You know peaches are ripe to pick when they give off a sweet, fragrant aroma and yield gently to slight palm pressure.   This is the simplest and most reliable answer for how to know when peaches are ripe to pick from your own tree, and it beats guessing by color alone.   Many folks … Read more

You know oregano is ready to pick when the stems reach about four to six inches tall and have developed plenty of lush, fragrant leaves.   That’s the simplest answer, but knowing when oregano is ready to pick also involves timing, growth stage, and even the time of day.   If you’ve been watching your … Read more

You know olives are ready to pick when they’ve shifted from green to a deep, uniform color—like purple, black, or a rich brown—depending on your variety.   But knowing when olives are ready to pick isn’t just about color, because some olives are meant to be harvested green while others need full ripeness.   The … Read more

You know nectarines are ready to pick when they give slightly to gentle pressure and smell wonderfully sweet near the stem.   Knowing when nectarines are ready to pick can be tricky because they don’t all ripen at the same time, even on a single tree.   If you’ve ever bitten into a nectarine that … Read more

You know lemons are ripe to pick when they’ve reached full size, developed a vibrant yellow color, and feel slightly firm yet give a little under gentle pressure.   If you’ve been watching your lemon tree and wondering how do you know when lemons are ripe to pick, the answer comes down to a mix … Read more

Lemongrass is ready to pick when the stalks reach about half an inch thick at the base and feel firm and solid. You will know lemongrass is ready to pick by looking for those fat, pale green to light purple stems that are packed with flavor and aroma. Harvesting at the right time makes all … Read more

You know lavender is ready to pick when roughly half of the buds on a spike have opened, and the rest are still tightly closed.   That’s the perfect sweet spot for harvesting, and it’s the moment every gardener should watch for.   If you’ve been wondering how do you know when lavender is ready … Read more

You know kohlrabi is ready to pick when the bulb at the base of the stem reaches about the size of a tennis ball, typically 2 to 3 inches in diameter. If you’ve been growing this quirky, alien-looking vegetable in your garden, you’re probably checking it daily and wondering when the exact moment is to … Read more

You know horseradish is ready to pick when the roots reach about 8 to 10 inches in length and are at least 1 inch in diameter at the crown, typically after the first hard frost in autumn.   This timing is crucial because the cold triggers the plant to pull sugars and starches down into … Read more

You know honeydew is ready to pick when the rind turns from a greenish-white to a rich, creamy yellow and the blossom end gives off a faint, sweet aroma.   But if you’re standing in the garden wondering how do you know when honeydew is ready to pick, there’s more to it than just color. … Read more