Spring is the first harvest season of the year, and it is a modest one — the garden is still waking up, and most crops are weeks away. But what spring does offer is some of the best eating of the year: the first asparagus, the first lettuce, spring onions, radishes, rhubarb, and herbs that have overwintered and are growing again. Spring harvesting is about picking at the right moment, taking a little and often, and leaving the plant in a state to keep producing. Pick too early and the flavour is not there; pick too late and the plant bolts or turns tough. This guide covers what to harvest in spring and how to do it well.
What is ready to harvest in spring
The earliest spring harvests are the overwintered crops: leeks, spring cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli and winter lettuce that were planted last autumn and have survived the winter. These are ready in early spring, and they should be picked before the weather warms and they bolt — a plant that bolts sends up a flower stem, and its leaves turn bitter. Cut purple sprouting broccoli when the spears are young and tight, before the flowers open, and the plant will produce side shoots for weeks afterwards.
The first sowings of spring are ready a few weeks later: radishes in as little as four weeks from sowing, spring onions, lettuce and spinach from early sowings, and the first herbs. Asparagus is the classic spring harvest, and it needs patience: a new asparagus bed should not be harvested at all in its first year, lightly in its second, and fully only from its third year onwards. Rhubarb is ready in spring, but only from an established plant, and only the stalks are eaten — the leaves are poisonous and must be discarded. Check your local extension service for harvest times in your area, because they vary widely with climate.
How to harvest vegetables in spring
Harvest in the morning, when the plants are cool and crisp and their flavour is at its best, and before the heat of the day wilts them. Cut lettuce and spinach leaf by leaf from the outside, leaving the centre to keep growing — a cut-and-come-again harvest that gives weeks of picking from one sowing. Pull radishes when they are young and crisp, before they grow woody, and thin the row as you harvest, so the remaining plants have room to grow. Cut spring onions at the base, and pull leeks with a fork, loosening the soil first so the stem does not snap.
Use a sharp knife or secateurs rather than pulling, because pulling damages the roots of neighbouring plants. Harvest little and often rather than taking everything at once, and do not strip a plant bare — leave enough leaves for it to keep growing. Water the bed after a heavy harvest, because the plants need water to regrow, and feed leafy crops lightly after cutting — see our spring fertilizing guide. Our spring vegetable care guide covers the crops in detail.
Harvesting herbs, rhubarb and flowers in spring
Herbs that overwintered — parsley, chives, mint, rosemary and thyme — are ready to pick in spring as soon as new growth appears. Pick in the morning, after the dew has dried, when the oils that give herbs their flavour are at their strongest. Take no more than a third of a plant at once, and cut just above a leaf joint, so the plant branches and produces more growth. Tender herbs such as basil are not ready until the weather warms — see our spring herb care guide.
Rhubarb is picked by pulling the stalks, not cutting them: grasp a stalk at the base, pull it gently with a twist, and it comes away cleanly. Take only a third of the stalks from a plant at a time, and stop harvesting by mid-summer so the plant can rebuild its strength for next year. Never eat rhubarb leaves, which are poisonous — compost them or discard them. Spring flowers for cutting — tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and the first sweet peas — should be cut in the morning, when the buds are just opening, and put straight into water. Cut with a sharp knife, and leave enough foliage on the plant for it to feed the bulb for next year.
Storing and using the spring harvest
Spring produce is best eaten fresh, on the day it is picked, because it is tender and does not store well. Lettuce, spinach and radishes keep for a few days in the fridge, wrapped in a damp cloth, but they lose crispness quickly. Herbs can be used fresh, or dried or frozen for later: the herb drying calculator helps you work out drying times. Rhubarb freezes well when cut into pieces, and asparagus is best eaten the day it is cut. Do not wash leafy vegetables until you are ready to eat them, because washing and storing them wet makes them rot faster.
If you have more than you can eat, share it — spring produce is at its best when it is fresh, and a glut of lettuce is better given away than left to bolt in the bed. Succession sowing, a small row every two weeks, prevents gluts and keeps the harvest coming steadily through spring and into summer. Our spring planting guide explains how to plan succession sowings.
Harvesting fruit in spring
Spring fruit harvesting is smaller than the summer harvest, but it matters. Strawberries planted last year produce their first fruit in late spring, and they should be picked when they are fully red and fragrant, not before, because strawberries do not ripen after picking. Pick them in the morning, with the stalk attached, and handle them gently, because they bruise easily. Rhubarb is the other great spring fruit harvest, and it is picked by pulling the stalks rather than cutting them, taking only a third of the plant at a time so it can keep growing.
Early gooseberries can be picked green in late spring for cooking, which also thins the crop so the remaining fruit grows larger for eating fresh later. Currants and other soft fruit are still weeks away in most areas, but the bushes need care now: check ties and supports, water in dry weather, and protect the developing fruit from birds with netting once it starts to colour. Fruit trees in spring are in flower, and the harvest is months away, but the work now decides the crop: a late frost can destroy the blossom, so cover small trees with fleece on frosty nights, and hand-pollinate wall-trained fruit on still days if there are few bees about. A spring harvest is small, but it is the reward for the work of autumn and winter, and it is the first taste of the year's garden.
Frequently asked questions
What vegetables can I harvest in spring?
Overwintered leeks, spring cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli, plus early sowings of radishes, lettuce, spinach and spring onions. Asparagus and rhubarb are the classic spring harvests from established plants.
When should I harvest asparagus?
Only from the third year onwards for a full harvest. Cut spears when they are six to eight inches tall, before the tips open, and stop harvesting in early summer so the plant can recover.
How do I harvest lettuce so it keeps growing?
Pick the outer leaves one by one, leaving the centre to grow. This cut-and-come-again method gives weeks of picking from one plant.
Is rhubarb safe to eat in spring?
The stalks are safe; the leaves are poisonous and must be discarded. Pull stalks rather than cutting them, and take only a third of the plant at a time.
When is the best time of day to harvest?
In the morning, when plants are cool and crisp and flavours are strongest. If you are unsure about harvest times, check your local extension service for advice.