The leaves can be clipped individually or the whole plant can be harvested. The leaves taste best when the plant is young and can be harvested once they are 2-3 inches long.

When the plant begins flowering, arugula leaves become bitter… That’s when you know the plant is done and it’s time to replace it.

For ongoing harvests, cut off the outer leaves at a point close to the base once the leaves are large enough.  You can also let the leaves grow and harvest them at full size when they’re 4 to 6 inches long. Larger leaves have a stronger flavor.

Long light periods can encourage bolting, does best when light is adjusted to less than 16 hours.

Harvest leaves as they grow to over 4” in length. Cut the individual leaf at their base, or harvest the entire plant by cutting all the leaves at once. Leave at least ⅓ of the plant to continue growing for additional harvests. 

Look out for shiny dots on the leaves: thrips love Bok Choi and can be too small to see, but they will announce their presence from the feeding marks they leave behind. If you notice thrips, follow our Pest Control Tips to reduce or eliminate them.

Mustard needs little care and will do well untended as long as it receives necessary water supply. Harvest when the leaves are young to ensure the freshest flavor and prevent the leaves from getting tough. Cut the whole plant about an inch above the base or snip off outer leaves from the plant, and then leave it to continue growing. Discard any yellow leaves that you find on the plant.

Kale does not require any pruning. As leaves grow, they can be harvested as baby leaves which is great for fresh salad mixes. Cutting when the leaves are 2-3 inches tall will allow the plants to regrow. Once plant reaches maturity, harvest leaves as needed by cutting at the base.

Pick individual leaves or wait and harvest full heads.

For ongoing harvest, you can begin harvesting once the leaves reach about 4 inches tall. Harvest the outer leaves of the head and let the inner leaves continue to grow and mature. Just snip either single outer leaves or grab a bunch of them and cut them with scissors one inch above the base of the plant. Be careful; if you cut into or below the base, the plant may die, so leave the small leaves in the middle to regrow easily.

Do not cut more than a third of the plant in you want it to keep growing.

Swiss Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young or after maturity when they are larger and have slightly tougher stems. Young leaves (smaller than 4 inches) can be eaten fresh in salads. Mature leaves may be chopped and sautéed. The “ribs” can be eaten like celery.

At any point in the growing cycle, snip leaves 2 inches above crowns to rejuvenate plants. New, succulent leaves soon will be ready to harvest.

When harvesting basil, look for the two largest leaves on a stem, just below those you should see another set of leaves or little knobs (nodes) that are growing in between the stem smaller set of leaves. Cut the stem 1/4-1/2″ above the nodes. Repeat this with all the larger leaves on your plants. See Figure 1, Harvesting Basil.

Harvesting frequently will help prolong the life of the plant. The best taste is just before the plant flowers, and to delay flowering, pinch or clip off new flower buds. See Figure 2, flower buds.

Whenever you want a fresh garnish, feel free to pick off small amount of leaves from your grown plant.

Flowers can also be used and sprinkled over salads!

Cut the scapes down to one to two inches of the base once chives are at least 4 inches tall. If the plant flowers harvest to prevent it from going to seed. The flowers are edible.

Store wrapped loosely in paper towel in the veggie draw of the refrigerato

Once the plant reaches 6 inches, you can begin trimming larger outer leaves. Ensure you harvest only up to a third of the height of the plant at a time, to ensure it continues growing.

Prune your cilantro often to boost new growth.

Harvest parsley leaves as soon as the plant is producing enough to leave some behind and continue growth.

Harvest until the plant flowers, after which time the leaves become bitter.

Remove stalks and strip leaves as needed- the plant will continue to grow as its “grazed” on. Leave behind a section of the stalk with leaves for it to continue growing, or harvest the whole stalk and hang for 7-14 days until dry, if incorporating the parsley into an herbal blend. 

Once the crop reaches 8-10 inches, snip the top of the plant, but only the green stem, not any woody sections. Ensure at least 5 inches of the plant remains.

Harvest the plants just before they flower for the highest potency.

Trimming your thyme often will encourage more fresh growth and more rounded shape.