WHEN DO YOU HARVEST YOUR VEGGIES?

[Garden Gal]

have a few eggplants, and cukes that are a nice size, but I'm wondering how long I should leave them on the vine before i harvest them? Is there such a thing as leaving them too long?

[jmoore]

have a few eggplants, and cukes that are a nice size, but I'm wondering how long I should leave them on the vine before i harvest them? Is there such a thing as leaving them too long?

If you leave them a little too long, they will most likely be a little tough but still edible. It's better to pull them a little early than late, depending on what you are growing.

From my (limited) experience, I pull stuff from my garden a little bit sooner than what the seed package says. I rarely get stuff the size of what they are "supposed" to be. Basically if they look fresh and healthy and nearly full size, I pull them.

[Marlingardener]

There is definitely such a thing as leaving vegetables too long! Cukes, depending on what you are using them for (pickling, slicing) should be picked before they get 1 1/2 inch in diameter, at most. Better to pick them before that. If they start to turn yellow, they are ripening and will not have the flavor of the smaller cukes.
Eggplants are best at a 6" to 8" length, unless you are growing the round varieties. Bigger eggplants have tougher skin, more seeds, and generally don't taste as good.
Groceries generally don't have the younger, tenderer vegetables because the growers sell by the pound, and big ones weigh more! Try picking a few at several stages and see what you personally prefer.

[Garden Gal]

Good info, and thank you!

[gixxerific]

most of those fruits you asked about especially cukes are best picked a little early. If you pick after the seeds inside have fully formed it is usually too late and they can be more bitter. But as said try them at different intervals. Gardening is a all about trial and error. What works for you might not work for me.

Happy harvesting.