Harvest Often for a Better Harvest

One of the biggest mistakes I see in summer gardens is waiting too long to harvest. It seems backwards, but the more often you pick many vegetables, herbs, and flowers, the more they produce.

Think of harvesting as encouraging your plants to keep doing what you planted them to do.

Pick Beans Regularly

Green beans are happiest when they're picked every couple of days. If you leave mature beans on the plant too long, it starts thinking its job is finished and slows down production. Regular harvesting encourages new blossoms and more beans.

Harvest Cucumbers While They're Young

We've all found that cucumber hiding under a leaf that's twice the size it should be. While it's still edible, younger cucumbers usually have better flavor, a crisper texture, and fewer seeds. Picking them early also signals the plant to keep producing throughout the season.

Don't Let Zucchini Become Baseball Bats

We've all laughed at giant zucchini, but they aren't doing your plant any favors. Once zucchini become oversized, the plant begins putting its energy into maturing those fruits instead of producing new ones. Harvest them when they're about 6 to 8 inches long for the best texture, flavor, and continued production.

Pinch Basil Before It Flowers

If your basil starts producing flowers, its energy shifts from making flavorful leaves to making seed. Pinch off the flower buds as soon as they appear and continue harvesting leaves often. You'll end up with a fuller plant and plenty of basil for fresh recipes all summer long.

Cut Flowers Often

Many annual flowers, especially those grown for bouquets, respond just like vegetables. The more you cut, the more they bloom. Zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, and many other cutting flowers actually become more productive when you're regularly bringing bouquets inside to enjoy.

One of the greatest rewards of gardening is bringing your harvest indoors, whether it's a basket of fresh vegetables for dinner, a handful of herbs for tonight's meal, or a bouquet of flowers for the kitchen table. The more you harvest, the more your garden gives back.

Whether you're growing vegetables, herbs, flowers, or all three, we're here to help you get the most from your garden. Stop by The Landscape Connection for fresh plants, gardening supplies, fertilizer, and friendly advice from gardeners who love growing right alongside you.



The Landscape Connection
4472 S. Mulford Rd.
Rockford, IL 61109
(815) 874-8733
www.TheLandscapeConnection.net