Bed 3
Cherry Tomato
Cherry tomatoes are 2” in diameter - they are quite small! They are sweeter, perfectly shaped, and have thinner skin than regular tomatoes. rich in calcium, iron, lycopene, and vitamins A & C. Most cherry tomatoes are indeterminates, meaning they will keep on growing, flowering, and bearing fruit until frost kills them. How to Harvest: To harvest, grasp a ripened tomato gently and firmly. Twist it until it snaps off the vine. You can also use a garden clippers or knife to harvest tomatoes. Cut the stem close to the fruit. Cherry tomatoes crack if left on the vine too long. Pick them just before they look like they’re perfectly ripe. |
Bean Trio
Included in the Bean Trio are: 'Blue Lake 274', an heirloom favorite, noted for excellent flavor and texture, fresh or frozen (white seed); 'Resistant Cherokee Wax', a vigorous plant producing bright yellow pods (black seed); and 'Purple Queen', with glossy deep purple pods that turn forest green when cooked (brown seed). All of the beans are bush type beans, which means that they require no staking and produce most of their crop over a 2 to 3 week period. How to Harvest: Snap beans are ready to pick when the pod "snaps" or breaks in half cleanly. This is when the seeds have just begun to form and the pods are several inches long (depending on the variety). Hold the stem with one hand, and the pod with the other hand to avoid pulling off branches, which will continue to produce. |
Bed 4
Pumpkin
Pumpkins come in hundreds of varieties differing in size, color, taste, and texture. Many varieties need at least 100 days to grow gourds, making July a great time to start planting. How to Harvest: Do not pick pumpkins off of the vine because they have reached your desired size. If you want small pumpkins, buy a small variety. A pumpkin is ripening when its skin turns a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties). When you thump the pumpkin with a finger, the rind will feel hard and it will sound hollow. Press your nail into the pumpkin’s skin; if it resists puncture, it is ripe. |