»Harvesting Garlic – The Definitive Guide«
As a crop of importance with a lot of nutrients, garlic harvesting determines the quality during its storage.
3.5 seasons later, garlic leaves turn brown and dry a sign for harvest readiness however garlic is a cool climate crop which sprout quickly as spring hits and it takes 9 to 10 months to mature. Prune off garlic scapes which form at top of plant for crops to concentrate on bulb formation.
Garlic handling
First, cut off scapes a week after they first appeared and space garlic at 4 inches apart at first planting and mulch heavily to moderate temperature and hold moisture. Eliminate weeds always from garlic and water slowly 2 weeks prior to harvest. Harvest time is determined by drying and falling of the lower leaves however for harvest confirmation dig out a plant/ bulb and check.
Similarly, when ready to harvest, stop watering garlic at least 1 week prior and dont harvest on a rainy day and bend stalks 48 hours prior to harvest. During harvesting, remove soil by hand, dig a perimeter around bulb, get trowel under bulb and finally unearth it.
Hang garlic up side down under direct sunlight in bundles of 5-10 fully intact for 2-4 weeks and brush off any loose soil and dont wash them. Once tops and roots completely dry out, cut stems 2-3 inches long and trim off roots.
Furthermore, remove dirty outer layer and store garlic in cool dry place under humidity of 60% for storage longevity. Keep them in dark area to prevent sprouting with good air circulation and temperatures of 10-15 degrees centigrade.
Keep bulbs intact for maximum shelf life and finally keep big bulbs for replanting and use broken or separated ones first.
