Dumb vegetable gardening question.. (flowers, growing, tomatoes, cucumbers)

[thegirlinaz]

This is my first year with a vegetable garden, and it is going pretty well! I have quite a few yellow squash growing and some are getting big.

My question is, how do I know when the yellow squash is ready to be picked? I know like on tomatoes when they turn red, but the squash is already its regular color. Clue me in please!

[paperhouse]

When it's the size you want it, to be honest. Young squash may have a bitter taste. But once it reaches about 4" long and about as thick as a silver dollar, it's ready to eat. Depending on what I plan to do with it, I pick some early and leave others on the plants for much later. Deep fried squash needs lots of seeds to have just the right taste, so they are some of the last ones I pick.

[Ohiogirl81]

What Paperhouse said. I usually pick zucchini and yellow squash when they're about eight inches long, but if I want a couple to grate and freeze for zucchini bread, I'll let them get as big as a baseball bat!

[68vette]

I would pick them when they are about six to eight inches long. I feel the flavor at that size is best. Don't let them get real big. They will tend to get woody and the inside will be full of seeds(not very tasty). If you have heirloom squash and want to save the seeds then let one get real big. You will get more seeds than you will ever want from that one.

[ArkLexee]

ya'll are makin' my HUNGRY!!!

[flik_becky]

When I look at summer squash, I always think..."Think cucumbers."

[Sillypups]

I always picked mine around 6" but keep an eye on them, cause they grow like weeds.
Zucchini I picked closer to 8".
Ohiogirl is correct. If I'm going to grate zuch. for bread, I let several grow large.

The flowers ae edible, also.

[AliceT]

Like everyone else said, whenever ya want. And always plant more tomatoes than you can ever eat so you can pick a bunch when they are green, can them and then you can have fried green tomatoes all year long

[Dreison Rhodes]

I have three 80' rows of tomatoes, specifically the "Cherokee Purple" variety. Last year I planted four plants of the Purples, this year my wife said "Plant more!!" they do make some of the finest tomato sandwiches you have ever eaten. What we don't eat, can, or freeze I can always sell to a local market, my tomatoes will pay for my garden, the corn pitches in as well, my first planting is tasseling as I sit and write. Cantaloup and the "Sugar Baby" Watermelon, what few extras we have, are also easily sold. I do a variety of corn named "Incredible", really sweet, almost like a dessert. Am still getting a lot of yellow squash, Zucchini, cukes and Onions are producing, red, yellow, and white. The Garlic won't be ready until fall.

[Specialgal]

If the squash/zucchini are prolific, I freeze what I can first, then eat out of the garden for the rest of the growing season. We like raw zucchini as well as grilled. You certainly can also freeze alot more if it is grated.