You've put in the work, and now you get to reap the rewards.

Harvesting is arguably the very best part of planting a vegetable garden, and when it comes, it's best to be prepared so you don't miss out on any of the bounty. Below are just a few general harvesting tips, and a list of specific tips for various types of vegetables. If in doubt, follow the guidance of your seed packet, and check in daily once you think it's approaching the time to harvest.

GENERAL HARVESTING TIPS:

• Harvesting, like gardening, really isn't difficult, but after all the time and effort your team has put into having a successful garden, you want to make sure you are harvesting at the correct time for peak flavor and good storage. Through simple observation you'll be able to see your plants developing and ripening. Trust your better judgment, but use the directions on the seed packets to know how long the growing season is for each plant and when you should be looking to harvest your crops. Take into consideration variables that could cause deviations from the expected growing time, like unseasonably cold weather or heavier than normal rainfall.
• Picking fruits or vegetables as soon as they're ripe will often encourage the plants to produce more, so once you reach harvesting season you'll want to be checking/picking your plants on almost a daily basis.

HARVESTING TIPS BY VEGETABLE:

• Herbs: The more you pinch or cut herbs back, the more the plant will produce. If that means you have surplus supply, simply dry the extras by hanging them upside down or in a brown paper bag, and then store them for later use. Basil, especially, needs frequent pinching back to keep it bushy and productive.
• Tomatoes: Generally, a tomato is fully ripe when it releases easily from the stem. If you misjudge a bit it's no tragedy, because tomatoes will ripen somewhat after picking. But they develop the fullest sweet flavor if they ripen in the sun on the vine.
• Peppers: Peppers are mature and ready to eat when full-sized but still green (this goes for all colours of peppers). By leaving them on the vine just a little longer, your peppers will change colour to red, orange, yellow or brown, depending on the variety, and will deepen in flavor and become less crisp in texture.
• Lettuce: It's important to pick lettuce before hot weather encourages the plant to "bolt," or develop a flower stalk, which makes the leaves taste bitter. With leaf lettuce and many other greens, the plant will regrow and you'll be able to get more than one head of lettuce out of one plant. It's possible to come back to some plants plant two, three or four times, a few days apart, before it gives up in the summer heat.
• Green beans: Pick the pods when they are a little shy of their maximum size, to be sure that they are tender, with immature seeds. If you delay, the seeds will mature and harden and the pod will become tough. Don't pick green beans in the morning when the dew is still on the vines; wait until they are fully dry to avoid spreading disease. And keep up with the picking to encourage the vine to keep flowering and producing pods.
• Peas: Pick a test pod and open it when the seeds have begun to swell inside. You're looking for peas that are round but still tender. Pick peas just before you are ready to shell and cook them. Don't leave pods on the vine for too long, or they will get tough and stringy.
• Cucumbers: Check the seed packet to see how large your variety of cucumber will get and how long that is expected to take. Keep in mind that you can pick cucumbers at any stage, and smaller ones will be more tender, with thinner skins and few or immature seeds.
• Root vegetables: Read the seed packet to see how long it should take before you start checking to see if your variety of carrots, beets, turnips, radishes or parsnips is ready. When it's about time, loosen the soil gently and pull one up to see how big it is. Root vegetables are more tender and delicate in flavour if eaten younger and smaller; as they get older and larger, they get tough and woody.