We are getting to the point in the season when most of the summer vegetables are starting to show decline.

Tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant – diseases, insects, weather have all taken their toll by now. If your garden is anything like the demonstration garden, some plants look okay, some plants look bad but are still producing, and some plants are nearly dead.

How do you know when enough is enough? When should you put your plants (and maybe yourself?) out of the misery? As with many gardening questions, this is a case-by-case scenario.

If you plant is still looking good and producing, why pull it out? If the plant isn’t looking great, like most of our tomatoes, but is still producing like crazy, it is up to you. If you are sick and tired of tomatoes, maybe pulling it out is okay. Don’t forget that you can take that produce to the Kansas Food Bank for our Plant-A-Row for the Hungry program!

If your plants aren’t producing much anymore, then it is probably time for them to go. What’s the point of a vegetable that isn’t giving you something tasty to eat?

If you do choose to pull your summer vegetables, there is still time to plant some lettuce and spinach!