When to harvest winter garlic

When to clean up

If your garden beds are properly cared for and you water your garlic on time, then the yellowing of the lower leaves will be the first sign of ripening. As a rule, in Central Russia, including the Leningrad Region, this time comes around mid-July or early August. But the exact timing of digging the heads will still depend on the weather - the cultivation of garlic can be delayed if this season was a dry, sultry summer. On average, you can harvest crops starting from July 20th, and it is better to finish harvesting before August 1st. You should not stubbornly continue growing already ripe garlic, no matter what kind of care you provide it, the heads will not grow anymore, and the taste, useful properties or keeping quality will surely lose.

It is necessary to dig up the bulbs when the yellowing of the upper leaves of the garlic tops begins, the drying of the lower ones. "Correct" garlic has a dense head, while the cloves are easily separated, but do not disintegrate, and the husk covering them is removed without much effort.

If you break the harvest time and continue growing, you will inevitably face certain troubles:

• no matter what care is provided to the culture, overripe garlic begins to take root, respectively, the scales are destroyed, and the heads themselves noticeably lose keeping quality;
• or vice versa, if you dig up onions that are not yet ripe, the garlic cloves will be loose, soft and tasteless. Care and high-quality storage of such a vegetable will not help it return the necessary qualities.

Those heads that cover at least three layers of outer scales are well kept. It is on how mature the culture is and the duration of its storage will depend, therefore, before collecting the entire winter garlic bed, be sure to check several bulbs: for this you need to select several plants, move the ground away from the head and consider the state of the scales. If it is firm, the cultivation is complete and the garlic can be harvested. First you need to remove the arrows, then dig in the plant, pull it out of the ground and shake it off thoroughly, after which the heads are laid on a flat surface to dry. You can completely dry the heads in a warm room; the whole process can take about two weeks. Then the bulbs are thoroughly cleaned of leaves and stems, leaving a small stump from the aerial part of the shoot. It is also important to remove long roots, but so as not to inadvertently damage the root bottom, then additional care for the winter garlic stored for storage will not be required.

Video "Harvesting"

From the video you will learn how to harvest garlic.

How to dig

When you have decided that the cultivation is really over, and the garlic needs to be harvested, try to choose a dry, warm, fine day without precipitation for this. The fact is that the garlic heads should not be wet, this will delay the drying process and negatively affect the storage period of the vegetable.

Pulling out garlic with only your hands is quite difficult: its root system is well developed and goes quite deep.Therefore, you cannot do without digging: this can be done with a regular shovel.

The head freed from the ground is shaken off several times, removing the adhering earth clods, and laid out on a dry, flat surface for drying. For now, the care of the crop is over. The following manipulations will be needed after final drying: then the heads will need to be formed into bundles or placed in breathable containers and sent for permanent storage.

Even your kitchen can serve as such a place: garlic bundles look quite decorative and can become a good and colorful interior decoration. In addition, you will immediately notice if the heads need care.

Storage rules

But best of all, the winter garlic that you plan to eat feels in closets, where the air temperature does not rise above a few degrees. Caring for the harvested crop is about ensuring the right temperature, ensuring proper ventilation, and choosing the right container. It is best to store the heads in wicker baskets or bunches so that air reaches each bulb.

The cultivation of this culture in our country is widespread. As you can see, it is important for the gardener not only to properly plant and care for the crop, the most careful cultivation can come to naught if the wrong period for harvesting winter garlic is chosen. Be attentive to your beds, and they will surely delight you with a rich harvest and delicious garlic!

Video "Storage"

In the video you will learn how to store garlic.