties (moneymaker plus a couple of others) indoors and they've all come out nothing like as tasty as in previous years. Now my cherry tomatoes grown outdoors taste…
Tea Drinker
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Are the seed pods of giant sunflowers normally empty?

So, I'm attempting to harvest sunflower seeds from some giant sunflowers I planted an age ago. Unfortunately, there's nothing inside the seed pods! I believe the sunflower was a 'giant', it may have been a mammoth though (actually it may have…
Peter Turner
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How can I tell if my apples are ready to harvest?

I have a young apple tree (Spartan) with a small number of nice sized apples. How can I tell if they are ready to harvest?
Twisted
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Can I harvest celery a stalk at a time?

I've got a chicken in the pot and some (young) celery plants in the garden. Will it damage the plant if I go out and cut a couple of the (small) outer stalks to add a little extra flavor?
bstpierre
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Should I earth up my radishes to prevent them from being eaten or should I pull them out?

My back yard lacks a bit of sunshine so things don't grow as fast, but they do grow. I've recently planted radishes for the first time and they have already started pushing out of the ground, however they are not very large, maybe half the diameter…
going
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Why did my basil leaves turn black?

I picked a bunch of basil last week so we could put up some pesto. I brought the leaves inside, washed them, and set them on the counter in the kitchen while gathering other ingredients for pesto (grating cheese, etc). Many of the leaves started to…
bstpierre
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How to prolong Cauliflower growing season, harvest?

I love fresh cauliflower, but it's so terribly temperature / light sensitive that I might as well just pick it all and freeze it if I actually want to eat it. Is there anything I can do to ensure Cauliflower stays good in the garden for at least two…
Peter Turner
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When to harvest chilis? What happens if I don't? How can I store them?

My last chili experiment was some 5 years ago, when the dried results started to use up. So I went to buy 2 chili plants (habanero & jalapeno, both F1 hybrids) this European spring - and the results are overwhelming: I have some 15-20 Jalapeno…
domsom
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Is it safe to harvest these cabbage leaves?

My organic garden was ravaged by pests this year, but my cabbages took a special hit. In the meantime, I was wondering if I can harvest the tender leaves anyway and try again to protect them next year. I don't see any insects on them, but I wonder…
ychirea1
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How should I harvest Basil leaves as to be least harmful to the plant?

I have a small basil plant similar to this one: Mine's actually a bit smaller, but well. I cut leafs off it for cooking but I try to keep the plant healthy by not using up more than can grow back. I'm under the impression (I'm no expert at all!)…
bitmask
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Mushroom growing, when to harvest champignons?

I am having a small experimental box with brown champignons in my basement. It already had two great waves of mushrooms, but it seems I waited too long because they all were opened up already. When I watched the day before, I harvested a few big…
Michel Feldheim
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How do I encourage lemongrass to produce a strong stalk for culinary use?

I am growing some lemongrass (in a pot) and it's doing very well so far: over the past month, it went from a stump, to about 20-30cm high, with long thin leaves. My question is: what the best way to encourage its growth in such a way that it…
Dave
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