The garden is so productive this time of year. So many things look as if they are ripe for picking but it’s not always easy to know if they are truly ready.

Some crops, like tomatoes, are easy to see are ready because their color says so. A bright red tomato can be seen from a distance and begs to be picked. Even orange, yellow and more unusual varieties in black, purple or stripes are obviously ready just by looking.

Because tomatoes continue to ripen even after they have been picked they can be harvested early without worry.

Watermelons are trickier when it comes to guessing ripeness. If you have kept track of planting dates it is easier to tell if fruit is ripe. So much information can be found on the back of a seed packet or the little plastic stake found in most purchased plants. The number of days to ripeness is very accurate in most cases if growing conditions have been, how shall I say, normal.

If you are unsure of the planting date there are a few things to look for in a ripe watermelon. Look at the part of the fruit that has been resting on the ground. If it is yellow or cream colored the fruit is probably ripe. Refrain from picking the fruit if that spot is still green.

If the vines are beginning to show signs of browning and drying the fruit is probably ripe. Check the tendril or curly part on the stem. If the tendril closest to the fruit is dried the fruit is probably ripe.

Watermelon does not continue to ripen once it is cut from the vine. It is important to note that although the fruit will soften it will never get any sweeter once it has been picked.

If you’ve grown more watermelon than you know what to do with, break one open and test its ripeness that way. If they are perfectly ripe feel free to drop some off for me. I grew very few this season because I lacked the space.

Peppers come in various shades of green, yellow, red, brown and even purple. Some peppers are best to pick when they have reached their full color while others are best picked before this has occurred.

Green peppers, or bells as they are commonly called, can be picked at any stage in their development, but their full flavor potential comes out when they are three to four inches long, firm with a bright green color. Green bell peppers will eventually turn red, orange, brown or purple, depending on their variety. A green pepper is essentially an immature pepper of another color.

The flavor you are after can dictate when you want to pick your peppers. Each stage in a developing pepper produces a fruit with a distinctive flavor.

Hot peppers tend to be green when they are immature and will eventually turn red, orange, yellow or brown depending on the variety. Like bell peppers, personal taste is a key to harvesting hot peppers at the proper time.

Jalapenos are typically best when green as are Serranos. Habaneros should be left on the plant until they are bright orange for ultimate flavor and piquancy.

Cucumbers are still producing at a rapid rate in my garden, despite a cucumber beetle scare that scarred a few fruits and left me feeling defeated several weeks ago.

Cucumbers can be picked anytime during their growing cycle as long as they aren’t too big or begin to yellow. If you have never tasted a yellow cucumber, don’t. It is a bitter, hideous thing and should immediately be placed on the compost pile.

Usually cucumbers between two and eight inches will have the best flavor, the fewest seeds and because you don’t wax them like commercial growers do, you can even eat the peel.

Knowing when to pick the food you grow will allow you to eat fruits and vegetables at their best, both for flavor and nutritional content.