How can you tell that garlic is ripe enough?

You may wonder, why publish this article now when many of us have already harvested garlic. True, but there are many late garlic varieties that are still growing and some of them are harvested as late as mid-August. So, how do you know when the right time comes?

Softneck versus hardneck

First you need to know what type of garlic you grow. Obviously. The vast majority of gardeners grows hardneck – cloves arranged around a hard centre. Hardneck often develops stems with flowers, which you must remove. If you do not, you are forcing the plant to produce smaller and less tasty cloves.

Photo: Pixabay

On the other hand, the typical twisted inflorescence also tells you that you may start harvesting soon. The signal is that the stem straightens up. So, you may leave the flowers but as soon as they straighten, you should start harvesting. Another reliable indicator is the number of green leaves. If you only find about five, it is a good time to pull it out of the ground. The bulb should have 4 to 5 skins.

When to harvest softneck

If you grow softneck, it will be a little more complicated. It does not form flowers, so you will not get any “sign”. The only reliable sign is the green stuff. When more than half of the greens on the growing bed lay down on the ground, it is the right time to harvest. The number of skins should be from 3 to 4 at this time.

The best way to preserve garlic is to dry it upside down in bundles – hang it in a well ventilated and shaded place. Do not let garlic dry on the bed, as some people do with onions.

Source: https://www.prozeny.cz/clanek/zloutne-nat-cesneku-je-cas-ho-sklizet-a-susit-73909, https://www.ireceptar.cz/vareni-a-recepty/idealni-cas-na-sklizen-cesneku.html, https://www.zahrada-centrum.cz/clanky/56-kdy-a-jak-sklizet-cesnek

Preview photo: Pixabay