What Should You Be Harvesting Right Now? This Free Calendar Has the Answer

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There’s a weird kind of anxiety that creeps in around harvest time. You walk into the garden, see a half-red tomato, three squashes the size of small dogs, and a bunch of lettuce that looks like it’s either ready to eat or ready to bolt. You hesitate. You overthink. You pick nothing.

This is how you end up with a fridge full of zucchini you didn’t want and the haunting guilt of snap peas that never got picked at all. It’s not laziness. It’s not inexperience. It’s just hard to know what’s ready when—especially when every plant seems to follow its own rulebook.

That’s where this comes in. A simple, print-friendly calendar that shows you what to harvest each month, which zones it applies to, and what kind of signs to look for. No guesswork. No Googling in the middle of the garden with muddy hands. Just a clean list of what’s in season and how to get it at its best.

June: The Sneaky Start of Harvest Season

June doesn’t feel like a harvest month. Most gardeners are still in “grow mode,” watching plants stretch and flower, not expecting much back yet. But if you wait too long, you’ll miss some of the most tender, flavorful produce of the entire year.

• Lettuce, spinach, and chard: Pick outer leaves before the heat makes them bitter. Don’t wait for full heads. You’re not running a grocery store.
• Radishes: These go from perfect to pithy fast. If the shoulders are poking above the soil, pull a few.
• Peas: Plump but not swollen. If they rattle, it’s too late. If you hesitate, the plant will think it’s done for the season.
• Herbs like basil and cilantro: Clip early and often. Once they flower, they’re basically decorative.

The rule in June is: harvest early, harvest small, harvest often. You’re not robbing the plant—you’re convincing it to keep going. And that’s a conversation worth having.

July: The Garden Starts Giving (All at Once)

This is when the garden stops teasing and starts producing. Everything feels like it ripens the moment you turn your back. Miss a few days, and suddenly you’re knee-deep in overgrown cucumbers and tomatoes with split skins.

• Tomatoes: Pick when they’re fully colored and slightly soft. Don’t wait for them to fall off. If they feel warm in your hand, they’re ready.
• Zucchini and summer squash: Pick when they’re 6 to 8 inches long. Anything bigger is just future compost.
• Green beans: They should snap cleanly and be firm, not bulging. And yes, you’ll be picking them every other day now. Welcome to bean season.
• Cucumbers: Pick before they get seedy or yellow. The best ones always seem to be hiding under a leaf.
• Garlic: If the bottom few leaves are brown and the rest are still green, it’s time. Don’t wait for a total collapse.

In July, your biggest threat isn’t the bugs. It’s delay. Harvest often and carry a big basket.

August: The Peak of Chaos (and the Best Tomatoes)

August is generous, unruly, and a little exhausting. Everything’s ripening. Everything needs picking. You start giving away tomatoes to anyone who makes eye contact and wondering why you planted three kinds of squash in the first place.

• Tomatoes: Still going strong. Keep picking them at peak color to prevent cracking and keep the vines productive.
• Melons: A ripe melon smells like a melon. If it slips easily off the vine, it’s ready. If you have to tug, it’s not.
• Corn: Silks should be brown and dry. Peel back a tiny bit of husk and poke a kernel. If it squirts, you’re good.
• Eggplant: Shiny and firm, not dull. If it takes thumb pressure like a ripe avocado, you’ve waited too long.
• Peppers: Green, red, yellow—pick at your preferred color, but don’t leave them so long they wrinkle on the plant.

This is the month where harvest bags live by the back door and your kitchen never quite smells normal. Embrace it. August doesn’t last forever.

September: The Wind-Down (But Don’t Slack Yet)

By now, the garden’s starting to look tired. You’re tired too. But there’s still plenty to harvest, and some of it is just hitting its stride. The trick is knowing what to grab before frost whispers in and ruins your plans.

• Winter squash and pumpkins: The stems should be dry and hard. If you can dent the skin with your fingernail, leave it a bit longer.
• Sweet potatoes: Dig them before the soil gets cold. Handle gently—bruises now turn into rot later.
• Beets and carrots: Still going strong. Cooler nights actually make them sweeter. Don’t let them get woody.
• Apples and pears: Apples should come off with a gentle twist. Pears? Pick them firm and ripen indoors.
• Kale and cabbage: These can handle a chill, but they taste best before it gets too frosty and wet.

September’s garden feels quieter, but it’s not done yet. The goal now is to finish strong—and not leave your carrots in the ground until Thanksgiving again.

October: The Last Call

October is your garden’s curtain call. Some things are clinging on, others are already gone, and you’re out there wondering if your fingers can still feel through garden gloves. But don’t pack it in yet. A few of the best crops are only just coming into their own.

• Brussels sprouts: Start from the bottom and twist off the biggest ones. Leave the rest to fatten up with the cold.
• Parsnips and late carrots: These love frost. The cold converts starch to sugar. Think of it as a little flavor bonus from the weather.
• Turnips: Pull them once they’re a couple inches across. Big turnips sound great until you try to chew them.
• Cabbage: If the heads are firm, cut them now. If you wait too long, they’ll split. And no one wants emotional damage from cabbage.
• Leeks and collards: These are the tough guys of the fall garden. Harvest as needed. They’re not going anywhere in a hurry.

October’s harvest is a little slower, a little quieter, and a lot more satisfying. You’ve made it through the frenzy. Now it’s about gathering what’s left and feeling good about what you grew.

Your Free Harvest Calendar (Printable & Fridge-Worthy)

You made it through the wild months, the overgrown zucchinis, the peas you meant to pick yesterday. Now it’s time for the part that actually makes things easier next time.

This harvest calendar covers the most common garden crops from June through October. Each month lists what to harvest, which USDA zones and regions it applies to, and one clear, no-nonsense tip to help you get it just right. It’s simple, printable, and designed to be stuck on the fridge or folded into your garden journal.

👉 Click here to download your Harvest Calendar PDF

And if you know someone who’s still out there squinting at their tomatoes wondering if it’s too soon to pick them—send them this. They’ll thank you when their lettuce stops bolting and their garlic isn’t forgotten underground until December.