Asparagus- Harvest in the early spring. The second year, when pencil size, harvest by cutting 1" below ground level or by snapping. Harvests get heavier in following seasons.

Basil- Harvest leaves as you need them by gently removing. Pinch the main top stem to encourage you plant to bush put. Continue to pinch back and flowers as they develop to prolong the garden time of your herb.

Beans- Fresh Shell: Harvest beans when the pods are plump. Continue harvesting throughout the growing season. The more you pick, the more they will produce. Snap from plant.

Beans- Dry: Harvest when the most of the leaves have died. Pull the entire plant and allow to finish drying away from rain. Remove the seeds from the shell.

Beans- Green or Wax: Harvest when the beans are of mature size by snapping from plant.

Beets - A little unusual in that when you harvest depends on how you are going to use them. When the plants are about 1-2 inches high, you can thin and eat the thinnings raw in salads. Continue to thin and eat small beets during the summer and grow larger beets for canning or winter storage. Your final spacing should be around 4-5 inches apart.

Broccoli - Early: Cut just below main head before it begins to flower Late: Before severe frost. Broccoli will continue to produce edible side shoots after main head has been harvested. Before eating, soak in salt water to remove any unwanted guests. I harvested my early main bunches 1 month after last spring frost.

Brussel Sprouts: Harvest by size or before a killing frost. Remove the little guys by slicing from the main stem.

Cabbage: Harvest when heads are of desired size, but before they split. Cut the cabbage head at stem. One per plant. Before eating, soak in salt water.

Carrots - Once they achieve a good color, they can be harvested early for 'Baby Carrots' which also allows the remaining veggies to have more room to grow. Harvest by pulling carrots well into the winter under cover of mulch.

Cauliflower- Early Harvest before the heads 'flower' in the summer or Late: before a severe frost in the fall. Slice stem at ground level. One per plant. Before eating, soak in salt water. Harvested my early planting 1 month after last spring frost.

Celery - Harvest stalks by cutting as needed, entire plants before the frost.

Corn - Sweet: Generally, 2 1/2-3 weeks after the silks show. Harvest when the kernels are 'milky' when pressed or when the silks have turned brown. Baby Corn: Harvest according to seed package directions-as soon as the silks are seen or up to 5 days later. Harvest both by snapping from the stalk. Sweet corn produces usually 2 ears per plant, baby corn produces about a dozen per.

Cucumber - Harvest by size. Harvesting encourages continued production. Cut at stem.

Eggplant - Harvest by size. Harvesting encourages continued production. Cut at stem.

Garlic - Remove flower neck, or scape, before they open. These can be eaten. Harvest the garlic when the leaves turn yellow but before they die (that makes it hard to find the garlic). Gently loosen the soil and pull the garlic out.

Kohlrabi - Harvest by size. One per plant. Cut at stem.

Melon - Now here is a tricky one. Generally, harvest when the fruit can be easily pulled from the vine, and when the vine has turned color. Honeydew and Crenshaw are exceptions, they must be cut from the vine earlier.

Onions - Pull early for scallions (I use the onion 'sets' for these) and later in the season for full size. Onions are ready when the tops fall to the side. Remove any flowers as soon as they appear. For storing, leave in a dry well ventilated area to dry- the skins become papery, like the store bought kind (I use an old screen door on two wooden horses). You can eat the onion tops fresh or dehydrate for winter cooking.

Peas - Snow: Harvest when pods are a good size but before they get plump. Gently pull from the vine. I finished harvesting mine about 1 month after last spring frost. I saved some of the peas that became too plump and dried for seed for next year. Pod: Harvest when pods are plump. I don't plant peas ;-)

Peppers - Sweet and Hot: Harvest by size, early and often. Harvesting encourages continued production. Cut at stem.

Potatoes - About 6-8 weeks after you plant you will begin to see flowers forming on your plants. At this time you can steal some 'early' or 'new' potatoes by carefully pinching them from the root. Towards the end of the season, when the leaves turn yellow you can harvest the rest of the potatoes.

Salad Greens - Harvest throughout by removing leaves as needed. Except for Swiss Chard, most greens will 'bolt' or flower in the summer heat. You can help slow this process by continuous removal of the lower leaves and by pinching the center stem. I finished harvesting my spinach about 4th. of July.

Squash - Summer or Winter: Harvest by size. Harvesting encourages continued production. Cut at stem. Winter squash can be left on the vine through the first light frost (not hard frost).

Tomatoes - Gently pull when ripe (or when good size but unripe for fried green tomatoes). Harvesting encourages continued growth. "Indeterminate" types will continue to produce until frost. Toward the end of the season pluck any new flowers. They won't have time to grow, and this allows your plant to put its best effort into the fruit that it has.