Here you'll find helpful hints and tested techniques from the best gardeners in the business. To the experienced gardener, harvesting at the right time for peak ripeness and flavor may be second nature. But to the beginner, it is not obvious that a zucchini should be harvested when it is 8 inches long rather than 2 feet. Here are some guidelines for harvesting several of the most commonly grown vegetables and fruits. Bell peppers Wait until fully convoluted pepper shape forms.
Bell peppers can reach the size of a large apple.
Mature peppers will turn red if left on the plant for 2 or 3 more weeks. Red bell peppers are sweeter than the immature green ones and have a different flavor. Broccoli Harvest the green bud cluster while the buds are still tight, before there is any yellow flower color. Brussels sprouts Heads form under each leaf. Harvest from the bottom up as the heads reach full size and are still firm.