• Ripe tomatoes arrive in the late summerYellow cherry tomatoes & red plum tomatoes. Diversity image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  Vegetable gardens take a lot of work, but bringing fresh vegetables into your kitchen makes it rewarding. However, some research is required before you commit to planting seeds. Knowing when vegetables are ready to pick is an important consideration when planting. For example, if you want vegetables that will be ready for late summer and early fall, you will need to plant accordingly.
  
  

Peppers

• Hot, dry summers produce the best chili peppers. Typically slow-growing, there are numerous varieties of peppers you can plant in your garden. However, most peppers, from bell to chili, take about 70 days or so to reach maturity. When to harvest your chili peppers depends on how spicy you like them. The earlier you pick them, the hotter they typically are. Most peppers are ready to pick when they are green, but many people will wait until they turn red and are less spicy.
  
  

Tomatoes

• Tomatoes, depending on the variety, are another crop that produces fruit in the late summer and early autumn. Most main crop heirloom varieties, such as Burpee's Big Girl and Supersonic, take about 70 to 80 days until the tomatoes are ready, while varieties like Supersteak and Beefsteak take even longer. Though all varieties mature on different schedules, tomatoes like full sunlight and warm temperatures daily to produce the best results.
  
  

Squash

• The different varieties of squash are also vegetables that are ready to harvest in the late summer and early fall. Winter squash is typically harvested later in the growing season than summer squash. Squash grows best in sites that receive full sunlight and have good air circulation.
  
  

Cucumbers

• Cucumbers are typically ready for you to pick 50 to 70 days after you plant them, depending on the type and size. You will know that a cucumber has gone too long if it begins to turn yellow. Cucumbers do not grow well in cold weather, but do need long, hot days. They will most likely be ready in late summer rather than early fall.