Harvesting vegetables at the right stage of maturity ensures the best taste and quality.

Many vegetables should be picked throughout the summer to maintain plant productivity. The time, frequency, and method of harvesting vary depending on species. Vegetables, such as standard sweet corn, have a very small harvest period. Others, such as many of the root crops, can remain in the garden for several weeks with little effect on their taste. Some vegetables, have to be harvested almost daily and other plants, can be harvested on a weekly basis.

Use the table below to determine the optimal time to pick and enjoy your favorite vegetables.

Download this guide from The Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC): https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/ 

Vegetable	Seed per 100’ Row	Row Spacing	Plant Spacing in the Row	Depth to Plant	Days to Maturity
Beans	1lb.	36”	12”	11/2-2”	60-75
Beets	1oz.	18”	4”	1”	60-70
Broccoli	¼oz.	36”	18”	¼”	60-70
Cabbage	¼oz.	36”	18-24”	¼”	70-90
Cantaloupe	1oz.	72”	36-48”	1”	80-90
Cauliflower	¼oz.	36”	24”	¼”	60-80
Corn	¼lbs.	30”	12-18”	½”	80-100
Cucumber	1oz.	60”	36-48”	1”	50-70
Eggplant	¼oz.	36”	24-36”	½”	80-100
Lettuce	½oz.	18”	12”	½”	50-90
Okra	2oz.	24-36”	24”	1-2”	50-70
Onions	1oz.	12-18”	4”	½”	100-125
Peas Garden	11/2oz.	36”	6”	1-2”	50-65
Peas Southern	11/2oz.	36”	6”	1-2”	70-90
Peppers	¼oz.	36”	18”	½”	70-100
Potatoes Irish	15lbs.	36”	8”	3-4”	80-120
Potatoes Sweet	80 plants	48-60”	18”		120-180
Radish	1oz.	12”	2”	¾”	20-40
Squash	2oz.	36-48”	24-36”	½”	50-70
Pumpkin	2oz.	72”	48”	½”	50-70
Tomatoes	½oz.	72”	36”	½”	75-90
Watermelons	2oz.	72”	72”	1-2”	70-100

  

Common Name	Other Name	Controls
DITHANE M45	MANCOZEB, MANZATE200 FORE, MANOFOL, MANEB + ZINC ION.	Down mildew, scab, anthracnose, cercospora, leafspot, Septoria, Alternia, botlytis, early and late blight and others
DITHAN-78	Zineb, Parzate, Zebtox	Similar to Dithane M45 but not as complete
CUPRAVIT.	COPPER OXYCHLORIDE, BASIC COPPER CHLORIDE	Downy mildew, cercospora leafspot blights, rosts and others
BENOMYL	BENLATE, TERSAN	Scabs, Powdery mildew, Melanose, Botrytis, greasy spot, Fusarium, Anthracnose, Cercospra, Sckerotinia and others

Time Limits 

Once you think about harvesting it is important to remember not to spray any later than 5 days before harvest. 

 Planting  

Vegetable beds may be direct seeded or transplanted. Direct seeding often gives earlier harvest, but transplanting allows the selection of healthy seedlings for use in the beds. Always plant in neat straight rows (use a piece of string) at the spacing given in the table. 

Depth of seed planting is variable but usually larger seeds such as beans, peas should be planted about 11/2” deep; medium size seeds such as okra and beets about ¾” deep; and smaller seeds such as tomatoes and onions about ¼” deep. Cover seed with fine soil, firm down soil gently with foot and water well with a fine spray and not too much pressure. 

Garden equipment 

There are many types of tools and power tools available to the home garden but the bare essentials would include the following. 

• Grub hoe 

• Cutlass 

• heavy rake 

• grass rake  

• shovel 

• hand fork 

• towel  

• bucket/ pail and or wheelbarrow 

• pressure pump or sprayer 

• watering  equipment such as hose, sprinkler, or watering can 

The Compost Pile 

Kitchen scraps, vegetable residues, trimmings, seaweed, grass clipping, and others can all be used to make a compost pile. 

The easiest method of making one is to use chicken wire to fence off an area approximately 3 feet square and line the bottom with sand and/or soil. Then build up a layer of raw vegetable matter approximately 6” thick. Sprinkle some chemical fertilizer over the top surface. Then add soil and/or sand to a depth of about 4-6” and then another layer of raw vegetable matter. 

By keeping the compost pile moist rotting and decomposition will occur mush more quickly than if allowed to continuously dry out. 

Weed Control  

Weeds not only look unsightly in the garden; but harbour insects and diseases, and steal light, water, and other nutrients from the vegetables. 

Mulches 

The use of grass clippings, well washed seaweed and plastic tend to keep down weeds and help retain soil moisture; but with plastic mulches especially soil temperatures tend to become quite high, possibly resulting in root damage to certain crops. 

Vegetable Period Planting Guide 

Vegetable	Variety	Inclusive dates of planting
Beans	Lima-Fordhook 242, Henderson, Concentrated, Jackson wonder	September to April
	Snap-Extender, Contender, Harvester, Wade, Cherokee, Improved tender green.	September to April
Broccoli	Cleopatra, Waltham 29, Atlantic, early green sprouting.	September to January
Beets	Detroit dark red, red ball	September to April
Cabbage	Marian market, Copenhagen market Superette A &S cross	September to May
Cantaloupe	Gulfstream, Edisto 47, Resistant 45	February to April
Cauliflower	Self blanching, Snowball types	October to January
Corn	Native, Silvercup, Goldcup, Seneca chief	February to March
Cucumber	Pionsett, Ashley	October to June
Eggplant	Florida Market. Black Beauty	December to May
Lettuce	Great lakes types, Premier, Bibb, Salad bowl.	October to January
Okra	Perkins Long green, emerald, Clenson spineless.	February to October
Onions	Texas grano, granex, Excel 986, Early yellow globe. Tropicana	September to February
Peas	Garden  Wando, little marvel, Laxton’s progress	September to February
	Southern California Blackeye, Bush Conch	January to March
Sweet Peppers (year round )	California wonder, Yolo wonder, Florida Giant	August to September
Potatoes Irish	Pontiac, La Soda, Kennebec.	Feb. to April & Oct. to Feb.
Potatoes Sweet	Georgia red, Native, U.S. No. 1	February to July
Radish	Early scarlet Globe, Cherry belle and others	October to April
Squash	Zucchini types, Straightneck and Croooknecks	October to April
Pumpkin	Native, Cuban	Aug.  to Oct & Feb. to April
Tomatoes	Manalucie, Homestead, Ace Improved, Walter, Tropi-gro, Tropic, Bonny Best	August to April
Watermelon	Congo, Sweet Jubilee, Crimson Sweet, Sugar Baby, Chilean	Sept to Oct.& Feb. to May