Autumn is the season when many fruit and vegetable crops ripen. Also as the weather gets colder, if crops are left unattended in the garden, they are likely to be harmed by low temperatures and frost.

Therefore, it is important to know when and how to harvest your garden. Especially for contractors of large farms or orchards, harvesting is the most important event of the year. That's why we wrote this article to help businessmen or gardeners deal better with this season.

When to harvest fruits and vegetables in the garden?

How do you know when a crop is ripe? On the seed packets of many crops it will say when they are suitable for sowing and their days to maturity, but this is only a general guideline for determining how well the plant is growing.  Environmental conditions, such as temperature and sunlight hours, can affect the crop's maturity cycle. Also, maturity is not the same as being ready for immediate harvesting.

Different plants have different harvesting rules, for example:

-Some plants are grown for parts other than the fruit (leaves, stems, roots). These crops should be harvested when they are young, tender and immature. Basil, broccoli, lettuce and radishes are good examples. As a general rule, they should be harvested early and often.

-Fruits, such as tomatoes and apples, should wait until they are fully ripe on the plant. One exception is that some of the crops we call vegetables are actually "fruits" (summer squash, beans, eggplant, etc.). It is better to pick them when they are not fully ripe.

-Some vegetables are more commonly used for flavoring than for eating, such as onions, which need to be harvested when the tops of the plants start to wilt and fall over. As well as peppers, there is no need to worry about whether they are "ripe" or not. They can be eaten in almost any size or condition, but have the most flavor when they are ripe.

How to harvest fruits and vegetables in the garden?

Today, most cereal crops and many fruits and vegetables can be harvested by large machines, saving time and labor. However, in many places, hand harvesting is still the most popular method. Picking crops with bare hands or using hand tools is often more careful than mechanical harvesting and is suitable for plants that require more freshness or are more delicate.

Before you start picking and digging what's in front of you, don't forget that tools are the best helpers. We've listed some classic gardening tools to help make your harvesting job easier.

-Gloves. This will help protect you from thorns and brambles and any plants that naturally irritate your skin. With a long-sleeved shirt, you should stay itch-free during all your gardening tasks.

-Sickles. A sharp scythe helps cut vegetables like squash, broccoli and cabbage and should be part of your harvesting equipment.

-Scissors. They can come in very handy when cutting herbs and leafy vegetables.

-Shears. This is the ideal tool for harvesting woody stem crops like peppers, squash and pumpkins.

-Shovel. This is especially important if you're harvesting root vegetables, but be careful. A little careless digging can lead to crop breakage and damage.

-Hoe. Also used for harvesting tuber crops. Such as arrowroots, a hoe is needed to dig and move the soil around the plant.

There are many other ways to harvest fruits and vegetables. Harvesting methods depend on the type of crop, how it grows and the resources available, and also require the gardener to have knowledge of harvesting.

There is nothing more enjoyable than having a bountiful garden when the crops are ripe. GarDepot, a professional manufacturer of gardening tools and equipment, always strives to provide the best quality products and services to our customers all over the world. We hope our article can be of help to every gardener or farmer.