When do You pick garlic?

When Do You Pick Garlic?

Garlic, Allium sativum, is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed species in the world. Its bulb consists of multiple cloves, which are a great addition to many dishes due to their unique flavor and aroma. If you’re a garlic enthusiast or considering growing your own, knowing when to harvest the garlic is crucial. In this article, we’ll cover the best time to pick garlic and provide some tips for harvesting.

How to Determine When to Harvest Garlic

Before we dive into when to pick garlic, it’s essential to understand how to determine when it’s ready to harvest. Here are some signs to watch for:

• Size: Harvest when the cloves have reached around 3-4 inches in circumference, which usually takes between 4-6 months after planting. As the cloves grow, their diameter will increase.
• Soft Neck: Check for softness or pliability in the neck or the middle of the bulb. When pressing on the neck, it should feel yielding to the touch, indicating ripeness.
• Color: Gar-lic cloves turn into yellow or light brown when ready. If the cloves have changed color, it’s generally ready to harvest.
• Days-to- maturity: Some varieties, like ‘Early Louisiana’, have a 30 to 35-day maturation period and are ready to harvest when most leaves fall off or become hollow and begin to yellow.

Timing Depends on Variety and Climate

When to pick garlic depends on factors like variety, climate, and geographic location. Different varieties can vary from 4-7 months and possibly more in warmer environments or at higher elevations.

How to Harvest and Storage Methods

Harvest and cure: Carefully dig as many bulbs as possible to encourage new growth, using a garden fork to loosen the soil before pulling them out. Spread the harvested cloves on a dry surface to expose all sides to the air. Re-tie or store with care to maintain bulb shapes during curing. Monitor stored garlic for signs of ro-tening, removing them from the bunch as necessary, until all cloves have fully air-cured (2 weeks – 1 month).

Table on Post-Harvest Care for Gar-lic

Handling during Post-Harvest

Be aware of potential problems by being attentive during the storage stages of moisture: watch out for excessive condensation around bulbs. For maintaining moisture control:

• Provide enough space for air circulation (<60% humidity).
• Repurpose old clothes, bags or similar to prevent excessive wrapping stress on bulbs.

During cold storage:

• Protect your hand while handling, preventing bulb damage.

By harvesting, curing, and storing garlic efficiently, you’ll enjoy your garlic fresh, with an improved chance for longer shelf life (average 2-4 months + depending on specific handling).

Additional Tips to Save Your Harvest

Pro-tocol for Cleaning After exposure to dust or pow-dery mildew. Avoid touching cloves when still attached to the mother plant before re-tieing – touch only clean surfaces when required.

• Handle and rewrap gloves to maintain moisture balance (<1/4 of whole leaf).

In summary, a harmonious relationship between you, garlic, and nature leads you on a path to an optimized and thriving garlic-growing experience. We understand that each harvest depends not just on variety but also, it matters where and how care takes place.

The combination of carefully watching the garlic growth during harvesting and storing with precision techniques mentioned in this article can turn any novice garlic enthusiast or garlic grower into an artista in no time!
Now, the time to discover whether you’ve harvested ripe enough garlic to taste has now arrived.