When to remove garlic from the garden

The importance of timely cleaning

As already mentioned, timely harvesting of garlic is a pledge and guarantee of its long-term storage. If the moment was missed, it can nullify all efforts.

If you skip the timing of digging the heads, then the following will happen to them:

• the integumentary scales will crack, which will lead to the exposure of the teeth - such bulbs quickly dry out or rot before they reach January;
• overripe bulbs can release new roots and grow again, which will negatively affect their safety;
• the heads can crumble into separate teeth, which will also shorten their shelf life.

If you remove the garlic from the garden prematurely, then its immature teeth will quickly become soft. Of course, proper drying will help the heads ripen, but in this case, the garlic cloves will be slightly wrinkled.

Sometimes gardeners, fearing to miss the harvest, deliberately dig up the bulbs a week earlier and then dry them in the sun, and this does not in any way affect its taste and shelf life.

It is worse if the garlic heads are overripe, and their teeth have separated from the arrow. Such a crop will not be able to be saved for the winter - it needs to be processed sooner or used for planting in the fall.

Ripening garlic

As you know, there are two types of garlic: winter (which is planted in the fall) and spring (summer) - it is planted in the spring and dug up in the summer of the same year. Despite the fact that the ripening period of a certain species is always the same, the timing of its harvesting may vary depending on the region.

For example, in the middle lane, where the weather conditions are relatively stable, you can dig winter varieties in mid-July. In the northern regions, the harvest is delayed by 2 or sometimes 3 weeks. Many gardeners are guided by the lunar calendar when harvesting, but this method is acceptable for regions with a temperate climate, but in no way suitable for the southern or northern regions.

Residents of the Moscow region know very well when to dig up garlic in the Moscow region. For a variety planted in autumn, this time falls on the last week of July and captures the first days of August. Whereas in the Leningrad region, harvesting begins a couple of weeks later, since the climate of this region is colder and more humid. In any case, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the bulbs, and then they themselves will give a signal that they are already ripe.

Signs of Ripening Summer Garlic

Spring (summer) garlic begins to ripen in the second half of August, but depending on the weather, its collection can continue in early September. In order not to miss this important point, you need to periodically inspect the garden and the plants themselves. You can also dig out one head and inspect it. Signs of the readiness of the bulbs for harvesting are:

• yellowing and drying of leaves;
• lodging of stems;
• softening or drying of the root collar;
• when digging up the bulb, you can observe a solid, well-formed head with clearly defined teeth, covered with dense but dry scales.

Signs of Ripening Winter Garlic

Garlic planted in the fall traditionally needs to be dug up 100-110 days after the first shoots appear. As a rule, this period corresponds to the last ten days of July, but depending on the climate of the region, it can last until the beginning of August.

The winter variety differs from the summer one in its ability to shoot arrows, at the end of which seed pods with multiple small bulbs are formed. And if the culture is not planted for the purpose of obtaining seeds, then these arrows are usually broken out so that all the forces of the plant go into the formation of heads.

Experienced gardeners always leave 1-2 arrows, as they also determine the degree of ripeness of the garlic.

The following signs indicate the ripening of the winter variety:

• yellowing, wilting or drying of the lower leaves - the stalks of winter garlic do not linger;
• if arrows with bulbs are preserved, then a cracked shell is visible on them, under which small sowing bulbs are exposed;
• when digging out the head, there is a strong, almost dry scales with purple veins;
• scales are easily removed from the head;
• the teeth are easily separated;
• the bottom film is easily removed from the prong.

Cleaning

As it has already become clear, timeliness in harvesting is very important, but it is equally important to be able to harvest it correctly, since there are many important points in this process:

• Dig the heads out on a dry, preferably sunny day - if the weather is wet or rainy, the bulbs can quickly rot or require longer drying.
• It is better to pick the garlic in the morning so that it can dry out in the garden in a day.
• Dig the bulbs with a pitchfork or dig in with a shovel so as not to damage the tines - this way they will last longer.
• If the soil is loose and the heads are easily removed, then it is permissible to pull them out by hand, but this must be done very carefully.
• After the garlic bulbs have been taken out, the plant must be laid out on the garden bed until evening to dry. Cutting off the stems is not recommended for 4-6 days.
• As soon as the heads on the bed are dry, they should be carefully cleaned from the ground and transferred to a dry place for ripening.

How to store

Under a canopy or in a dry, ventilated room, the garlic ripens for another 2-3 weeks. After this time, it must be prepared for storage. You should know that it is better to store garlic heads in a cool dry place, hanging. There are many ways to save a product:

• Bundles, bundles, braids. For this option, the stems should not be cut, on the contrary, the longer and stronger they are, the better.
• Wicker baskets. This method allows the heads to be stored until the next harvest as the baskets are well ventilated. In this case, the stems should be cut to 5–10 cm.
• Boxes, boxes. For this storage method, the stems are cut to 2–3 cm, the heads are laid in layers and each layer is separated with parchment.

Recently, many new and original ways of preserving garlic have been invented. Knowledgeable housewives store the heads in ordinary glass jars, sprinkling them with flour, salt or pouring sunflower oil over the peeled teeth. The essence of these methods is that if you block the access of air to the product, then it can be stored indefinitely.

Video "When and how to harvest garlic"

This is a useful video about harvesting garlic: when to dig it, how to do it correctly, how to dry and store it.