Gardening expert warns against common harvesting issue that can lead to bitter vegetables: ‘Have to check it constantly’

Starting A Vegetable Garden

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the enormous number of vegetable varieties available and many newcomers become disillusioned by an overgrown, unproductive garden. Start small for best results.

Zones & Seeds

Choose a site that receives full sun (over 8 hours of direct sunlight per day) and is close to a water source for convenient weeding, planting and watering. The soil should be well drained and rich in organic matter.

Gardening influencer Kaleb Wyse (@wyseguide) has taken the guesswork out of growing the perfect zucchini in a new TikTok video.

The scoop

Standing in front of his garden trellis, Wyse introduces his latest crop of the elevator zucchini, which has vined all across the archway.

Now is the time to collect the harvest, he informs his viewers in the video’s opening clip, before explaining the Goldilocks moment when each zucchini is just right to be picked.

You can pick a zucchini at any size, Wyse says, but the ideal length is around 6 to 8 inches long.

If you allow the zucchini to get bigger on the vine, it will likely have more seeds and a bitter taste. You could also end up overtaxing the vine, since larger zucchinis require more energy, which would lead to a smaller harvest overall.

To make sure your zucchini keeps for longer in your fridge, Wyes says you should avoid twisting and accidentally snapping the stem, as this causes the vegetable to rot more quickly. The best tool to slice the stem from the vine is a small knife or a pruner. Leaving about 1 inch of stem will give your zucchini more longevity, too.

“They’ll keep longer in your house this way and just be better overall,” Wyse said.

How it’s helping

Zucchinis are relatively easy vegetables to grow even for the novice gardener, but there is a tricky line to tread between growing limited fruit and the notorious zucchini glut.

The zucchini excess is infamous among gardeners, and there is a danger that harvesting too much could lead to food waste.

But with Wyse’s tips, gardeners can avoid the worst of an overzealous zucchini plant. Picking zucchini regularly and while they are still small — any length up to 8 inches — will help to keep the crop in check.