How to harvest
Picking at the right time, the right way, gives the best flavor — and for many plants, more to pick.
Words to know
- Bolt:
- When lettuce, spinach or cilantro suddenly sends up a flower stalk, usually in heat. The leaves turn bitter, so pick right away.
- Cure:
- Let onions, garlic, potatoes and winter squash dry in a shady, airy spot for a week or more so they store longer.
How to do it
- Harvest in the morning, when plants are cool and crisp.
- Use clean snips or scissors for stems. Don't yank — you can break branches or pull up roots.
- Pick often. Beans, cucumbers, zucchini and herbs make more when you keep picking.
- Each harvest job in the app says what ready looks like for that plant.
Based on standard guidance from U.S. university extension services, including Cornell, the University of Minnesota and Oregon State.