Young Harvest

• Begin harvesting your young zucchini when they are at least two inches in length and bright green. Tiny zucchini are sold as "baby" vegetables at a premium and they can be eaten raw or par-cooked due to their tenderness. If you are growing just a few vines and want to maximize the harvest yield, wait until the zucchini reach a medium size and have turned deep green. The zucchini flowers can also be picked the day they bloom and used in salads, stir fry or baked dishes.
  
  

Harvest Tips

• Zucchini can remain on the vine, as they will continue to grow and be edible but they will not remain as tender for use as a raw vegetable as those zucchini harvested at a younger age. When very large zucchini are allowed to remain on the vine, the harvest yields will likely decrease; regularly harvesting the zucchini even if you cannot use them may be a good idea in order to keep production up. Zucchini vines are rather delicate and do not like to be disturbed. When harvesting, cut the zucchini carefully without pulling on the vines. Also, avoid harvesting zucchini when the vines are wet from irrigation or rainfall as this can invite the spread of fungal disease.