Lima beans pods should be well-filled, with spongy tips. Green or snap bean pods will be smooth, evenly green, firm, and snap readily, with flexible tips. Yellow beans will be smooth and firm. Cut broccoli and cauliflower while heads are compact, before any color change or flowering. Removing lower leaves encourages growth.
Large cabbages can crack and split.
If the liquid has a toothpaste consistency, use kernels for creamed corn and chowders. Harvest leafy vegetables , such as lettuce and spinach , when their size warrants the effort. Tasty muskmelons ripen in warm, dry weather. Watermelons are ripe when the curled tendrils shrivel and dry or when the bottom turns from light green to yellow. Leave parsnips in the ground until tops freeze.