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When to harvest

Lulu The LurcherLulu The Lurcher Posts: 258
in Fruit & veg

How will I know when to harvest garlic?

Posts

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    When the foliage has died down???

  • Lulu The LurcherLulu The Lurcher Posts: 258

    Thanks Edd that was really helpful

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Edd, what does your post mean?  

    The correct time to harvest and store them is when the foliage has died down.  Dry the bulbs off; I usually do it in the greenhouse as our climate is a bit unreliable.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,124

    If you wait until all the foliage has died down the bulbs can begin to split which causes storage difficulties - the knack is to get the timing right between the outer leaves dying down and the centre ones remaining green. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Never had that problem, Dove.

    Lulu, you can also harvest them as and when you need them for the kitchen before all the foliage has dried off.  When the foliage is still green.  Time it right though or you will dig them too early.

  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    I harvest when the foliage starts to look a bit lack lustre; it works for me. Then tie them up and hang them in the house away from direct sunlight. Can be a bit garlicky for a while but not for long. Am still using garlic from last summer.image

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,124
    Welshonion wrote (see)

    Never had that problem, Dove................

    Perhaps that's because of the higher humidity levels over there in the west .........image I'll get my coat image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    I think we've had this rain conversation before.  Yes, we are damp over here!

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    Helpful link, that.  I'll try them at different stages, maybe.

    They used to say you should plant garlic on the shortest day and harvest it on the longest day: I suppose that was old varieties.  I planted mine in October and it looks just fine now except that one of the two rows was pulled up by somone who wanted to cook with it, in January!  I planted some more in modules immediately and have just planted them out - I expect they'll ripen later - or maybe at the same time and not get as big?

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