Garlic is delicious and has a pungent and wonderful odor, and its allicin, which is consumed regularly, has many health benefits. It is also simple to grow, making it easy to grow in our yards or containers. We need to wait for 7-8 months to harvest garlic of our planting. Also, after harvesting fresh garlic. We store it properly, and can keep it until the next garlic harvest time.
Regarding choosing the best garlic and growing it properly, you can refer to this article.
When to harvest garlic
Garlic is usually ready to harvest when the lower leaves begin to brown. Observing the leaves is the easiest way to determine garlic harvest time.
When the leaves have turned a third brown, begin inspecting the bulbs to see if they are the correct size. This is a simple process. We can only be sure by digging up a few bulbs and checking their progress. We can only be sure by digging up a few bulbs and checking their progress.
If they’re still too little, give them a little more time to grow. If the bulbs are left in the ground for too long, the cloves will rupture from their skins. Making them disease-prone and cutting down on storage time. When half to 2-3 of the leaves have turned brown. Harvest garlic regardless of size. Garlic bulbs that are not harvested until the leaves are entirely brown are inedible. As a result, when it comes to picking and storing garlic, timing is crucial.
Consider the timing of garlic planting
Garlic plants produce bulbs in response to warm weather, which are harvested in early summer. Garlic is typically planted in early spring and harvested between mid-June and August, depending on your region and variety. Bulb maturation is influenced by new bud emergence in the spring and fluctuations in temperature and moisture levels in the summer, and harvest timing can vary by one to two weeks each year.
Furthermore, the type of variety produced can influence garlic harvest time, with some types maturing more slowly than others. Artichoke, Creole, and Rocambole cultivars mature first, followed by Asian and turban forms. Porcelain and Silverskin varieties ripen last, followed by Glazed Purple, Marbled Purple, and Purple Stripe varieties.
Harvesting garlic tips
Garlic does not need to be watered often, usually just once a month on average. When you get close to the right combination of green and brown leaves, stop watering a week before harvesting garlic. This will start the curing process in the ground, which helps prevent rotting. And it’s also easier to lift bulbs when the soil is dry and friable rather than heavy and wet.
The tools you need to prepare when harvesting garlic:
- Garden fork
- Knife or kitchen scissors
- Mesh bag (optional)
To lift, loosen the soil around and under the roots with a garden fork or hand trowel.
1. Preparing for harvesting garlic
When the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, it is almost time for the garlic to be harvested.
2. Determining the right time
Choosing the right time to harvest garlic is an art form. Garlic ready to harvest is usually when 3 to 4 leaves have wilted, but there are still 5 or 6 green leaves. Avoid waiting too long, as the cloves will begin to separate from the bulbs above ground.
3. Dig out the bulb
Wait for the soil to dry if at all feasible. Garlic bulbs are more difficult to extract from the ground than onions. Despite the fact that you just planted a little clove, mature bulbs are several inches deep and have robust root systems. As a result, always dig out your garlic. Pulling it out of the ground can cause the stem to snap and the bulb to detach.
Although both tools will work, a garden fork is preferable than a shovel when digging garlic. Loosen the soil around the garlic bulbs and gently dig them out. Be careful not to cut them off. To separate the bulbs from the ground, shake off the remaining earth.
Tip
If you accidentally cut a bulb while looking for it, start thinking about how you’ll use it. Sliced bulbs should be utilized right away rather than being preserved.
4. Organizing harvested garlic
Before keeping garlic for later use, it should be cured or dried. Brush off any soil residue that has stuck to the bulbs first. Do not soak the bulbs or wash them off. As the bulbs cure, leave the stems and roots on. Bundle 8 to 10 stems together, bind them with string, and hang the bulbs face down in a cold, dark place to keep garlic (such as a basement). Allow three to four weeks for the bulbs to heal. Fresh garlic’s flavor can be altered by exposure to sunshine.
Cut off the tops and roots once they’ve dried, and clean the garlic by peeling away the outer papery skin. Make sure no cloves are exposed.
5. Store the bulb
Store the garlic in a dark, cool location (32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit). This manner, air will be able to circulate. Garlic can be stored by weaving and hanging it. However, because it will be exposed to light, do not hang it in your kitchen. Garlic can also be stored in mesh bags.
Choose a few healthy ones to utilize as seed stock for the following harvest. Because they are most likely to yield a crop with identical characteristics – large, healthy bulbs – this is the case. Use the smaller ones for cooking after curing, saving the largest and best for future garden growth.
6. Curing and storage
Garlic must cure for a length of time after harvesting before being kept. Curing removes extra moisture while also allowing the flavor to settle and mature.
Store softneck kinds for 6 to 8 months in a cold, dark, and dry environment, and hardneck varieties for 3 to 5 months at 55 to 60° F. Hardneck garlic can survive up to seven months when stored at temperatures a few degrees above freezing.
However, you’ll need a naturally cool location, such as an unheated garage or shed. Garlic should not be kept in the refrigerator because the humidity is too high for proper storage.
Check out our tutorial on how to pickle and store garlic for more information on these methods.
How do you dry and store garlic?
Curing garlic basically means drying it out. You need lots of air flow and a cool place to cure it. You can string the garlic into bunches and secure it in your garage with string. You can also weave the stems together for storage. Then place it in a back shaded dry place.
Harvesting garlic Rewards
It’s simple to grow your own fresh garlic. Having your own supply of conventional bulbs in your winter storage closet is fantastic. You must be able to interpret the leaves in order to harvest your crop at the optimal time.
Because the ratio of brown to green leaves is the best indicator of when mature bulbs should be removed. Will you be planting garlic bulbs in your garden this year now that you know how to read the leaves and when the optimum time is to harvest them?
Have you brought in a bumper crop of garlic? Do you have any advice to offer? Please use the comments box below to reach us.